“The Band is Up for It”

I loved the finalé from Shakedown3 so much. I had always wanted one. And then an awesome wave began. And we rode it. It went something like this:

I saw on a marketing email that Ajt-J was coming to town in October. It was just a few weeks after our show and it was sold out, but I had an idea. A vision beyond sense. It was totally outrageous. I thought and said out loud to my bestie (in Columbus) and also to the Shakedown Fb Group- what if we danced with Alt-J since we had used their track in Shakedown*? I know that Alt-J doesn’t have dancers. I know. But this didn’t matter. I was IN LOVE with the idea. And so a quick game of hot/cold began with the Universe and it got hotter real fast.

I did a light web search and saw the concert was under the umbrella of a local radio station. I remembered that Patient Husband has gone to a meeting there with the radio station a few years earlier to brainstorm fund raising with them and I asked him for a name and number. I called and asked them for a contact with the Alt-J Team. They did not give me one. However the contact said they would forward it on if I crafted an email. So I did.

Dear Such and such,

This communication is in the spirit of creativity and collaboration.

I have a non-profit in Columbus, OH. Our annual event is a Circus Themed Burlesque Show called Shakedown. Shakedown’s tagline is Doing Good By Being Bad, it’s a benefit and this year raised funds for Planned Parenthood. Shakedown has 40 performers, of all shapes and sizes and each is dressed ( and then undressed) as Circus or Side show character, including Ring Leader, Lion, Worlds Largest Woman, The Fat Lady Etc. The Finale, was with the whole cast to Alt-J’s Every Other Freckle. 

I am emailing with a proposition- we would be over the moon to perform this at the AltJ upcoming Express Live concert.

Two days later I was reading emails while on the phone with someone else (a bad habit). And my jaw

full

on

dropped.

There was a response and it read “The band is up for it.”

I was giddy, flushed and flustered. I got to call friends for feedback on how to reply. On the night of the concert 15 of us joined a full concert hall with backstage “working” stickers and did the thing. Even though I know it will be obvious, let me state for the record, that I don’t dance well, and I am a mid-west, middle aged mom, but there I was smack dab next to Alt-J in a perfect Solid Gold moment… the stuff of dreams, shaking what my own momma gave me, joined by some of the wildest, sweetest Shakedown crew.

I was told later that bands do not alter their set lists on tour. Unless they do; which they did, and they played Every Other Freckle as the show finalé. Thank you Team Alt-J for being willing to play! Thank you Universe for conspiring. Thank you momma for what you gave me. And to my leadership friends who got us there, holding the line and tapping in with major enthusiasm.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

*A Shakedown favorite, we have played ALT-J tracks in Shakedown2, Shakedown3, and in Shakedown5.

XOXO - The Ringleader