The Orange Peel was a super venue -- very big, nice clean wooden floor to sit on when necessary, tables and chairs, a bar with wine, big clean restrooms, good-sized stage, and even cold air blowing out for some reason from under the stage (there was even storage space there). We liked the place a ton until they started kicking people out into the cold, cold rain and wind. But! Jump fans always persevere, however stupid they may feel, and are sometimes rewarded.

Borrowed Angels and TP were once again very entertaining for different reasons. There was a NEW song, which I don't recall being mentioned in the W-S posts (forgive me if it was, I'm spacing right now), called "Hanging on the Walll." [I swear it said "She Heard it on the Wall" on the setlist and I know that doesn't make sense, but....] For a first-time hearing there was something compelling about it to me. It's a fast Jay number. I think it was on the Athens setlist, but Jay had a vocal problem and didn't do it.

Matt went on for a bit about how we Opiates are not a romantic crowd, he has noticed, from questions he has asked. Basically, he was saying we don't seem to get any. Since when does Matt poll people at shows about whether they're getting any? That was not one of his better banter moments. I should think that if your income comes from sexually frustrated girls it would be best not to point that out. Well, it was funny anyway.

Speaking of Jay, he sang "Can't Help Falling In Love" again. During it a woman in a bustier and hot pink pants came onstage and kissed Ward; Ward looked thrilled to all hell and Jay looked really irritated with this interruption. Heh. Thankfully she left. "Thank you for the smooches!" Ward exclaimed after the song.

The Orange Peel people proceeded to kick us out to face the elements and shiver like Chihuahuas. We piled into Lena's parked car (I won't list all 7 people that ended up in there or what we kept talking about but let's just say I don't think Jay thinks about it as much as it has been mentioned ;)). After a while we spilled out and headed over "like stalkers" but all was well, and I couldn't really have hoped for anything better.

I saw Ward and ran over. "Ward! Where's Matt?" I asked. Ward, crushed, of course, hugged me, and I said I loved him but needed to talk to Matt, and in the meantime tried to get Ward warmth, which included drinking his beer. Then Matt appeared. Mattgirlness needs medication, it really seriously does.

We had our necessary discussion, with him against a stone wall no less, and then I told him about theshallowone saying "God, it's like they're the NSYNC of indie rock." As I expected, his eyes lit up. I didn't even consider telling anyone else in the band that because I knew they wouldn't like it like Matt would. "What if we get signed?" he worried. "Will it still be that?"

He also thought that the "stage announcement idea" -- "Ladies and gentlemen, the NSYNC of indie rock: Jump, Little Children!" -- might actually happen. If he wasn't kidding, I will laugh my ass off.

Finally on my way to leave at last, I gave Evan a hug and he told me that he had been to my site! He liked it. He didn't look at too much since he was searching for lyrics and I didn't have any, but he liked it nonetheless. I told him to sign the guestbook next time. He didn't know what that meant.

We tried to sleep in Lena's sweet suite but there was just too much talking going on ;) Rather than spend the night again in Asheville, Cha and I departed in ice and a bit of snow and we are just now home in Atlanta. Phew. I'm soooo worn out. This was my first real roadtrip, you see.

I sometimes will get tired of the whole Jump thing and tired of hearing myself go on about it, but I never get tired of my friends. I really want to list everyone I saw but at the same time I don't want to leave anyone out. But I saw so many of you and I'm so glad that, for example, my other Erin had fun. (Awwwww!) And the tiredness goes away.

Annnnnnd finally here's a pic of Matt and Ward from that night, thanks to Pip: