an evening with natalie.

i love natalie merchant. i think she's a melodic genius.

once upon a time i was in austria. one day i sat on the deck of the house i was staying at for like a bazillion hours. the deck overlooked this massive lake which sat next to the alps. i don't remember why i was sitting on the deck for so long, but it probably had something to do with the fact that i was smack dab in the middle of heaven. like something from a post card except way better.

i remember i was listening to natalie's album "ophelia" on some absurd cycle of repeat while solving all kinds of world problems and answering all kinds of questions about life and how to live it.

natalie can make you do that. don't believe me? try it.

i was in love with a boy who also liked natalie a whole big lot. in fact, i think that's how i discovered her as a solo artist and consequently stuck her in my repertoire. plus, keep in mind this was back in the days of the early 20's when everything was a little bit angst-driven, so some of her painful and haunting notes suited my searching mood just fine.

anyway.

i saw her the other night and this is what happened:

she broke my heart. (in a good way. and yes, that is possible.)

she inspired my heart.

she restored my heart.

and then she made me laugh.

repeat.

and she's one of the only people in the world who ever had the gumption to tell the world to leave river phoenix alone and just let him rest in peace (remember the whole drug overdose thing at the viper room way back when?). and for that, she gets a high five.

i would like to go to dinner with her and pick her brain.