Matthew Sweet, Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, Oct. 27, 2011

Ah, serendipity. karma. I love it when I travel for one thing and then another fabulous thing can be attached. I actually get disappointed if I can’t find a great show in a town I am visiting. Well, nothing could have been more exciting than when I found out that Matthew Sweet was playing in Maryland at the same time I was attending the Journalism Interactive Conference in College Park. Sweet is performing his classic album Girlfriend, front to back, to celebrate the 20th anniversary. It is definitely up there in my top 5 albums, infectious pop that stands the test of time. Matthew’s voice is still angelic, surrounded by psychedelic licks and distortion. I was very happy to be there.

But I forgot my regular camera. So photos are blurry and video is sort of acceptable. Girlfriend is top loaded, with Divine Intervention, I’ve Been Waiting and Girlfriend right off the bat, so I was still in initial euphoria before I realized those tunes were over. Luckily, my friend Stephanie Sylvester also picked up a few songs from her better vantage point. The venue, Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis, sounded great, although it’s not a typical rock club. People were seated at tables, and I wanted to get up and rock. But it was an amazing time. So glad I was able to go. The conference was great, too, so all in all a fantastic weekend.

Please Matthew. Bring Girlfriend to Austin!