Memory of a Dog
“You probably don’t remember me.”
That was the first thing I said to Nate. Actually, that’s a lie. That’s the first thing I said to him that day. We had met once before, in a bar, drinking PBR. It was a year and a half ago and there were a lot of people there that night. We spoke for maybe 10 minutes and hadn’t seen each other since. But that’s not why I didn’t expect him to remember.
I didn’t expect him to remember because I’m…well…me, and Nate is Nate Ruess the lead singer of the band Fun.
Since we had met the last time they had released a second album and were in the middle of a world tour. The day we spoke for the second time was the day their hit song We Are Young topped the billboard charts. With low expectations, I continued.
“You probably don’t remember me, but last time you did a show in Tampa we chatted after about…”
“Dog Problems” he interrupted. “Do you have it?”
Dog Problems was the name of the first full-length album his old band, The Format, had released. The album was great, probably my favorite album ever, but the band had been broken up for half a decade, and the album came out long before that. It was released at a time when Limewire made it easy to get all of your favorite albums without having to spend a cent.
What Nate and I had discussed those 18 months ago was that I had — at great expense — procured one of one thousand copies of the record that had been cut on vinyl and sold to fan club members. My ex girlfriend mentioned that I had a copy and from his reaction you would have thought I had told him I was his real father.
“Where did you get it?”
“How much did you pay?”
“I’ve never even seen one!”
I appreciated his enthusiasm but figured it was his album, how memorable could it be?
“I’ve still never seen one.”
“It’s real, not a reproduction?”
“Can I touch it?”
“Can I please sign it for you?”
“I didn’t bring it all this way for you not to.”
That is how I came to own what was (and may still be) the only autographed example of my favorite album.
He obviously did remember me.
Listen to this week’s episode, Ghosts, Stability, and Rawness:
Written by Louis Reich of Comatose.
Comatose is a weekly series of amusing anecdotes, insightful commentary, and pithy stories. Every week three contributors are featured in short segments. The segments, though often unrelated, are tied together using music and narration to set the scene. Relax and enjoy the ride while listening to topics as varied as love, birthdays, and reciprocity.
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