Adverts, Wizo and me

What a spectacular cap to these twelve days of Düsseldorf last night at Music Making People. There have been many magical moments and great conversations with people this trip, but I gotta share one from last night that touched me and had me thinking maybe I will keep doing this music thing!

At the end of the night – just a few folks still milling around the studio – a guy in his early 20s came up to me. He was wearing a black leather jacket with requisite metal spikes and he had several punk buttons pinned to his lapel including the Adverts and Wizo, who he later told me are the German equivalent of the Sex Pistols. (You guys may not know this, but back in high school I was a total fan of old school punk, like Crass & Dead Kennedys. So I am going to have to check them out. But I digress…)

With a sweet and giant grin on his face he total that he “doesn’t like acoustic music”. When his friends invited him to the show, he thought it would be a bar with a band playing punk or at least rock. And instead he ended up at this acoustic folk show. But, he said, after two or three songs he was hooked and glad he came to the show. Then he said all sorts of flattering things, which is always nice. :D But for modesty sake I won’t go into that here. hahaha!

Anyways, I found it moving because sometimes I get overcome with artist doubt. Most often it happens about fifteen seconds after I step offstage as I replay the myriad of ways I could have done better. I wonder whether or not my songs and my shows are affecting people and whether all the hustle it takes to get on stage and perform, whether it is worth it. And then something like this happens… and I am reminded that music is powerful and can connect across genres.

I offered him one of my buttons to add to his collection – one of the ones with polkadots on it – and I gotta say it felt darn good to see it nestled alongside the rest of his punk band collection! Danke shön, Dominic!

Alrighty now, I feel rejeuvenated and ready to take on the rest of this European tour, which starts in earnest tomorrow. Next stop: Antwerpen!

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Tour dates: http://karynellis.com/tour-dates/

For those of you on facebook, check out my page for more up to the minute tour updates. I tend to do more of the little posts there. http://www.facebook.com/KarynEllisHerself