Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #169 - The Erykah Badu story

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #169 - The Erykah Badu story

Hi Mom,

I was preparing my dream journal entry from a couple of days ago, which originally featured this picture of Erykah Badu, as she had been a guest star in one of my dreams, when it dawned on me that I had not shared the Erykah Badu story, yet.

So, here it is.

In May (almost exactly two months before your death), I saw that Rickie Lee Jones was performing at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor in July. I asked Liesel if she wanted to go. She declined. I suggested that I may wish to go and take someone else, and she frowned on this idea due to the lateness of my arrival and how I would wake the dog. She asked me if I had seen Rickie before (I have, twice), and so she suggested that I did not NEED to see her a third time. Fair enough.


BUT.

I said, okay, I will let this concert pass unattended, but, let's say that ERYKAH BADU was coming to Kalamazoo. I would have to insist that we go. There's not way I would let that go.

Now, I made this up. I figured it was outlandish. I did not expect Erykah Badu to EVER come to Kalamazoo.

AND THEN, a week later Olivia tells me that ERYKAH BADU is coming to MILLER AUDITORIUM in JULY.

So, I buy tickets. And Liesel is stuck. I told her I would have to insist. Seeing Erykah Badu perform (as I have, twice) was a life changing, transformative experience. She had to go. I also bought a ticket for Ivan after asking if Piper wanted to join us, also after asking Olivia who would work in catering the concert and get to MEET HER!

From the minute, I bought the tickets, Liesel made noise as if she would try to skip out on the concert as she did not want to go, despite the fact that I was insisting and promising it would be an amazing show.

AND THEN, you died Mom. And the concert was scheduled for the NIGHT BEFORE your Memorial Service. In fact, we left the visitation early to get to the concert. I told Liesel that I NEEDED to see Badu as it would help me with my grief and as my wife she had to go with me to be by my side, support me, hold my hand.

Liesel agreed it was a great show, but she does not love Erykah's music as much as I do.

The concert was cathartic for me. I had a good cry or five. I was uplifted. I felt serene. I was at peace. The other two shows I saw were better shows, but Erykah is an amazing performer. I also enjoy the audience who is always very into her shows and her music. Though not transformative like the other shows, this show was the perfect bridge over troubled water from the visitation (not that your body was there to be viewed) to the Memorial Service the next day (not sure why I think that term needs to be capitalized.

Thank you, Erykah.

And thank you, Liesel.


Here's my post about Erykah from my T-shirt blog: T-shirt #86 - Erykah Badu.

Here's a couple of fave songs.

Erykah Badu - Window Seat

Erykah Badu - Back In The Day (Puff), live in Stockholm

Erykah Badu  - "otherside of the game"

Erykah Badu - Hotline Bling ((remix))





She's like a goddess.

Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.

Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

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- Days ago = 171 days ago


- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1512.23 - 10:10