I practiced, I learned it, I knew it and it sounded fine – but that was alone in my room. Once I got to Chicago the tingle revealed itself. In any other situation I could improvise if there was a mistake or I could hide behind other musicians but tonight there would be 2 or 3 hundred people doing a very formal thing and they all knew how the song goes even if it is solo accordion, Matt’s sense of humour. If I screwed this up, I would be ruining other peoples’ fantasies.
Oy.
.
I played with Jane Siberry as a duo before 7000 people in Scotland, I played Nathan Phillips Square accompanying Toby Swann in front of another zillion on New Years, I played on the Johnny Carson show even the David Letterman show with Blue Rodeo, I toured as a solo act opening for the Barenaked Ladies and Feist night after night before thousands – but there is only one gig I ever did that confounded my nerves. Matt’s wedding 15 years ago tonight. “Would you play Here Comes The Bride on accordion please would you please please?!”
.
It was a classy night. His mother came over to talk with me and Magali while in the background people were then dancing and the DJ added “You Sexy Motherfucker”. I noticed her slowly developing a twitch from simultaneously trying to talk to us about Canada but peripherally becoming distracted by Prince’s lyrics “shaking that ass, shaking that ass” suddenly bolted unable to take it anymore, called the wedding police on the DJ. Even more memorable, the guy from Urge Overkill (who Matt was managing) sung Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon, I think it was their first dance. But the stand out moment was delivering Matt’s request exactly how he wished it.