In which I go to Ottumwa. Oh, and talk about the NYE gig.

Yesterday Tahmi called to invite me to join her for lunch and a movie in Ottumwa.

Her mister was cuddled in with his new Xbox 360 and wanted to be alone with his new mistress, so she needed to get out of the house. She picked me up at the Batavia BP and we proceeded to Applebee’s for cocktails and food.

I had two chocolate martinis because I’m a hedonist and a plate of fish ‘n’ chips. She had two coffee & booze concoctions and a pizza appetizer. Then we went to see Family Stone, which was cute in exactly the way we’d expected it to be. (Not the world’s most brilliant film, but perfect for our needs. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anybody with enough current estrogen to like chick flicks.)

After the movie we adjourned to Herberger’s, where I got clothes for my upcoming New Year’s Eve gig (link is a PDF). I bought a cute black tailored jacket, groovy black slacks that are low-slung and even kind of bell bottomed, and a fuck-me-dead-red camisole (with matching panties because, you know, what the hell). Since it was Boxing Day and everything was on sale, I spent $70 for nearly $200 worth of clothes. Yeah! I haven’t purchased gig clothes in a million years, and I’m really excited to wear a new outfit and look well-turned out for once.

I tried the outfit on when I got home and Bread gave me a “Nice ass!” which was gratifying. Apparently chubby chicks can still have nice asses, which is a relief.

All I need now are some cheap platform shoes; I’ll probably hit Wal*Mart or Payless for those. I need platforms because I know for a fact I won’t get the pants hemmed. I never hem pants. It’s just not part of my idiom.

People have been asking me about the gig and when I tell them I’m “just a back-up singer in this band,” they all make the same face. “You’re only singing backup?” they say. “What a waste!” But I’m digging it, to be honest. I get to play cowbell, for one, and tambourine, for another, and I’ve only had to memorize about a quarter of the amount of lyrics I’d’ve had to memorize otherwise. It’s a great deal for me. I love singing backup and I haven’t done much of it. Save this year, I’ve fronted every other band I’ve been in since 1992. There’s a lot to be said for ‘only’ being a backup singer – I get to sing, I get to sing cool harmonies, I get to look cool, and I really don’t have to do all that much for the privilege.

It’s like rock star lite. Plus did I say COWBELL?!

Also, being the opening act instead of the headliner means I’ll be done at 11:00 and will therefore be able to apply myself to proper partying for the remainder of the event! It’s the perfect combination of gig and non-gig events. Bread even suggested I book a room since the gig’s in a hotel so we can both get trashed and not have to bother driving home until the next morning – clever man, isn’t he?