NASHUA, NH - November 30--"...and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."

That is from the Book of Revelation (13). Second only to the late Hunter S. Thompson, I have stolen more quotes and passages and grandiloquent phrases of powerful writing from the Book of Revelation than anything else printed in this language. I am not a Biblical scholar even in the loosest of senses, and no religious faith motivates this either. I simply cherish the power of the language and the clarity of the utter obsession that rules it and makes it sing wildly.
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The state of New Hampshire was once home to several all women catholic colleges founded and operated by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. OK, that's a Roman Catholic institution if there ever was one, but their mission was clearly defined and rather noble; to provide quality post-secondary education for women from families of little or no means--predominately the daughters of workers employed by the multitude of textile and shoe manufacturing mills so ubiquitous in the southern part of that state throughout most of the 20th century. Rivier College in Nashua, NH, is the only remaining Sisters of the Presentation of Mary-founded college still in operation, and it converted to a co-education format many years ago out of necessity. Nashua, incidentally, was one of New Hampshire's prevailing mill complex communities.

Being a far-less-than practicing paid-up Catholic, I thought that a quick perusal of this college's official Web site was in order. I discovered two interesting factoids there; to wit, that "Rivier College is named in honor of Blessed Anne Marie Rivier, Foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary," and "In 1995, in anticipation of the 1996 bicentennial of the founding of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, the college formally recommitted to Anne Marie Rivier's mission…," which suggested to this explorer that the staid, conservative Catholic tradition still serves as its prevalent ethos.
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Ryanhood Reader viewers have probably observed that none of my previous reports involve any of Ryanhood's college and university shows. For everything there is a reason. For starters, it's not an environment I'm particularly well-suited for, given the nature of what an anomaly of a Ryanhood follower I am.

I break markedly with two commonalities shared by almost every other Ryanhood fan, either individually and most often in combination. Ryanhood fans are young and very intelligent. I'm not--either one. Not even close.

I am a product of the fast-dying print media industry, and I've spent half my adult life trying to get away from it. To paraphrase the great HST, it's a low trade and a habit worse than heroin. The field, as it were, is a strange seedy world comprised mainly of misfits and inebriates and failures. It certainly isn't an industry that attracts a lot of slick people; none of the Calvin Klein, Shy Figaro, and Jennifer Gamboa crowd or international jet set types. A group photo of ten typical print reporters wouldn't look much different than a group photo of the top ten print journalists in America on any given day. They'd both be a shrine to human unsightliness. In that respect I fit in perfectly.

These traits can be somewhat problematic at Ryanhood shows; in fact downright negating to the point of being anathema to the proceedings. And, by the way... did I mention how attractive Ryanhood fans are? They're all gorgeous people. I may be the only ugly Ryanhood fan. As a matter of fact, some people have accused me of NOT being an actual Ryanhood fan. One music industry veteran on the West Coast insinuated that I indeed was no fan of this duo--that their music is not my preferred genre by a long shot and that I'm merely an opportunist looking to get in on the ground floor of what I perceive to be an act that is going to be a huge success in the music business. Whereas I'm glad this person recognizes Ryanhood's talent, how I would possibly fit into the picture remains a huge mystery to me and just about everyone else as well. This person is just plain wrong; I WAS, AM, and will REMAIN a dedicated and devoted follower of this musical act--and I both know and really like all their songs. That's another thing some people (such as the heretofore mentioned) accuse me of--that is, not knowing one Ryanhood song from another, which is of course another blatant misconception perpetuated by my critics.

I do, however, lurk ominously about wherever and whenever I appear at a Ryanhood performance, and I suppose it does give the wrong impression about who I am and why I'm there and whether my presence has anything to do with genuinely liking the music. And THAT, simply, is why I've hitherto avoided showing up to any of Ryanhood's college/university shows in New England. Instead I have appeared primarily at their club and club-like shows, out of respect for Ryan and Cameron.

Why, then, did I make the sojourn to Rivier College? Because I knew that in this case my presence wouldn't give the appearance of something like a dreadful apparition. The type of student that chooses to attend Rivier College has grown up around people just like me; they know what I am and how I am and it doesn't particularly concern them. They've dealt with people like me all their lives.
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On this occasion my biggest challenge was finding both the college and the specific location Ryanhood were performing at. It was somewhere Rivier calls the Guild Main Lounge. It turns out, naturally, that there is a building called Guild with a central lounge area, but where it actually was within the 68-acre campus was unbeknownst to me. So I did what any dishonorable person from my "industry" would do in kind; I parked in the first parking lot I encountered, and the "Parking by Permit Only" signs be damned!

Being an unseasonably warm New England evening, I heard the sounds of "Intro to Psychology 101" rafting from one of the building's open windows. It (they) sounded great! Now my daunting task was to figure out where the main entrance of this building was and how to charm my way through its secured doorways. During this exploratory stage I heard the drifting sounds of a great rendition of Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle."

In a safe and fair world I wouldn't have been able to gain access into Guild Hall. As I mentioned previously, though, students at this type of institute are used to the likes of me and therefore their prudent guard was not on alert. Three Rivier co-eds were passing by and were only too happy to let me in, being well accustomed to my unique brand of human charm.

The mainly female audience in attendance was treated to a fine Ryanhood performance, and in their own reserved, conservative New England French-Canadian Catholic manner sat politely through the show. The applause was polite and civil, and they even laughed reservedly when they felt it appropriate. It may not have given the impression of being passionate, but in its own way it was. Although the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary may not outright run Rivier College anymore, their presence is still ubiquitous and their spirits haunt every cubic inch of the institution. Fun and frivolity, while not being outright forbidden, are still frowned upon--and just don't show too much evidence of it, then.

On this evening Ryanhood demonstrated musically just how tight of a performing entity they've become. On songs like "Separate," "Welcome You Into My Head," the "Mrs. Robinson..." medley, and "Alright" they were literally firing on eight cylinders. The duo sounded like four guitars and four singers. It was truly remarkable. I also heard two entirely new and different Ryan Green solos on "Softly Slowly" and "Photographs," and it sounded like acoustic guitar reverb which was quite effective. I think the Rivier College students who attended were glad they did.

On to Tucson at the end of this month...

David D[ionne]