I've been averaging around 4 hours of sleep a night for the past several weeks. Combine the subtle, creeping delirium that accompanies such chronic sleep deprivation with modern time-wasting tools like the internet and it is no surprise that I found myself on Youtube last night watching singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick's video blog.
I have counted myself amongst Melissa Ferrick's fans since the spring of 2005 when I shared a festival stage with her in Ft. Lauderdale. Before her set, we chit chatted while we picked at the wilting craft service tray. I had no idea who she was. After her set, I was so overwhelmed by the quality and intensity of her performance that I couldn't bring myself to speak to her. I made my girlfriend go up to the merch table where Melissa was greeting folks and signing autographs to buy a few records for me.
That was then. Now, after sitting through about an hour of the most inane and self-indulgent videos on Youtube I would have absolutely no problem giving Ms. Ferrick a piece of my mind. Here's what I would say:
"Melissa, wow! What an amazing set! You're like a lesbian Elvis or something. There is something I want to talk to you about though. Do you have a sec?
Your video blog has got to go. I know you think the fans like it and I'm sure some of them do, but they're the creepy ones that you hate talking to after shows and that you kind of wish would just buy your records and not show up. Do you really feel comfortable exploiting their mildly perverse interest in you?
This article appears in Feb 11-17, 2009.