A Letter To Keane

Dear Tim, Tom, Richard and Jesse,

I like to think that life is a series of pathways, and the choices we make--right, left, straight ahead--determine how things turn out. It's like one big Choose Your Own Adventure book. Events that happen in the universe can change our course. I have often felt I'm really just a pinball--running into things that change my course, usually for the better.

If the song "Somewhere Only We Know" had never existed, for example, my life today might look quite different. It may sound a bit silly, so let's look at some facts.

Imagine a universe without the simple (and some fans would call it overplayed, but it remains my favorite Keane song ever and makes me happy no matter how many times I listen to it) "Somewhere Only We Know." It was your biggest stateside hit, and I remember it getting a lot of air time in 2004. I really liked it, and I bought the album Hopes and Fears so I could listen to it over and over. Then, being ridiculous, I never listened to the rest of the album. I know, I know.

August 2004 saw me moving to England to teach for a year and while there, I never really listened to the radio much, just CDs. I was in a big Maroon 5 kick that year, and a colleague got me hooked on Louis Jordan. My Keane CD had stayed at Mom and Dad's house in California--not entirely forgotten, just not important enough (OH! Silly Meg!) to take up space in my suitcase.

Fast forward to 2006 and I had returned from England, spent a year living in Washington, and was preparing to move back to California. My CD collection was huge, and the thought of packing it and moving it--especially when I had my newly-purchased iPod in my hot little hands--seemed ridiculous. Hopes and Fears was one of many CDs to go, though I saved SOWK to my iTunes library and listened to it often.

In retrospect, I could kick myself for never listening to that album.

Fast forward again.

May 8, 2009 started like any other day, albeit a busy one. I got up, showered, went to work. It was a Friday. After school, there was a school carnival with games and food, so I helped out for a bit before climbing into my car and heading straight for Oakland to go to a concert with my friend Summer.

One song I happened to love by some band I barely knew made me buy a couple of tickets to a concert in Oakland. I thought you guys were Canadian! (This is a constant source of mirth among some of my friends now.)

Summer and I

Richard (drums), Tom (vocals), Tim (keyboards). Not in this shot: Jesse
(bass).

You blew me away that night--it's so rare to find a frontman who can sing like Tom, and Richard, Tim and Jesse are so solid on their instruments (and backing vocals). It's not about flash and spectacle at a Keane gig--the bottom line is that you always give us good music.

Plus, you're just nice guys.

When I got back home the next day, I immediately bought a bunch of your songs on iTunes. Over the next few months, I added more and more. I checked out your official site, read countless old interviews, watched I don't know how many YouTube videos, and tentatively started posting at the official forum on your site.

I was delighted when, a year later, you announced you were coming back to California for the Night Train tour. In my excitement, I posted more and more at the Keane forum and started interacting quite a bit with a particular group of people.

In July, I finally got to meet two of you--Tim and Richard--and I was amazed at how down-to-earth and lovely you are with your fans. You are not high-and-mighty rock stars, and for that, your fans love you even more.

Richard liked my shirt, which had a camera and the words "And that's
when I snapped" on it.

Tim manged not to laugh at me (too much) when all I could say was,
"Oh, my God, you're so tall!"

But the most amazing change brought to my life because of one song I happened to love making me go to a gig I happened to hear about in 2009 revolves around one of the most ridiculous jokes I've ever made in my life.

A joke about a duck.

A lucky rubber ducky, to be specific.

Small factoid: It was originally a lucky rabbit foot but I thought the
humor might be lost on anyone who didn't grow up in the Eighties.

I don't know what it was about Mr. Swimmy that took off. All I know is that my ridiculous sense of humor created something that took on a life of its own...and almost two years after I created this silly caption, I have some amazing friends in my life--friends I would never have known if not for Keane.

Because of Keane, I've had an epic adventure with Maayan from New York, celebrated the birth of a healthy, beautiful baby boy to Lindsay in Michigan, and celebrated the daily highs and lows of life with Sarah in England and Amanda in Holland. I can't wait for all five of us to be able to meet--and it will happen. It will be at a Keane gig, and the universe might just implode. A word of warning--bring your earplugs.

A crazy, loud actress from NYC met a crazy, loud singer from CA...all
because of Keane. Maayan and I both had our ducks with us that night!

I've also met Annie from New York for a Mt. Desolation gig in San Franciso, and Karen from New York when work brought her to Lake Tahoe.

Karen and I above Emerald Bay, August 2011. She gave me Liberty
Swimmy to go with Cali Swimmy!

Annie and I before Mt. Desolation and Mumford and Sons in San
Francisco--October, 2010. Cali was there that night, too!

 I've been studying music most of my life--ever since my parents dragged me, kicking and screaming, to my first piano lesson at age 7. Something took hold, and music has been something that defines me and gives my life meaning, ever since. I'd never really been the "fan girl" type, until I randomly chose to go to a gig in 2009 because I happened to really like one song.

And look what's come out of that.

Today, your album Strangeland releases here in the US. I am very excited to hear it in full, to pick my favorite tracks and discuss with my friends the world over which ones I love and what I love about them. I can't wait to drive to Oakland in July to see you with my friend Summer, alongside other Keane fans I've met.

I'll be the lady with the rubber duck, unashamedly taking pictures of him and singing along with every word to every song you play. (Yeah, that lady. Don't worry, I'm harmless.)

Thank you for the music, guys.

Sincerely,

Meg

All you need in life.