No joke. I loved this band who have made quite the career for themselves around the world----They were never super popular in the US, but did make a splash for a few years. If twitter and other social media outlets were around during the mid 1990's, I'm pretty sure I would have been President of their fan club.
Just this past week in London, the Corrs had a reunion concert 10 years in the making. That's right: It has been 10 years since they performed live as a group----the same amount of time since I last saw them in concert as well. Jim, Sharon, Caroline and Andrea were all household names in my 'hood and my poor parents probably had to suffer through more than their share of melodic, sugary pop music combined with an Irish traditional sound and just a hint of angsty love.
You know, the usual tastes of a teenager (Yes, I was weird). Hearing that they were having a concert in London....without me, one of their biggest fans? Just about the saddest day of the year thus far (dramatic much?). In honor of their upcoming new album and tour (I literally just squealed with excitement in my head), I decided to pay a little homage to this group and the influence they have had on my life.
I still remember the first time I saw the Corrs perform. It was on one of the US late night shows. I was about 13 and had woken up way past my bedtime with a stomach ache. I turned on the television and there they were, singing "Runaway". I had heard the song before then on the radio, but from that moment on, I began what has turned out to be an almost 20 year fandom.
Now, this was the days before the internet or google or facebook, or anything that the kids get to use these days to learn about and stalk their favorite bands.There was no itunes or music downloads----I had to rely solely on our local CD/Cassette tape store to get any sort of Corr fix.
Let me tell you: Not easy. Import CDs were hard to come by. And expensive. And I was 13 with no money. Since the band didn't get that much airtime on US radio, it took me a few years to find and collect most of their music.
But like the super fan that I was....I totally did it. I even remember going to Virgin Records in NYC just to find the VHS copies of their concerts. Didn't care how much they would cost....those suckers were mine.
(Still have them in my parent's garage).
Their songs were literally the soundtrack to so many moments of my life. Through their songs I learned about love. I imagined how my own grown up relationships would someday be like. I cried to their lyrics as some of them felt so close to home---especially during times when I felt so alone and confused. Their songs gave me comfort during those teen years when you're awkward and new and experiencing everything for the first time. I knew that I could pop in one of their CDs (those shiny round things, just for the record) and lose those feelings of loneliness because someone, somewhere had written those songs and those words that meant so much to me and made me feel like they knew the pains in my soul. And that they had clearly felt the same way at some point. I always had a hard time talking about my feelings and inner thoughts....but when I listened to their music, I didn't have to do the talking. Their lyrics did that for me.
In a way, the Corrs were much more than that. They introduced me to Irish culture and when I was deciding to study abroad, I chose to go to Ireland because of that influence. It sounds a little silly now---choosing a country because of a band that I loved, but I wouldn't change that for the world. I didn't choose Ireland just because that's where the band was from. I chose it because I had learned so much about Ireland through their music. The image I had of the culture seemed so fun and interesting. That study abroad experience is the reason I am in the profession that I am in. My time in Ireland helped make me the person I am today---and to a certain degree, I have the Corrs (In all their Irish glory) to thank for that as well. I even learned how to play the tin whistle and the Bodhran while in Limerick.
While I was finishing up my semester in Ireland, the band was embarking on a European "Borrowed Heaven" tour and I had the chance to see them twice before heading to the states. First off, Belfast.
And then from Front Row in Killkenny. Talk about a fan's dream come true.
In
2005, right after I graduated, the Corrs were still trying hard to build an
audience in the US and were touring around. Thankfully they came to the
Seattle area. Best Friend A and I went to the concert not knowing it
would be the last time I'd probably ever see them live again. For the third and final time (until this new tour ray of hope has arisen) I got to sing along with the band that I had grown up with.
So, dear Jim, Sharon, Caroline and Andrea:
Thank you for the music that you have brought to my life. Thank you for making me feel less lonely and more normal and even a little bit more confident during the years when I wasn't sure of who I was or who to turn to. I can only wait to hear what more you have in store for us.
And PS. Please come to the US. Some of your biggest fans are still here.
XoX. MW.
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