NYE with OCMS (abbreviation party 2k13!)

It took a lot of willpower for me to go downtown on New Years Eve this year. As much as I love my fair Nashville, 3 factors can make me question this love: Cold weather, crowded special events with little parking and obnoxious groups of people. These 3 things are able to be overcome when separate, but when together form the axis of evil, as far as I'm concerned.

However, I had sweet 3rd pew seats at the Ryman for Old Crow Medicine Show with Pokey Lafarge and the South City Three.  If I were to give that up to sit in my PJs and watch SyFy's Twilight Zone marathon, I would start the new year with a metric shit ton of regret. That's no way to start things off. I needed music to make me clap and stomp and wiggle so much that my spine would need traction. [Tangent:  Did I really need to see "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" for the millionth time?] 

my fancy new concert lighter 2.0.

As we reached downtown, we had to park about 4 to 5 blocks from the Ryman, which wasn't terrible. The skies were spitting rain, but the people watching was insane, making it completely entertaining. [Tangent: You see the streets of downtown were inundated with people heading to one of three big events:  the big Riverfront bash where they dropped the big music note and featuring The Fray and Sixpence Nonethericher (I assume playing Kiss Me on a loop); Old Crow at the Ryman; or Bassnectar at the Gaylord Sommet Bridgestone Arena.] It was a total mish mash of cultures and crazies. Folks in boots and jeans walked alongside tourists in light up 2013 cowboy hats and young 20 somethings in day glow cheeky shorts and furry boots (animal ears optional.) [Tangent: It was painfully obvious who was going where. Spoiler Alert: The girl in the neon fishnets and furry silver vest wasn't in the mood for bluegrass. Shocking...I realize.]

After braving the wrapped around the building line and getting to our seats, I started to really get excited. We were so close! Although my fella is a big fan of the opening act,  Pokey Lafarge, I didn't know much about him prior to the show. [Tangent: Unfamiliar opening acts are such a crap shoot. I have been both surprisingly delighted and completely bored by an opening act. Jamie had hyped him up saying he sounded and looked like he had stepped out of a bygone era.] Thankfully, he (along with the South City Three) were so incredibly high energy and talented that I think I was the only one not standing during the standing O they got after their set.  Lafarge, channeling a young Gomer Pyle in depression era duds, also had a fancy washboard player packed with literal bells and whistles! [Tangent: Watch their NPR tiny desk concert HERE for proof of their awesomely infectious time warping style.]

I really wish I could have gotten a better picture of this washboard...it was intense.

Then Old Crow Medicine Show took the stage [Tangent...which would have made anyone planning a rustic chic wedding envious. Chevroned wood slats and mason jar chandeliers hung hither and yon. It seems some savvy stage designer has been Pinteresting.] and did the classic front of the stage off the mics at the Ryman magic.

Aside from the fratty guy standing in front of me with his arm crossed who was obscuring my view partially- I really enjoyed the show from start to finish. [Tangent: Seriously, if you are ever at a show and someone behind you is in a wheelchair- at least offer to move to the side a bit. A few inches can make all the difference. (That's what she said?)] It was a little strange since their former lead vocalist left the band last fall, so I had to get used to hearing some of their older stuff from a different voice- but it was still solid from start to finish...and there was a balloon drop at midnight...so I was a happy camper.

All in all, I'm really glad I didn't puss out and decided to start the year off in a positive happy way...with my honey in a bow tie in toe. 

do you like my beatlejuice jacket?

Also, on the way home...as we trudged back across downtown to get to his car in the rain- we got to witness many a drunken lovers quarrel along Broadway. Apparently a lot of ladies in sparkly dresses wearing one shoe were cursing out their boyfriends for a variety of reasons in garbled southern accents. What a way to start a year, ladies!