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Post by FreeRider on Apr 20, 2007 13:26:04 GMT -5
I hope it's okay to post this here in the News and General Discussion room. I was contacted by a friend of Beth Grafe, a fellow MWT'er who passed away, who had a request. Kathy was okay with me posting this email I got: my name is bingo and i'ma friend of beths. kegels was what we called her sometimes too. i know you don't know me but since we got a mutual friend i thought that i'd ask you a kind favor if you have the time.
you see, i know beth from the country fair. camped with her in the crow's nest for many a year. most of the times at night we would sit around the fire and all take turns either telling a story or a poem or a joke or singing songs while passing around a guitar and various jugs of libation.
well. one night i tried (again) to hand that guitar to beth and she finally took it and sang us a song. usually she would tell us a amazing story about something small, yet miraculous..she noticed such things and had a knack for giving us all the wonder she had felt when she saw it. the real deal.
anyway, when she accepted that guitar all of the nightbirds extinguished their songs and she sang us a song that was just absoulutely stunning. it was by paul westerberg she said. and i don't remember the name of thet tune.
if i recall correctly it had something to do with missing somebody.
actually i know it did because it hit home with me like a thunderclap. long story short i tried to join the man without ties group, but it said i couldn't.
do you know what her favorite song by him might be? one that she know how to play? i don't know how many songs she knew..i only ever heard her sing that one. i'd like to learn that song.
or any of his work that you might feel has some connection to missing somebody.
i want to learn it and play it in her honor for the rest of my life.
she touched me like that with the way she was. and it could be something that i could give back around that fire in her honor for her frinds that miss her too.
any help at all would be really appreciated. or maybe you could post this on that sight for me..some of her other pals might know what i'm trying to talk about.
thanks. like i said, i know you don't know me but i read on her sight what you wrote and figured that you might be the one to ask.
sincerely and with best regards.
bingo
www.bingoband.comI had first thought of "Lush and Green" and answered Bingo back with that but I wanted to run it past you folks to see what you all think it might be. Or if anyone here who had contact with Beth knew. I didn't know Beth and it turns out I didn't have any exchanges with her on this board...so, any suggestions as to what this song might be? Thanks everyone. |
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Post by nowwesayitoutloud on Apr 20, 2007 13:33:56 GMT -5
the "somebody" part of "missing somebody" makes me think of "waiting for somebody"
probably not it though
A Star is Bored? Left of the Dial? I hope it's not Lookin Up in Heaven, that'd be too sad.
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Post by FreeRider on Apr 20, 2007 14:14:55 GMT -5
Lookin' Up In Heaven might be it. That's a good suggestion, thanks.
It'd have to be a song that is fairly easy to play, I'd gather. I doubt if Beth knew the intricate open tunings Paul used for some of those other songs, but who knows?
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Post by mrblasty on Apr 20, 2007 14:56:20 GMT -5
I read through some of her posts and found this:
"The awesome and much missed Katie O'Brien always hosted a big "orphans" Thanksgiving dinner in MPLS. I'm thankful to be able to count her among my friends, and I'm sure she has other friends here too.
I'd like to invite all of you who miss her like I do to leave room for her spirit at your Thanksgiving table, just like she always made room for all comers at hers. I'll be hosting an "orphans" dinner where I live tomorrow, partly in her memory.
Miss you Kate!"
Could the song be "No Place For You"?
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Post by FreeRider on Apr 20, 2007 15:44:06 GMT -5
Wow, good call on that one too.
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Post by allshookup on Apr 20, 2007 16:15:19 GMT -5
Here's a great picture of Beth. I miss her posts.  |
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Post by heethar on Apr 13, 2015 23:57:42 GMT -5
Beth's daughter here. Just stumbled upon these posts. So lovely!
On 4/10, David B and I had the good fortune to see The Replacements' return to Portland. A completely great show. It is amazing to me how close I can feel my mom through Paul's lyrics. What was once THAT music my mom liked, later become something I enjoyed, and finally albums I know with my ears and heart. As a child, the Mats took my mom away from home. As an adult, I want to follow them on the road just like she did.
To answer Bingo's question, I think the song was Skyway. While she didn't have all of the cord changes down, she could play it. She wrote of her sailing adventures on the forum. Once, when I was on a boat she frequented, I found the handwritten lyrics to Skyway. She would do that, write out lyrics to songs she loved. I do that too. Our way of getting inside the song. Really feeling it.
Thank you for your kind words and memories of her. It is somehow all the sweeter to read them nine years after her passing.
Much love,
Heather
P.S. Beth lived an adventure filled albeit too short life. Her only regret was having not let people know how much she loved them. If you knew her, she loved you and she wished she would have let you know.
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daveb
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Post by daveb on Apr 14, 2015 2:07:25 GMT -5
If I had to venture a guess, it would be Skyway too.
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Post by FreeRider on Apr 14, 2015 10:20:42 GMT -5
Beth's daughter here. Just stumbled upon these posts. So lovely! |
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Post by mudbacktodirt on Apr 14, 2015 19:11:19 GMT -5
This is going to sound kind of weird and I'm not sure if it's the same Beth. When I went to the Portland in-store free show at Music Millennium on NW 23rd on the day of the release of Mono/Stereo (4/23/2002), I talked to someone named Beth. The reason I remember it is because she obviously was friends with Paul Westerberg.
At one point in the show, Paul asks how far people came to be there or where they came from or something like that. People started blurting out nearby towns. One woman blurted out something really far away. I can't remember what it was. I want to say she said something like Maine or something crazy. Whatever it was she said, it triggered something because he spotted her in the crowd and said "Beth!" and smiled. They were clearly old friends.
Anyway, the show ends and I was hanging around and trying to decide whether to stick around for an autograph. It was limited to two items each that he would autograph. I had my new Mono/Stereo that I had just purchased. I got a cool cardboard poster too, but I had put that back in my car already (since I had arrived many hours early to get a good spot). I was wishing I had brought Suicaine Gratifaction with me. I even had a stupid one-liner where I was going to say something like "47,000 people can't be wrong" (a joke since it was such a poor seller even though I really liked it a lot).
I had just the one item to get autographed. I had the bright idea that I would wait everyone out so I could be last in line. After a while, it became clear that about 6 to 8 people had the same idea and they were also waiting around (standing there, but not getting in the autograph line yet).
So, I give up on being last and get in line and this same woman Beth is right in front of me in line. I was still a little surprised that there was someone in this crowd that he could pick out so easily. They were clearly friends from that interaction in the show.
I asked her if he was really frustrated when he forgot the words. He did it a few times in the performance that day. I had never seen him live before. I assumed it was funny and something that he would laugh off. The crowd thought it was funny. Instead, he seemed to get irritated by it. She said he really was frustrated by it and that it did bother him.
I talked to her a bit more as we waited in line. When it was her turn, they started talking. They obviously knew each other well. He asked her where they watched that Charlie Brown's Christmas Special and she told him it was in Eugene. Eugene is a college town, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Replacements included it on their tours in the 80's.
I didn't want to listen in on their conversation too close and I stayed back a bit. I got my turn. I told Paul not to worry because the line was winding down and he said he didn't mind at all. He seemed like he was in good spirits. A woman behind me then plopped down a stack of records on the table for him to sign (way more than two items), sort of nudging me out of the way before I could say much. I said thanks and walked off with my autographed CD. I wish I had held my ground a bit longer and not let myself get pushed aside, but I didn't have much else to say anyway.
Anyway, that's my story of meeting a friend of Paul Westerberg's named Beth at the Portland in-store show at Music Millennium on NW 23rd on April 23, 2002. I remember that whole day like it was yesterday. Not sure if it's the same person. I just thought it was cool to meet someone who knew him. She was certainly very nice and friendly to me.
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daveb
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Post by daveb on Apr 14, 2015 19:41:41 GMT -5
I was at the Millennium in store that day (I used to work at Millennium for a while, but not at the time of the in store). Beth and I knew each other since we worked together on the stock crew at the May Co store in Portland in the early 80s We took a leave of absence together in the summer of 83 and bicycled across the US (Portland OR to DC).
At the time of the Westerberg in store, she was living in Maine and yes, she did come to Portland specifically to see Paul (I just found out that fact from her daughter, Heather, the other night at the Portland Mats show). She did know Paul well, and did live in Eugene for a while (by the way, The Replacements played Eugene in both 1984 and 1985--Beth and I went to the 85 show together, but she was still living in Portland then).
Beth was the nicest person you'd ever want to meet and was totally into Paul and the Replacements. It was special seeing the show in Portland the other night standing with her daughter Heather after seeing my first Replacements show standing with Beth (Portland, Dec 5, 1985, Pine St Theatre).
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Post by mudbacktodirt on Apr 14, 2015 23:06:14 GMT -5
I see these older posts from 2007 and I have to admit that I haven't seen them before. I haven't logged in all that often to this website. The recent updates to the thread made me go "hey, I remember . . . "
It sounds like the same Beth. The Beth I met was very nice. I was probably pretty clearly like "she knows Paul . . . I'll go stand over by her" when the set ended. I think my memory was faulty in that I was talking to her before getting into the autograph line (in the standing around and waiting/hoping for the line to get shorter portion of the evening).
I still have the poster from that day. You probably remember it and it's pretty cool. It's been in my closet for years and I've been unloading memorabilia recently (mostly sports crap I got off EBay). This is one last tidbit I haven't brought myself to unload. If you want it, then it's yours.
I'd like a big Replacements fan to have it. I had some plan hatched to mail it to Kathy from MWT or Matt from the Skyway. But, it's cardboard and it's hard to picture how to mail it without it getting damaged. I live in SW Portland and can drop it off somewhere/anywhere to whoever wants it.
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daveb
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Post by daveb on Apr 14, 2015 23:31:46 GMT -5
I have one, but I bet someone would love it. Maybe Beth's daughter Heather. I bet it would mean a lot to her.
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Post by heethar on Apr 15, 2015 0:29:26 GMT -5
That is the same Beth! I love that you met her and remember the interaction so clearly. She was working on a boat in Maine, but flew back to Oregon to catch that in store performance. She didn't have a place of her own then, and crashed in my attic when kicking around town. I do have a poster from that day. Framed it for my mom way back when, but held on to it for myself. Thank you very much for your willingness to pass your copy along. Regarding Bingo, yes! I reached out to a friend of a friend and will call him tomorrow with the song and a couple other suggestions too.  |
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Post by leftofthedial09 on Apr 15, 2015 0:30:58 GMT -5
Was this Beth "BethD" the one with the colorful hair, as of late? Or am I confused with someone else entirely?
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Post by heethar on Apr 15, 2015 1:20:46 GMT -5
Not bethd.
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Post by mudbacktodirt on Apr 15, 2015 19:19:25 GMT -5
I should get my poster framed too. I’ve got cats now and they’ll get to it eventually and nibble on the corners before too long. I’ve got it stashed in a closet but it’s a matter of time before they find their way (not that they aren't Replacements fans too because they are).
I remember that day so clearly. I got there about 5 hours early and there were about 6 or 7 people in front of me when I got there. It’s funny because it ballooned to about 25 by the time they started letting people in since so many were holding places for their friends. It was OK though and everyone was in good spirits.
The people in front of me had driven up from Corvallis. They were holding a spot for another couple on their way. The four of them had worked in a record store in LA when they were in college in the early 80’s and loved the Replacements.
I heard the poor guys at the front of the line came from the Bay Area and were hitting all the West Coast shows. They were young guys (college age while I was early 30’s myself which I’d now call young – my shifting goalposts as to what I consider young). They looked so tired sitting there on the sidewalk. But, they were first and I don’t think there was going to be any stopping them from being first in line. They earned it.
I remember talking to one young woman with a ratty Replacements T-shirt that she said she got on their 1991 tour. Once the show got going, there was another woman about 5 feet tall that I let step in front of me during the show since I was blocking her view.
I was about 10 feet from the stage (if you call it a stage) and a little left of center. Between songs, I remember him asking where people came from and people giving the expected answers (Vancouver, Beaverton, etc.). Then from behind me and to my right, a woman yelled out “Maine!” and Paul saw her then called out her name (Beth!) and was happy to see her.
I’m surprised I was right on the Maine part. My memory was pretty rusty on that part. I remembered it was somewhere far. I used to have a tape of the show but don’t have it any more. The one I had was hard to hear the stage banter clearly and it was a little disappointing. He may not have been close enough to the microphone when talking between songs for a lot of his comments to get picked up and recorded. Maybe there are other recordings floating around of that show out there besides the one I heard. I wonder if someone out there has a good recording of that show and has that moment.
When I was driving up to Seattle for the Replacements show about a week ago, I was trying to think of favorite concerts I’d been to and I didn’t really think of this show (probably because it was an in-store appearance). I certainly remember more about this show and remember it so clearly compared to any other I’ve ever been to. I probably remember more about that show and the people around me there than I do about the two shows I saw just in the last week.
Anyway, she was very friendly to me and a big part of that memorable day. This weekend, I should go and get that poster in somewhere to get it framed. It’s just been sitting in my closet for years.
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Post by heethar on Apr 15, 2015 23:51:08 GMT -5
skvolcanoes:
DaveB and I were just talking about our recordings of that show. I'll dig mine out and check the sound quality. If it is decent, I'll make sure you get a fresh copy. If memory serves, you can hear Paul's "Beth!" on it. Sounds like that may be special to you as well as me, albeit for different reasons.
Do get that poster framed. It is a great one! Worth holding onto (I made my frame from pieces you can purchase at Michael's, paid them to cut a mat and bought glass from Cline on MLK).
Thanks again for sharing your memory.
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Post by mudbacktodirt on Apr 17, 2015 18:58:12 GMT -5
My recollection of the recording I had was that the music came through clearly but that some of the funny wisecracks between songs were inaudible. I heard them in person because I was up front (while the person doing the recording may have been towards the back).
If you have a copy, then you might see about finding a way to get it to bobstinsonsghost so everyone can hear. He is a great resource for all Replacements/Westerberg fans. I think there is a Replacements live recordings page on Facebook too. I've heard there is one but don't use Facebook myself so I don't know.
I looked at my poster and it's still in pretty good shape. I had it on my apartment wall for a while. When I got a house, I never put it up and it's been in a closet ever since. I think I will get it framed soon. It was a memorable day for sure.
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Post by mudbacktodirt on Aug 2, 2015 19:13:57 GMT -5
Got the poster framed finally (many months after my previous posts). Just got home and snapped a photo. It was free as part of the free in-store show at Music Millenium on NW 23rd in Portland on April 23, 2002. I was one of the earliest people there and got one before they ran out. This was the day the Mono/Stereo albums came out which I bought that day and got autographed too. Unfortunately, my stereo has bitten the dust. Got it as a gift from my parents when I graduated from college in 1994 and now it is toast. All I've got now for a stereo is a CD boombox . . . on which I will now play my favorite Paul Westerberg solo album . . . Stereo. Attachments:
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