My History with the World (or how Karl Wallinger rocks my world)

Warning. Another long post to follow. Get over it. I can't help myself.

In fall of 1990 I moved from smallish town South to Big City New South to go to college. Beyond making lots of new friends and getting closer to ones I'd been separated from (that'd be you, R-Belle), I also discovered college radio. There were lots of bands with songs out that I liked at the time: Throwing Muses, Modern English was experiencing a revival of sorts, yadda yadda yadda. I loved all this music that no one back home had ever heard of. It was so ... liberating.

One day, I was looking through used cassette tapes on campus. I bought two because those were the only ones featuring songs I'd heard before - either on college radio or on MTV. The band I recognized from MTV was World Party, the tape I bought was called "Goodbye Jumbo." I popped the tape in my car stereo and was blown away. It became my favorite tape, replacing the likes of The Steve Miller Band, The Eagles, Boston and REM. I was addicted. But I didn't really know anyone else who liked them (maybe Reni did, but if so, she was the only one).

I wore that tape out, didn't hear much from the band in the following years and moved on to other music. (Somehow missing the awesomeness that was Jeff Buckley in 1994/95.) But that one album (yes, I'm calling it an album) stuck with me. Anytime I was in a used CD store, I'd look for CDs from World Party. I finally found one called "History of the World." It renewed my addiction all over again. Not long after I found that CD, I heard that World Party was touring again (1997).

By that time, I had gotten T hooked on the "Goodbye Jumbo" tape (I think I was still listening to it on tape in 1997). Somehow, I talked young T into accompanying me to the concert. World Party was touring to support their latest release "Egyptology." I can't remember if I bought the CD before going to the show or after. The band played a lunch concert on the local rock radio station the day of their concert. I taped it from my office cubicle.

I got terrible reception in the office. But that didn't keep me from dragging in my whole stereo (with only one speaker) and putting it under my desk. I climbed under my desk to tape the show. I couldn't really listen to it because I didn't want to turn it up. But I kept trying to check to make sure I was getting good reception. It's really funny to think about that now.

Anyway, T and I went to the show and it was ... A W E S O M E. Until this weekend, it sat uncontested in the number 1 spot of my concert-going experiences (and I've been to some really good shows). We were there early enough to get a great spot right up front. I had my elbows on the stage right under Karl Wallinger for the whole concert. He even kinda talked to me during the show. In the very beginning, the people on the front row couldn't hear his mic. Me and the guy beside me got his attention. He bent down to listen to us. He couldn't understand the guy beside me, but he understood that I was telling him we couldn't hear him. He told the guy on the sound board to correct the problem and then looked back at me to see if it was better. I signalled that it was. Hooty hooty. (I know I've told that story before, but I love telling it.)

Sometime around that concert, I bought "Goodbye Jumbo" on CD and turned over my cassette version to T. She later used it to hook in another fan. I still have the tape of the radio concert and would love to get help putting it on CD. Karl did a great cover of a Paul McCartney song that is better than Paul's own version.

Sometime after 2000, I found another CD that was only available as an import. By that time, I didn't care what it cost, I was buying whatever World Party put out. I was looking for an extension of "Goodbye Jumbo" and this wasn't it. It had a few great songs, but it didn't bowl me over. Then...

N O T H I N G.

It was like World Party dropped off the face of the earth. I knew a couple of UK artists had covered some of his songs, but nothing was coming directly from him. (And yes, World Party really is just Karl Wallinger hiding behind a band's name.) I continued to check for new stuff, but there wasn't anything to be had. I think the lowest point in my fandom came when I wanted to give The Polyglot a copy of "Goodbye Jumbo" as part of his graduation gift last fall. Despite the fact that this is a highly critically acclaimed album and is the most important album in the World Party catalog, it was nowhere to be found. I thought I could just walk into any place that sold music to pick one up. Nope. The most depressing thing is that when I went all the way to the big record store in the middle of town and asked if they had it in stock, the dude didn't even recognize the band's name. He was like, "Which was the band name and which was the name of the CD?" You've got. To be. Kidding me.

ALL THAT HAS CHANGED.

I got email from TicketMaster (thank you thank you thank you) about two months ago that World Party would be playing a show in town. I hopped online and bought the first four tickets. Yes, the FIRST four. I couldn't believe World Party was coming to town! Wow. That meant new music! World Party only tours to support a new release.

I was a little confused to find out that Karl was finally releasing that 2000 UK cd in the States. Huh. What was that about? Who cares. I was getting to see him again. (You all knew that part.)

Due to one thing or another, T was the only friend I could get to go with me. (That's just the facts, I'm not spreading any blame or guilt.) T got a friend of hers to come along, so there were three of us. Guess who was late? Not me. I was about the 8th person in line. While standing in line, the guy behind me said he'd read in the paper that Karl had had some health problems. Huh. I hadn't heard about that.

That news was soon forgotten because when Karl came out and played...it was magic once more. He didn't have a full band. There were only three of them - Karl on rhythm guitar and baby grand, David Duffy on fiddle and mandolin, and John Turnbull on lead guitar. No bass. No drums. Uh, have I ever confessed how much I love bass and drums? I was more than a little nervous when I realized that there was no bass or drums. What was I thinking?

I could not believe how well the fiddle filled in for the drums and bass. There were a couple of places where I wanted to hear the drums, but my mind inserted them (and my hands played them). Overall, though, it was incredible. Again, we were sitting front and center. This time at a table, like adults. I was a little disappointed with the table arrangement. It was nice to have a place to sit before the show, but once it started I wanted to get up and dance. Being right in the front, I would have ticked off a lot of people if I had.

Anyway, I wasn't able to hang out and meet Karl after the last concert. But nothing was going to stop me from doing so this time. (So maybe it's good that y'all didn't come with me.) After the suckers who didn't know any better left the building, the band came out to sign autographs and glad hand their fans. I was pretty early in the line to talk to Karl.

I've listened to this man's music for 15 years. I had to tell him thanks and tell him what a good job he'd done. I also asked for him to come back soon. He agreed that it would not be another 7 years (it was actually 9) - he'd be back sooner next time. In fact, he said he's planning to return "later in the summer" with the full band. It was cute listening to him talk about how this is such a scaled down tour. He basically doesn't have any roadies, it's just the three of them and his manager. (Maybe the one roadie I saw actually belonged to the venue.)

I got him to sign the DVD that came with the newish cd I bought at the show. (I also bought a tshirt, but didn't want him to sign that 'cause I want to wear it.) The funny thing is that T's friend - who had never even heard of World Party before the show - was so impressed by his music that she got in line to buy a CD. Since T and I had to wait on her, we just stood back and watched the band interact with their adoring fans. It was fun. I felt a little bad for the other two guys. I didn't realize it at the time, but John Turnbull also played with him at the last show I went to. I guess John is kinda an official member of the band. (But Sinead O'Conner sang back up and was in one of his videos in 1986. So people come and go all the time.) I didn't know either of the other guys so I didn't get them to sign anything. (Despite the fiddle player being an absolutely adorable guy who not only looks Irish but actually is Irish.) T's friend was so funny. She only got the cute fiddle player's autograph. That's crazy.

After a while we actually had to leave the building - there was no reasonable excuse for standing there and staring at the band any longer. The three of us went out to the parking lot and chatted for 15 - 20 minutes, maybe longer. They finally got in T's friend's truck and popped in "Goodbye Jumbo." I got in my car and guess what CD was already in my player? The 2000 release of "Dumbing Up." (You thought I was gonna say "Goodbye Jumbo," didn't you?) I put it on my favorite song, a really poppy/funky sure-fire hit called "Here Comes the Future." I put down my windows, opened my sunroof and turned up the volume.

Heading out of the parking lot, I had to drive by the tour bus. I recognized the guy getting into it as the guy who'd sold me the tshirt and CD. He looked up and waved. I waved back. I looked to the right. Standing just outside the building was Karl Wallinger. He heard his music pumping from someone's car, so he looked up. Karl got a big smile on his face and pointed at me. Naturally, I pointed back.

How often does that happen? When is the last time you were blaring REM or Sting or Bing Crosby and looked up to see that the dude singing on your radio was smiling and pointing at you? It just doesn't happen. As much as I think this word is overused, the only word to describe the experience is surreal.

If you think you're not going to the next show... think again. But be prepared to be there early - Horse N. Buggy waits for no one when it comes to taking her place in the front row at World Party.

See official photos of the show here. By the way, T and I talked to the photographer. (I couldn't help myself.) It turns out that Karl had a BRAIN ANEURISM after he released "Dumbing Up" in 2000/2001. The man couldn't TALK for a couple of years. Yeah, I'd call that a health problem. I was even more blown away after hearing that. I couldn't tell he'd had anything wrong with his brain during the show. He knew all the lyrics and played all the songs fabulously.

Here Comes the Future...