#future throwback

Fun memories from a great @toddcarey house show a couple of years ago.

MY KIND OF CRAZY by TODD CAREY

DEAD AND GONE by TODD CAREY

Song of the day: DEAD AND GONE by TODD CAREY

Watch  NSDOS LIVE SET on Rinse Fr !

I typically ignore random friend requests I get on Facebook - avoiding the crazies out there and all of that - but about seven years ago I got one that caught my eye. 

"I see you're a fan of Matt Nathanson's music and I think you might like mine too."

This was before the days of fan pages and the only way for an artist to reach out was through the random friend request (or MySpace, which I never got involved with). This was probably the first and last one I actually accepted, and I've never regretted it.

My first thought, to be perfectly honest, was, "What? And how do you see that? And oh hey, you're kinda cute…" But then I thought, " Okay. I DO like Matt Nathanson's music and I'm always looking for new music so I'll check you out." The smile didn't hurt.

A few minutes later I had downloaded everything I could get my hands on, accepted his friend request, thanked him for reaching out and told him how much I liked the music. He thanked me and our friendship began…whatever that meant in the world of Facebook in 2007. 

Over the next few years I waited for new music and a time to see him live but it never came and I was starting to wonder if he'd just moved on to something else. There wasn't much posting on Facebook and since I didn't actually know him I never reached out to ask the question. But then in the spring of 2010 he released an EP and started to post again and I got re-engaged and re-excited about his music. I felt like I'd worn out what I already owned - even though you can't technically wear out a digital file…I don't think anyway - so was definitely excited to have new music.

When I was in New York in June of that year I saw him post that he was going to play in Chicago in July. A day before I was scheduled to arrive there for my friend's wedding. We had a fun exchange where he suggested I change my flight and I suggested he pay for it. I think that's when we started to become real Facebook friends because it was all rather silly and entertaining and much like conversations I had with people I knew in real life. In that same conversation he told me he'd be playing in San Francisco in August so I put the date on my calendar and told him I'd be there. 

And so, in August of 2010 I finally got to see him live and he blew me away. If you've never seen this man perform on stage I recommend you remedy that problem immediately. It will change your life. Probably.

I took a friend with me and we were so impressed with his live show that we didn't even stay for the two artists he was opening for. We just honestly couldn't imagine that they would be as good. Since that time I've fallen in love with the music of one of those artists but that's a story for another day. 

Until this point I hadn't really gone to any small, independent shows and wasn't quite sure how the whole meet-the-artist-after-the-show thing worked. It seems ridiculous now but I actually was sort of nervous. 

Prior to the show we'd exchanged some Facebook messages, maybe even some tweets since Twitter was now a big part of the social media world, and I was looking forward to actually meeting him. I never for a minute expected that he'd know who I was but when my friend and I were loitering by the merchandise table feeling, at least on my part, awkward and out of place, he walked out smiling that big smile of his with his arms wide open saying my name, "Carrie!"

I think I actually did one of those things where you look over your shoulder because you just assume someone's talking about someone else, but then he gave me a huge hug, told me how great it was to finally meet me, and thanked me for coming out. In reality, that's the moment we actually became friends. And in reality, this is who he is. He does know who his fans are and loves meeting them and talking and sharing some spicy guacamole. And maybe a little Jameson. 

Since then I've seen him many times, had him in my home and in another friend's home for some very memorable house shows, and watched his career grow. And then yesterday, in March of 2014, nearly seven years after that random friend request, he became the star of his own music video for the first single off his forthcoming album, Future Throwback. And I seriously feel as proud as if I'd written the song, played the music and directed the video myself.

It's amazing to see your friends succeed at the thing they love the most, the thing they have the most passion around, and the thing they were born to do. 

And so, here's to you, Todd Carey…it's only going to get bigger and I'm so, so happy to have been a part of it.

I should also send a huge shout out to Matt Nathanson because if it weren't for him none of this would have happened. So, thanks, Matt! You know I love you lots!!