Katie [Updated!]

Tonight I went to an Eric Peters concert at Grace Chapel. Eric is a Square Peg recording artist from Nashville. He's indie. He's folkie. He's scruffy (like, he has a bit of a beard). He's also scattered and often forgets the words to his own songs, which I like.

He has a song called Katie:

Katie don't cry your blue eyes red / Cling to your faith even if by a thread / Your smile is enough to make me see / That Jesus is real, Katie

I was too chicken to call out "Play Katie!" so afterward I said to him, "Hey, my name's Katie, and I really love your song Katie." He told me a story about how some people have told him it's the worst song on the album. But the song really speaks to me when I'm depressed. [Side note: Unlike many people, when I say "when I'm depressed" I don't mean "sad," I mean actually, clinically depressed. You won't catch me saying "depressed" meaning "sad."] In winter, I have it on a playlist of songs that talk about sunshine and happiness and keeping your chin up, and I listen to Katie over and over. I told him that, and he said "Hey, if you wait around a bit I'll play it for you."

During the waiting around, Eric went over to talk with the Bens. At one point, Eric said to Ben Yancer, "Hey, I know you, we're MySpace Friends!" Which they are, and I'm not sure if that's really cool or a little, um, high school. Then he said "You're the cello guy." And long story short, Ben's playing cello with Eric Peters in his Sunday night concert here in Lincoln. (Which means that MySpace friends or not, it's really cool.)

So then Eric came over and our group of friends all sat on the couch and he played Katie for me. And he didn't really remember the words, which was fun. And I could enjoy a moment of not needing that song as I have in the past, and being able to bottle up the experience and save it for a time when I need the reminder not to cry, and to cling to my faith.

Update: The concert was tonight. Ben was wonderful. My sister uses words like "rock star" to describe him, and knowing Eric's folksy style, I thought that might have been a bit of a stretch. But when they played the very last song, which soared and with which the cello was absolute perfection, I knew. It's true. Ben's a rock star.

Eric was a rock star too, even more than normal. He was losing his voice, and it had the effect of slightly strained vocals and facial expressions: totally rock star. When I walked down the aisle to get a seat before the concert started, he stopped mid-tune and said, "Hey Katie!" Made my night, a little bit. He's got my e-mail address and is going to contact me about coming to play at Union, which I really hope I can help work out for him. I'm in the business of doing good things, and it would be a good thing. He'd get to sell his CDs and get the word out about his music, and Unionites would get the blessing of hearing Eric Peters play music, and Ben Yancer would play cello with him again. Maybe he'd even play Katie again for me. All good things. If you haven't heard much of him, check him out. He's an excellent musician and a really great, genuine sort of guy.