Got Ann?

Posted on www.heart-music.com message board on August 24, 2007 07:39 PM

Well, another series of Heart concerts looms on my horizon. Most of you who know me know what that means: Time for The Wind to get – hehehe – long WINDED.

This time next week, I will be in sunny Pala, California with Cori and Billy (mycrazyhead) most likely trying to hook up with Boogie and Nicole (rhianon) and hopefully being very excited about the meet n greet that evening. Hey – there’s nothing wrong with positive thinking and I believe I do owe Nancy a gnome! This plan is assuming that my flight lands safely in Vegas without my losing my mind or my limbs. One of my friends from work tells me the turbulence when flying into Vegas is brutal and scares the crap out of her every time and she’s a seasoned flyer. Worse, on the way home, I’ll be connecting in Denver which is apparently just as frightening if not worse. Yikes! You guys know I hate to fly! Is it too late to bus it? Ah the things we do to get our Heart fix…

It is always at times like this, on the cusp of yet another amazing Heart experience, when I sit back and reflect (much to the irritation of some of you on the board) on what it means to be a Heart fan and how their music has touched my life. This past year has been one of the most difficult in my life, and once again, like a trusty old friend, Heart has been there to help me survive it. And while I know music can’t change things, it sure helps to take a break from it all for just a little bit as I sit back and escape into the majesty of Heart’s music and all things Ann and Nancy Wilson. Seeing them in concert during such tumultuous times feels like they are islands of shelter in the stormy waters of my life. (I know – could I be any cornier?) And if you think that I over think things, you may be right. But as things have gotten a bit awkward on the board recently, I thought I would remind myself why I’m here (or why I returned after a year of being in lurk mode) and why I spend so much time in Mongerville. (Besides not having a life folks! )

We all have at least one thing in common here. We love Heart’s music. Some are hard core fans who hold Ann and Nancy in the highest regard and would never dare utter an unkind word in their direction. Some are hard core and loyal but are more apt to take off the rose colored glasses and respectfully share their constructive criticism right along with their glowing accolades. Some are so obsessed they wait around by the busses hoping to catch Ann or Nancy so they can ask for a picture or autograph even as Ann steps off the bus with her arms full. (Remember that thread?) Then you have the people who like Heart’s music but haven’t really come to embrace them as people. There is everything and everyone in between on this board. And as Magic Man once reminded us, there’s room for us all.

As I sit here getting more and more amped about my trip next week, I’m having a hard time containing my excitement. My friends at work didn’t even have to ask if I was going to see Heart. They know if I am getting on a plane, it has to have something to do with Heart. One of my dearest friends asked me recently how I could even tolerate seeing them so many times. “Don’t you ever get tired seeing them in concert? I mean how different could Friday’s show be from Saturday and Sunday?”

As I stood there wondering if I should even bother trying to explain, I thought of this board and all my beloved Monger buddies. I thought of all the fans – all of us Mongers, who would need no explanation, who would just get it.

My friend happens to be a wine drinker. So I decided to try to reach her on that level.

“Do you have a favorite wine?”

“Of course, I do – you know I do because it’s what you get me every year for Christmas,” she said, leaving me wondering if I need to be more creative in the future.

“Well, how can you drink the same wine over and over again? Doesn’t it get boring?” Not waiting for an answer, I answered for her. “The wine is different depending on what you’re serving with it, right? And whatever your mood is that particular day – maybe the wine affects you differently.”

I threw another question her way before she could respond. “What about Steel Magnolias? That’s your favorite movie right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, you’ve seen that movie so many times you can quote every line. The scene in the cemetery – the one you cry at every time – you know what’s going to happen and you know if you cry good ‘ol Clairee’s gonna save the day at the end of the scene and make you laugh! Yet, still you watch it. And you cry and then laugh at the same scene just like you did the other 100 times you’ve seen the movie.”

Finally a look of understanding came over her face, but she still had questions. “Yeah, ok, I see what you mean, but really, this is like 8 times in 10 months that you’ve seen them. That would be like me watching nothing but Steel Magnolias for a few weeks.”

“The movie’s the same every time and so are your reactions. But with Heart, there are variables to consider. Will I get up next to the stage? What other mongers will be there? Will security suck and hinder our concert experience? Will they play Mistral Wind? Will they play Love Alive? Will they be funny and animated like in Dallas? Will I be standing on Nancy’s side or Ann’s side of the stage? That has as much to do with how I experience a concert as anything else. If I watch Nancy, sometimes I’m watching to learn. Sometimes I’m just so caught up in how amazingly beautiful she is that I forget to watch her play and concentrate more on not drooling all over my Heart shirt. When I watch Ann, it’s different. And Ann could sing the exact same way every time and it would still never get old. As many times as I’ve seen them play – I can honestly tell you it’s been a different experience every single time.”

“Damn, Andrea. You ARE hard core.”

Of course she’s right. But she finally understood. But the point is, of the 10,000 plus members on this board, I doubt there are many who I would have to explain it to. We get it. Sharing such a love for something, which has come to mean so much to me with others who have come to mean even more to me, is almost indefinable. It’s magic. It’s uplifting. That’s why I’m here.

So as this place continues to grow and we sit around disagreeing on whether or not Celine Dion should cover Heart, or if it’s right or wrong to offer unsolicited makeup tips to AFW, I try to remember that ultimately, even when we disagree, we still have one major thing in common that draws us here – our love for Heart and their music. I say let it be our touchstone. Retreat there when someone gets on your nerves and remember there is at least one redeeming value to that person.

Take Heart, barf bags located on the back of the seat in front of you. We ask that you kindly take your used barf bag with you when you leave.

Andrea