Amy Obenski Gig Inspires Blogger to Leave House

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Earlier this week, Tuesday to be exact, I did something so unusual, so unheard of, so unexpected, that it will probably seem unbelievable:

That's because on Tuesday... I went Out.

Seriously, if you know me at all, even if only through this blog, then you know that I'm an inveterate homebody. Therefore, it would have to take something very special to get me out of the house on a weeknight.

In this case, that "very special something" was a personal invitation from Amy Obenski to catch her show at Genghis Cohen. Amy was coming through Los Angeles as part of the launch tour for her CD Kite, and there was no way that I was going to pass up such a thoughtful invitation from one of the artists that I play on FEMALE FRONT.


Amy Obenski at Genghis Cohen in L.A., 19 Jul 2006

The show was a simple solo performance, with Amy accompanying herself on acoustic guitar in the first half of the set, and keyboard in the second half of the set. Despite some admitted nervousness on her part, Amy's voice was clear as day, and she managed to keep her focus despite playing in a room that had its share of minor distractions.

I neglected to get a setlist from Amy (I had distractions of my own -- see below), but I did recognize some of my favorite songs from Kite, such as "Carousel", "Lady of Tomorrow", "Angel's Road" and "Take What You're Given".

While enjoying the show, it occurred to me that I was off-base in my original review (linked above) in which I likened Amy Obenski's music to Folk. It isn't Folk (as I admitted), but it did occur to me what it can sometimes sound like, and after the show I remarked to Amy that she could "pass for Irish". Not that she sings with an Irish brogue; it's just that she paints with a similar brush as some of my favorite Irish artists, like Eleanor McEvoy.

All in all, it was a delightful evening out, to which I was thankful to have been invited -- until I ruined it by destroying Amy's equipment.

What happened was, after the show I noticed that Amy was left to pack up her equipment by herself, and she had to do it quickly, because the next act was waiting to set up. Wanting to Do the Right Thing, I offered to help her break down the gear. Amy asked me to fold-up her keyboard stand, and I thought "Great!" (having actually done such a thing before). So, I flipped the metal stand over and began folding-in the legs. They seemed to be a bit stuck, so I gave them more force and they started to fold.

Then I realized that they weren't folding quite the way they were supposed to; I was just bending the metal hinges that are supposed lock the legs in place. Horrified, I said "Did I just bend your stand?!" Amy acknowledged that I basically had, and at that point I basically wanted to bash myself on the head with a large brick.

She was very sweet about it, as she was about everything, and swore that I hadn't damaged it irreperably; but I offered to replace it if that were the case (and the offer still stands, Amy).

The only thing that might make me feel better about that unfortunate incident would be if more of you went to amyobenski.net and bought her CD! And if you live in California or the Pacific Northwest, check out her tour schedule and try to catch Amy Obenski live. You won't regret it -- and as long as you leave her equipment intact, neither will Amy!