The One Where It Was “Mattober” (Part 2)

Part two of a very overdue blog…

I went home for a total of three days before getting on another plane and flying back to the east coast. I still don’t know why I even went home…

CARRBORO

 

First stop on leg two was North Carolina. It was extremely expensive to fly into NC, so I flew into Atlanta instead, and drove to Carrboro from there.

Amanda joined in on the fun for Carrboro. Our flights landed within ten minutes of each other, so once we found each other in the airport we headed over to pick up our rental car, and then drove to Carrboro. I had gotten a cold the night before, so the whole flight and drive I was shoving tissue up my nose, because the snot would not stop flowing out. I felt miserable. I had brought cold medicine with me, so once we got into our hotel I took some and passed out.

The next morning I felt a little better, and after we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel, we headed out.

It was HOT AS BALLS in Carrboro. In October. Thankfully I had packed a dress, so I gladly put that on, and yet still sweat the whole day. Hashtag, gross.

I don’t know if it was because of the heat, or just a North Carolina thing, but there were a million freaking bugs that kept biting the shit out of me. I ended the day with 13 HUGE welts all over my body. EWWWW. I hate you bugs!!!

While sound checking, we heard them play Disappear about 6 times. So I was patiently waiting to see if it would appear in the setlist.

Amanda and I ended up being in the front row, but it took Matt probably a good 5 songs in before he saw that we were there. He gave me this shocked look and his mouth dropped open. And then he kept talking to me from onstage the rest of the set.

Randomly Matt asks me, “Are you coming tomorrow?” and I nod yes and he’s like,”OK!” Don’t mind us, other 600 people, just having a conversation over here…hahaha.

So one point of the set, the wheel is spun and it landed on “New Coats and New Hats” which is a super old song. And you could tell that Matt didn’t want to play it because he then started spinning the wheel and having people cheer for other songs on the wheel they wanted to hear instead. He looked at me and I pretty much gave him a DEATH look and gestured for him to spin it back.

Matt asks the crowd, “How many of you would be upset if we didn’t play that song?” and I shot up both of my hands. He then counts how many other hands went up (it was only maybe a dozen or so) and then he looks at me and says, “I am going to play this for you since you go to so many shows. If I fail you, I am failing myself.”

So needless to say…Matt played the song. HA.

This was one of the larger shows on the tour (most were around 200 – 300, this was 600) so we jumped into the front of the m&g line so we wouldn’t be stuck there all night long once the show was over.

In those three days that I was home I had tweeted that I had extra download codes for his new album, and joked that if anyone wanted one to send me a cat photo. Matt RT’d it and my feed BLEW UP.

I walked up to Matt and I was like,
“Have you seen any great cat photos lately?” and his eyes got all wide and he says,
“OMG that was the BEST!” he says laughing.
“I just kept refreshing my feed, and it just kept getting cuter. Oh. And sorry I am so demanding of songs this tour…”
He laughed, “You’re allowed to be.”
OKAY.

When Amanda went to talk to him he was telling her that it took him awhile before he spotted us and he got really excited because he didn’t know we were coming. He should always expect me. Ha.

We then hopped on the road and began driving towards Nashville. Our hotel was two hours along the way, and we pretty much face planted into bed when we got there because it was super late.

NASHVILLE

 

The following morning I demanded coffee before we finished the drive to Nashville. When we got to the venue the rest of the crew was already there waiting for us. It was a big hug fest, and then we enjoyed each others company for the next few hours. Which apparently the rest of the line did not, because we can be loud. #zerofucksgiven

There was a chalk board and Rachel is cute and artsy, so she drew this of us in the front row watching Matt. Ha.

We took turns wandering and fooding and recaffeinating. And taking photos outside of frothy monkey and this rad wall.

I had ended up buying 8 tickets for the group for this show. And when the guy at the door checked my ID, he said “Oh, so you’re the one + 7.” And I was taken aback by it a little bit, and I just said, “I have a lot of friends.” Don’t be rude, I’m giving your venue business.

We walked in, and were surprised when there was NO stage. Like…the stage was the floor. Um. This was about to get really up close and personal.

So about three songs in, Matt points to Amber and says, “Do you want to spin the wheel?” and Amber was super cute and was all, “ME?!” and then went “onstage” to spin it. I forgot what song she ended up landing on, though…

THEN, a few songs later, he points at me and says, “Get up here!” so I hop over the monitor and Matt sarcastically asks, “Hi, what’s your name?” and I stupidly go, “Hi, I’m Joslyn!” oh Jesus shut up. Haha. There’s a video, but that doesn’t need to end up on the internet.

That’s me being awkward. You can imagine what the video looks like.

So I spin the wheel and I end up landing on the Wild Card for the first time. These faces. I’m like OH YES, and he’s like OH SHIT.

So then he’s having the crowd vote for what song they want and I say, “Can I choose?” cause HI, I landed on it, I should be able to be demanding once more, haha….and he looks at me and says, “I got you.” (Disappear was on the setlist, so I was like, eh ok.)

Well he ended up playing Wedding Dress. That’s not getting me. #TeamDisappear

Another few songs later, Matt starts intro-ing a song. “This is a song that Joslyn asks for a lot at shows, and I always say no because we haven’t really played it. And we’re going to do it for the first time and if it doesn’t work, blame Joslyn. I’m just kidding, it’s going to work.” 1. LIES you played it in Detroit. 2. TRUTH I asked for it a few times…

So then he played it and it was perfect and gaaahhhh he spoils me.

Just when I thought that the night couldn’t get any better, Matt fucking invites JENNIFER NETTLES onstage to sing “Run” and “Giants” with him.

 That girl can SING. Holy crap. And she told me she liked my shirt and I just smiled like a goober.

Amber and I decided to take a photo together since we were the “wheel girls” for the night. I don’t know what is going on with my hair here. #frocity

Post show group photo!

ATLANTA

Then we were dumb and decided to drive all the way to Atlanta after the show. And not to mention that Atlanta is an hour ahead of Nashville, so we lost an hour while crossing state lines.

We got to the hotel at 5 FUCKING AM. I had Jane and Rachel in my car and we were super grumpy and we were like NOT GOING TO WAIT IN LINE TODAY I’M GONNA STAND IN THE BACK SO DAMN TIRED and told the other girls to not wake us up.

And then at 8am I was awake because those bug bites for NC were driving me INSANE. They were SO itchy and I couldn’t sleep because they hurt. Note: bring bug spray if I ever return to NC….

So we just decide to get up and get ready since none of us were sleeping. I legit hated life at that moment. I felt like death.

We got to the venue around lunch time and none of us had eaten at this point, so we went off to find food. We ended up at this place with the most amazing pineapple salsa and tofu burritos. Like, OMG good. I still dream of them.

Then we put a blanket out and sat in line.

Matt was playing an early and a late show this night, and we had luckily gotten tickets to both shows, and the wait wasn’t too bad since doors were at 4pm for the first gig.

I was sitting on the ground feeling like crap, when Matt walked by the line to go into the venue. He points at me laughing, says, “You look fucking…” then kept going. I LOOK WHAT? Let me finish that for you. Homeless? Like shit? Tired? Exhausted? Crazy? Strung out on cold medicine? Haha. Basically we all started laughing after he walked away like, what does that even mean?!

So these shows were amazing. Minus the sitting, because I don’t like seated shows.

Matt was in a good mood and told a ton of jokes and my face hurt from laughing and smiling.

We skipped the first meet and greet because I felt weird going through them twice in one day.

So after the second set, we said our hellos and goodbye.

“This is my last show for two weeks. Don’t miss me.” I joked.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” JERK. “Wait, I will a little.” Better. 😉

We stole these promotional posters from the venue, to which Matt was like, “Where did you get those? I need some.” and then he made up for his I won’t miss you comment by writing this most adorable thing. UGH. Stop.

Then I threw my bag on top of it and he was like, “Be careful!” and when I picked it up it had smudged, then he tried to fix it with his finger and nope, it got worse. Sorry, to ruin the cute Nathanson.

This is me dead tired. I think I was holding onto Matt so I wouldn’t fall over.

We said bye to half of our group, and I was sad. Love my posse.

When we got back to the hotel, and Rachel and I legit took a nap, because our flights were at 6am out of Atlanta on a Monday morning, so we left the hotel at 3:30am to return the car and to make it through security on time. No. Sleep. Tour.

I don’t remember that flight AT ALL, so I assume that means I slept through it. Ha.

Then I was sad for the next two weeks having to be a normal person and working. But the tour wasn’t over yet….