Why I Had a Good Tuesday This Week
Posted on September 20, 2017 Posted by John Scalzi 24 Comments
Because yesterday I got to hang out a bit with Alison Moyet, who if you didn’t know is one of my absolute favorite singers, both in Yaz, and with her solo work. We’d become Twitter buddies in the last couple of years and when I mentioned to her Krissy and I would be at her Chicago show she suggested we have a real-life meet. And we did! And it was lovely! And brief, as she had to prepare to entertain a sold-out show (and she did; the concert was excellent), but long enough to confirm that she’s as fabulous in the flesh as she is in her music. Which was not surprising to me, but nice regardless.
(Alison has also blogged about our meet-up as part of her tour journal, which you can find here. Read the entire tour journal, as she’s funny as hell.)
I noted to some friends that I was likely to meet Alison this week and some of them wondered how it would go, on the principle that meeting one’s idols rarely goes as one expects (more bluntly, the saying is “never meet your idols.”) I certainly understand the concept, but I have to say I’ve had pretty good luck meeting people whom I have admired (or whose work I admired). I chalk a lot of that up to the fact that while I was working as a film critic, I met and interviewed literally hundreds of famous people, some of whose work was very important to me. In the experience I got to have the first-hand realization that famous and/or wonderfully creative people are also just people, and have the same range of personalities and quirks as anyone else.
If you remember that when you meet the people whose work or actions you admire, you give them space just to be themselves. And themselves are often lovely. And when they’re not, well, that’s fine too. Alison Moyet, it turns out, is fabulous, and I’m glad we got to meet.
(Which is not to say I didn’t geek out. Oh, my, I did. But I also kept that mostly inside. Krissy found it all amusing.)
Anyway: Great Tuesday. A+++, would Tuesday again.
Just to echo the Esteemed Host: nearly every idol of mine that I have then met has been terrific. There have been a handful of disappointments and some of those were probably bad timing rather than anything wrong with said idol. But there have been many, many occasions where I met someone whose work I admired, in many different fields, and was struck by what a pleasant, interesting, worthwhile person the work was coming from.
Based on my experience, anyway, if you get a chance to meet someone whose work you admire, do so.
And here I thought you had a great Tuesday because Tuesdays are Soylent Green Days !
But I suppoooose meeting those you admire will suffice
I’ve met a few people I admire and its always been great and I cant say I’ve ever come away feeling disappointed or let down or amazed by the fact they they’re just people too (OMG!)
I’m glad you got to geek out; life would be much the poorer if we didn’t…
John… if that was the expression on your face during most of your meeting, you most DEFINITELY were not keeping it “mostly inside.” You look completely (and sweetly) verklempt. So happy that you got to hang out with Ms. Moyet and also happy to hear she is as lovely as she is talented.
I’ve completely babbled to you the handful of times I’ve met you (Capricon, the Seminary Co-op where my wife babbled about your cats, etc.) and you’ve always been very gracious. Thanks.
This is fantastic. I’m so glad it all went well and you had a fabulous time!!
Sounds wonderful. I’ll have to check her out.
“(Which is not to say I didn’t geek out. Oh, my, I did. But I also kept that mostly inside. Krissy found it all amusing.)”
1. This brought such a big smile, mostly over the last sentence.
2. If we ever met, I’m sure I would geek out, too.
I remember Janis Ian at her first WorldCon (The Millennium Philcon, if I recall correctly), flipping out about meeting all these writers she was huge fan of, many of whom were flipping out because they were huge fans of Janis Ian.
In all, a good time.
I first heard Alison Moyet when she played in studio at a local alternative music station, back in the early 1990’s, The acoustic version she did of “It Won’t Be Long” absolutely blew me away. I used to have a copy of the set she played on cassette, but it – like that cool little radio station itself – are long gone.
That’s great. :)
IMHO, it’s important not just to remember that your heroes are people, but also to treat them that way. I think they appreciate that more than any grovelling fanboy silliness. And I’ve met quite a few of my idols (including OGH).
I was never a fan of Alison Moyet, but that’s no fault of hers. I just never heard much of her stuff. I do remember liking her voice.
Yes, I’m a terrible nit-picker, Ms Moyet’s collaboration with Vince Clarke was called Yazoo.
see: http://www.yazooinfo.com/
Philp:
In the United States, they were known as Yaz, because another band had Yazoo in their title. Both are correct attributions, and I generally use the one I grew up with.
JR in WV:
We were at the Hotel Lincoln, which was a pretty nice boutique hotel. Given your particular musical taste, you might enjoy this song of hers:
https://youtu.be/4Qqlzna3ib4
I can say I had a similar experience meeting you in San Francisco earlier this year!
Heh.
I’ve known a moderately famous person since before he became famous, and get a lot of amusement how my other friends geek out over him when they meet. “”Well, he’s just Dave to me”).
Of course, when I meet other famous people, I most definitely geek out over them (OMG! It’s HER!!!!!”).
The contrast also amuses me.
Nice! I saw her concert in DC last week, but didn’t get to hang out with her. The song she wrote for her mom made me cry (in a good way).
Dude, if that’s your “keeping it in” face, it’s a good thing you’re a writer; you’d make a terrible spy. (But hey, do you play poker?)
So many artists, songs, books, talented people. Geek out. Who has time to be bored. It’s been too long since I listened to Yaz, or Moyet. Thanks for reminding me.
I have met an idol of mine and embarrassed myself. Glad it went well for you.
She has an amazing voice! I’m glad that you had the chance to meet her.
How cool! I love Alison Moyet.
I’ve loved her in all of her phases and stages, and have enjoyed and loved all of the art she’s shared with us. And I’ve enjoyed following her on Twitter. She’s smart and funny and I love her sense of humor, and her fighting spirit.
I wept at a few points at Tuesday’s magnificent concert. Which may sound silly or dramatic, but just……her music resonates with me so deeply, and as she said in her own blog, this is likely her last tour of the States. And I finally got to see her. Wow.
Oof, someone’s peeling onions gotta go……
In her tour journal, she says you two had a good but brief “yabber.” What a great word!