His world is my world, too

I went to see José González last night with Ruth.

There was a mix up with the location, and the guy at the main Casbah venue didn't know the location of the 'offshoot' venue, even though it happens to be be .6 miles up the road. This 'offshoot' venue was the San Diego Women's Club, though they let me in anyways. Between the opening act (Mia Doi Todd) and José, there was a line for the men's room. I'm convinced that they have a lavish women's room with dozens of stalls and only two toilets for the men, which had cloth curtains in lieu of stall doors. On the upside there was a pleasant sitting room in the entryway to the more functional toilet room.

There was a mix up with the time, and we showed up at 6:30, though the doors opened at 7, Mia started at 7:30, and José wasn't on until 8:30. So we walked around the Balboa Park area, discussed the color of the man on the lighted pedestrian crossing sign (is he green, or do we just assume he is 'cause we know he's supposed to be?), and stopped in at Extraordinary Desserts. Unfortunately we had just had some strawberry shortcake, so we didn't partake in the "sublime pastries [that] should be as luscious to look at as they are to taste", according to their Paris-trained creator, Karen Krasne. They certainly looked sublime.

José was great. He came out and did a few solo songs, which I really dug. Then he brought out a guy and a girl who each played some auxiliary percussion and sang background vocals. Those songs were good, but I found myself trying to just concentrate on the guitar and José himself. Sometimes I forget that the people who are really good at certain things, and who have any degree of fame, are real people inhabiting the same world as me. José was a real guy. He joked around on stage a little bit and seemed to genuinely enjoy himself and get along with his two bandmates. He's also a really good guitarist. That he lives in my world inspires me.

I really like his Teardrop cover.

By the way, José does vocals for Zero 7 on their album The Garden, which I haven't heard but will definitely acquire.