The opening act

I know how they're viewed. I know that a lot of people don’t even show up at the beginning of a show if there's an opening act. I know that if people ARE there for the opening act they often don't pay attention to them or visit with their friends during the opener's set.

But, I also know this: I fell in like with Josh Ritter when he was an opener. I can still remember the feeling and leaning over to Corrie to say "whoa, this guy’s good!" during his set. I now own more of HIS cds than I do of the singer whose show we had paid the money for. And, I've seen him sing live more times than I can remember at the moment.

And I love that feeling. I love to be surprised. It feels like a little special bonus.

And it happened to me again this week. I fell in like with someone new. Someone I’d never heard of.

Happy, happy day. Happy, happy girl.

The biker gang’s asleep now
at the midnight motel six
And I’m walking to the doughnut shop
to get my late night fix
I’m halfway across the country
feeling like I need to cry
Jealous of your pillow,
and the starlight by your side

The guy who wipes the counter says
he works the overnight
Me, I’m a singer in a traveling band,
always playing in the lights
He said, "That must be such a thrill"
but I don’t feel satisfied
I say I miss my girl at home
and the starlight by her side

Excerpt from Starlight by Chris Trapper