random thoughts – Day 1,885 – (Thursday) –flying solo

Rolling out to Nashville
to see Jack White 5-15-12.

On May 15, 2012, basically a million years ago at this point, I was living 45 minutes outside Nashville, and Jack White was playing a show at Ryman Auditorium. If you haven't been, the Ryman is a great place to see a show. The sound is wonderful, the seats are all decent. I had been to the Ryman to see Chris Isaak, The Raconteurs, a Grand Ole Opry show, and probably some other groups I have forgotten, and always liked the venue.

I wanted to see Jack White, but was a super single singleton with a very small friend circle and didn’t have anyone to go with. I hadn’t bought a ticket, but in the days before the show I started checking Stub Hub. The afternoon of the show, there was a ticket available for a great seat at a good price and I pounced on it.

After work, I dashed home and changed out of my marketing agency office clothes and dressed in some going out for the night clothes. The night’s wardrobe choice was a short black skirt, tights, and boots with a black satin embroidered jacket. Off I went, on my solo concert mission. And it was great.

I had never gone to a concert by myself. There hadn’t been anyone I wanted to see enough to deal with going alone. But Jack White and the familiarity of Ryman Auditorium got me out of my bubble and into a concert alone. And it was fun. 

It was hard not having anyone to whom to say “that was amazing!” or “whoa, those costumes!” A couple people complimented my clothes and the people seated nearby were all very cordial. Overall, it was a positive experience. Flying solo definitely beats attending something with someone who doesn’t want to be there, can't wait to be out of there, and is making sure that I know that they are doing it "for me."