Lucinda Williams, circa 2003

I’ll always love Lu, but, when she was touring behind Essence, I was particularly rabid. She was to play in Atlanta and Athens on consecutive nights, and I was all over both shows. Couldn’t wait.

I went to the show at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, and was pretty let down. Each casual conversation I struck up, no one was very familiar with the new album, and the one that was was very lukewarm on it. The crowd at the show was weak, not very tuned in or appreciative. I slunk home, dejected.

So, Athens was next. I drove over early because I was hoping I could catch her at sound check, get an autograph, and tell her how well her buddy Charlie Sexton did on Dylan’s Love & Theft (you know, gotta plan what you are going to say to alleviate the awkwardness).

I got lucky, sort of. Me and a half dozen fans, watching through the smeared glass panels on the Georgia Theatre’s front doors, watched her sound check. When she put her guitar down and exited stage left, I darted around to the door next to which the tour bus was parked, and waited. Lucinda and her band, who circled her protectively, came out. I called to her, CD and Sharpie in hand, and she gave me a look that burned a hole right through my abdomen. Still, she came over and signed it. I tried instead to tell her how I was in Atlanta last night and was looking forward to tonight, but she wasn’t really interested. She gave me my CD back and got back on the bus.

Because of everything that had happened up to that point, I was feeling pretty crushed, even though I got the autograph. I felt like a total idiot fanatic. I didn’t even want to go to the show, but I talked myself into it anyway. Paid $30 (!) again to give it another chance.

Turns out Lucinda was absolutely ON FIRE that night, and the crowd was just hysterical, too. She kept adding and adding songs they hadn’t intended on playing (I assume this is true because the Lu & Bo kept having these little huddles between songs). It was pure pandemonium!

The show finally ends, and I walk out completely drained and elated. I look over to my right, behind the theater, and there’s Lucinda, sitting on a brick wall, with a big ol’ smile on her face, chatting it up with her fans. This completely free-of-charge meet and greet lasted a solid hour. There were sober, polite people talking with her, and there were drunk-ass people there, too, really laying it on thick. But Lucinda was super-nice to everyone. She seemed like she was really trying to make everyone feel good. (I was amazed to hear she hadn’t heard the new Dylan record).

So I guess the lesson I learned that night is: Players only love you when they’re playing (and immediately afterward). Which is fine - I’ll take it.