the best night of talia’s life

I just got back from Rock Lotto a little bit ago, and now I’m waiting for some cupcakes to come out of the oven.  I have been astonished tonight.

At Gallery 5, Talia sat down behind the drum kit like a pro.  Granted, a very…incredibly drunk pro, but a pro nonetheless.  Her spunk and vitality was just as infectious with the crowd as it is around the house, and people screamed for more.  She switched off between drums and guitar with her bandmate, and it was pure chaos.  How can I explain it?  You’ve all been there.  In a dark, weakly-attended house show on a Tuesday night.  At some random house party in the suburbs.  Things just randomly come together, and make sense for a second.  She was like a less mousy version of Meg White. Tonight was Talia’s night.  She and her bandmate got up there and entertained in spite of the fact that the rest of their band ditched out on them at the last minute.  Her bravery inspires me.

At one point the drunk guy who was MC-ing got up on stage and grabbed the mic and tried to hijack their set.  She stared at him blankly for a minute, and then continued with her flesh-ripping, senseless guitar manifesto, much to the crowd’s delight.  There were at least forty people screaming her name at one point.  Her bouncy ringlets took on a new persona of unpredictability, while her clothes said “I don’t really care, which is cool in this town.  But I don’t have to, because I’m a natural.”  This person was born to be a Richmond celebrity, and her day has come.

Within ten minutes of her leaving the stage, my always-single roommate had four different boys tell her they had a crush on her.  At least one of them was an RVA A-lister.  You’re all in big, big trouble now.   I feel like she’s really come into her own.  Being the raddest girl in the room has way more to do with confidence (and a balance of calculation and abandon) than it does with being the prettiest or skinniest or youngest or friendliest.  It’s as if you suddenly exude all of the other qualities without meaning to, when you’ve got the first quality down.

Anyway, tonight just blew my mind, and I wish you were all there so you could have understood this rambling blog way better.

But, on to links:

• One of my favorite trees in Williamsburg; I’m glad somebody posted it on Flickr.
• This cracked me up.  Notorious W.I.G?!
• Saw Indie Parade via Modish, and was spellbound by this dress. Holy smokes!
• Incredible new technology!  First spotted by Chris Lacroix, btw.
• More converts to high tea at the office. w00t!
• Vegan readers: 101 quick vegan meals, foreal
• I relate to this.
• Want.
• A tiiiiiiiiiiny vacuum.
• More sushi = more happy.
• Right down our collective alley, eh?
• This is the type of thing I cannot resist buying in the grocery store.