I am not quite as prolific with the album takes as our hostess with the mostest–nor do I live in the city with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame–but I have written before about my love of R.E.M.’s music. Two years ago, it was a symphonic version with member Mike Mills performing, last year a tribute band, so this year I was lucky to see a Facebook notice pop up the day before another tribute band was playing at the same venue.
It was a quick yes to decide before the next inevitable question, what I am going to wear?
Last Dee-cember I found a cute semi-formal dress at Refresh, my favorite thrift store of late. They were having a 40 or 50% sale–can’t remember which–because they were moving from their (now closed) location to new digs (which, unfortunately, hasn’t opened yet). I found a cute dress that suited me, and after losing my end of year weight, it fit Dee-cently.
The dress was a halter top that tied behind the neck–always a challenge for me–with spaghetti straps holding up the back. The colors are bold and shiny, and the hem is short and fun, and I thought it suited me when I bought it, and my opinion hadn’t changed. I just hadn’t had the opportunity to wear it. I paired it with some large weave fishnets and some higher pumps–and I liked the look.
It was a nice day for a bike ride, so my warm-up act was a ride, stopping at a favored YMCA to use the family rooms to change to get pretty. I love the idea of going in as a boy and coming out as a girl, and as there are about 20 Y’s in the area, I am trying to make that happen at as many as possible (with the exception of the one I go to normally–that is probably pushing the envelope too much). Being a crossdresser often means getting creative about where to dress, but changes at the Y have become a fave.
The venue, the City Winery in downtown St. Louis, is one I’ve been to four or five times. There is a requirement to purchase either food or drink, but I’m happy to do so. I usually try to pick an unoccupied table, just to avoid any potential issues (not that I’ve had any). However, I’m perfectly capable of being my own company, especially with our portable devices these days.
While walking into the venue from my car, a woman walking past me commented “I wish I could wear those” in reference to my heels. I do need more practice, but I’m vain and the higher heels do accentuate my legs.
My meal and drink (a darker beer) were decent, and the band did a pretty good job of playing many of R.E.M.’s better known songs (I knew all of them, because at one point or another, I’ve owned all of the original albums in one form or another). Near the end of the show, I stood up to boogie a bit and a couple of women who were also dancing asked me to join them, so that was nice. They were big fans also and we chatted a bit.
The show started reasonably early and I wasn’t ready to go home yet, so I stopped at the downtown casino, lost a few dollars at video poker, took a few more pictures, and then headed home, knowing it might be the end of the world as we know it, but I felt fine.
