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April 10, 2007

Online Exclusive

Dear Diary,

Today was the best show ever.

Story by: Lee Escobedo

Contributor to The Shorthorn

I was hesitant about seeing Citizen Cope anywhere but the Gypsy Tea Room.

However, with that club’s recent death, I had no other choice but The Palladium Ballroom. After I got over the fact I was going to be rocking out in a country-bar-turned-music-venue, I picked up my partner in crime for the evening and proceeded to the concert.

This night proved to be a series of fortunate events that would lead to an unbelievable ending.

As I arrive, park and wait for my tickets to show up on the band’s list, I notice a huge R.V. parked by the club’s side entrance. Standing outside is a guy in a leather jacket whom I approach and request an interview with Cope.

“Ill see what I can do,” he said.

The crowd begins to file into the Palladium, and my friend and I follow inside, where I quickly order a beer and decide to catch a seat in front.

About 9:30 p.m., after the opening act, the man himself and his amazing band enter and began to slide into “Hurricane Waters,” a good melody with a funky hip-hop beat. The crowd erupts.

He goes through a set list that mainly comprises songs off his latest album Every Waking Moment. When performs some of his older works, such as “Pablo Picasso,” “Son’s Gonna Rise” and my favorite “Bullet and a Target,” the crowd applauds.

I played along note-for-note on air drums from the very beginning, only stopping from time-to-time to enjoy a spiritual moment, like during “Back Together,” which has significant meaning to me, and “My Way Home.”

Citizen Cope has a fresh mixture of influences in his music, ranging from blues, soul, hip-hop and jazz, which makes for an eclectic set list that invokes a lot of audience response.

It turned out to be an amazing show that included an extended encore with a Cope solo, followed by his band coming on stage. Once the audience and the musician said their goodbyes onstage, Cope signed autographs, heard “I’ve loved you since…” stories and stopped to join in an occasional prayer. He hung out behind his merchandise table for a while, autographing shirts and posters.

Once the adoring fans began to file out of the room, I approached the guy with the leather jacket I had seen earlier.

“So, can I interview Citizen Cope for a couple of minutes backstage?” I said.

Cope turned around, looked at me and said something that would become one of the top ten moments in my life:

“Yeah, man, let’s do this. Why don’t you come backstage and hang out for a bit?”

With that, I fulfilled every fan’s dream of hanging out with his or her favorite musician backstage and being the only person in the audience to interview him after the show.