Heartbeat, it’s a lovebeat

Seventeen years ago today, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One was released.  Inspired by inner sleeves from our various record collections, we decided it was high time that Matador had its own custom dust jacket.  Unfortunately, between the three of us, we couldn’t recall a single record on the label other than our own.  Mother of invention: James and our buddy Peter Walsh came out to our Hoboken apartment one night and we spitballed a fake Matador catalogue.  I can still see the face that Matador’s overworked art director Mark Ohe made when we told him that we wanted to create 12 imaginary record covers.  We tried to calm him down with the assurance that they’d be so small that they didn’t have to look that good, and it must have worked, because Mark Ohe poured himself into the job, slaving over details that neither you nor I have ever noticed.

If only we had the benefit of Mark Ohe’s attention to detail with the posting of these recollections.  Two weeks after the fact, I just discovered that I neglected to mention Shawn from Apex, NC’s letter: When my wife, Beth,  and I were married after dating for 7 years (4 of which was long distance – Ft. Worth, Texas to Washington DC and later to Raleigh NC) our first song we danced to at our wedding was Our Way To Fall.  Probably 5 people total at the wedding knew the song (our parents and family aren’t too hip) but the song wasn’t for them.  It was for us!  We were married on April 7th, 2007 and she still hasn’t gotten tired of me yet.  We were married near Raleigh, NC and we live in Apex now.  I’m happy to say I’ve never missed YLT when they come to town (Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro) but my wife takes one for the team and stays home with our two kids.  I’d watch them if she’d go to a show by herself but she won’t.   . . . What are you gonna do.
 
Other favorite YLT memories are just show specific.  Tom Courtenay and Sheena is a Punk Rocker performed at Trees in Dallas about 13 years ago . . . WOW! Walking to the front row of Memorial Auditorium (general admission) in Raleigh after the Jesus and Mary Chain’s performance in the main plaza at Hopscotch 2012 in Raleigh . . . unbelievable.  The Dump set at Cat’s Cradle . . . great!  Can’t wait to see them again.