November 2013 | Kate's Point of View

Month: November 2013

All You Have To Do Is Ask. Maybe Twice.

On November 15, 2013

When I created my 100 List, I tried to come up with goals that felt big but doable. Like “live in another country.” That’s not something you can accomplish in an hour or during an outing to the mall. But it’s in the realm of possibilities. The item I thought was the most outlandish was “have The Features to my house for dinner.” But no.When The Features played Bunbury this past summer I sent the band a heartfelt note on Facebook and got no response. I still got to see them play, though, as well as talk them after their concert. (Wonder Boy would quickly point out that “talking” to them really involved him talking and me standing around being star struck, which is ridiculous because we’d talked to them after previous shows.)

A coworker let me know The Features were coming back in town and I immediately bought tickets. It didn’t occur to me until two days before the show to contact the band again. This time I tried locating an email address at which to reach them. The thing about contacting a band, though, is that (for me) it just means doing wild searches on Google and hoping you land on the right answer.

And sometimes you strike gold.

I emailed the only address I found on Wednesday. Thursday afternoon I received a response from the band’s manager. After almost passing it out with glee, I emailed back and forth with him to set up dinner plans for Friday at 6:30. (Throughout this there also multiple panicked texts and calls to Wonder Boy.) At 6:30 on Friday, the lead singer of the band called (introducing himself as “Matt… from The Features” as if I didn’t know that) to say they were running late. He texted a little while later to let me know they were on there way.

My seven, Matt Pellham (lead singer) and Mark Bond (keyboardist) were at my house for dinner. AT MY HOUSE FOR DINNER.

And with that I began one of the greatest nights of my life. Seriously. I could go into details about how wonderful it was and how surprisingly not weird it was. But the main thing for me is just that I was so happy. Happy that I took the time to ask. Ecstatic that they agreed to do it.

And pleased as punch with my souvenir from the evening. This past Spring I made a letterpress print that included lyrics from a Features song. And now I have a copy that is autographed by band members. Woo hoo!

Review of The Middlesteins, by Jami Attenberg

By Kate

On November 7, 2013

In books, reviews

I have a new review posted on Nudge – of The Middlesteins, by Jami Attenberg. I read the book because Attenberg was coming to town for a book reading that I ended up not being able to attend. I struggled with the book. A lot. But I also keep thinking about it so clearly there was something good about it!

“And there he was, in a suit (it was his only one, but she didn’t know that yet), and he was smiling (his happiest days were behind him the minute he met her, but he didn’t know that yet)…”
As soon as I read that line in The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg, I kept returning to it. It’s such a smartly said scathing comment. And really, it summarizes so much of what happens in the novel.

Read my complete review on Nudge.