Music Writing: Interview with Jennifer O'Connor

I heart Jennifer O’Connor. Not on a gay way, but in a geeky fan girl way. Here’s my interview with her for Detour. She’ll be in town tomorrow opening for the Indigo Girls at the Michigan Theater. I’m really excited for her set, as it’s gonna be a solo (presumably) acoustic set. The last time she was in MI it was at the Pike Room with the New Year on a week day. She had a full band (which included Chris Brokaw on either drums or guitar… but I think drums. It was super late, my mind is fuzzy). It’s a shame that the crowd was s small that night because both JOC and the New Year were so, so, so awesome. One of my favorite shows of ’08 in fact.

This time around she’s touring for a bit with the Indigo Girls – a band that, believe it or not, I remember numerous high school era discussions about whether they might possibly be gay. Seriously. Looking back, I can’t believe there was ever any question about such matters. They are called the Indigo Girls for fucks sake. I mean, if they didn’t actually exist, and you and your friends were sitting around listing off possible names for lesbian bands, that’s the first one somebody would come up with. Then you’d all dismiss it as too obvious – like, who would actually name their group that? But alas, the mid-90’s sure do feel like ages ago, yes? Such an innocent time. I have actually never seen them live, so although I’m way more geeked about JOC, I am also curious and interested to see the Indigo Girls as well. The “music of my people” and all that…

Although I personally am not guilty of this, I would bet good money that many a confused teenage lesbian has made a mix tape for their straight-best-friend-secret-crush with the hopes that, despite the seemingly impossible chances, once said friend got to the last track on side one (“Closer To Fine” of course), a seed would be planted. This seed would germinate until the climactic side two finale – the Indigo Girls cover of “Romeo and Juliet” segwaying into Melissa Etheridge’s “Come To My Window.” She’s then bound to realize you’re the one for her, right?! Of course what will really happen is she’ll listen to it passively in the car on her way to pick up her dumb jock boyfriend from football practice. He’ll get in the passenger seat, and after grabbing her tits and turning to give the rest of the team a thumbs up, will turn back, notice the music and say, “What’s this gay ass shit you’re listening to?” She’ll say, “Nothing, I don’t know. Just some tape.” He’ll pop it out and turn up the classic rock station because “Back In Black” is on. The tape will fall to the floor, and while her boyfriend is mastering some serious air guitar licks and stomping his feel to the music, he’ll kick it under his seat without ever even noticing. It’ll stay there until your friend leaves for college and sells the car to a confused teenage girl who finds the tape one day and pops it into the deck. By the end of side one, a seed will be planted...

... and that's how gays recruit.