Kevin Bronson on October 6th, 2008

3

[Here’s the third installment of M83 singer-keyboardist Morgan Kibby’s tour diary. Previously: Intro, Chapter 1, Chapter 2.]

Chapter 3: I don’t readily buy into clichés or stereotypes.”  But I’m also not stubborn enough to insist they appear out of thin air, and though I hate to admit it, I embodied one of my favorites today: the oil-and-water mix of females and electronics. Somebody explain to me why it is so frickin’ impossible for me to understand anything with a button. I mean, I know how to turn my synthesizer on and find a decent fake sax patch (and maybe I’m a little better than that), but my seeming incompetence with electronics is exacerbated by the fact that I don’t have the patience to read a dictionary-sized manual. The prospect gives me sweaty palms.

But I reached a breaking point today: I caved. I picked up the manual. It took a lot of inner tears (of boredom), a lot of hope (that my ego wouldn’t sabotage me) and, to be honest, a lot of pure, unadulterated shame. Oh yeah, and chocolate. I wouldn’t say I’ve conquered the damn thing, but at least now it’s playing hard to get instead of not playing at all, and that is a victory in my book.

For any gear-heads out there, the Prophet 08 is a fantastic synth, and I’m very excited to have it. The old synth I used on the last tour was literally out to get me.”  Whether it stopped working the night before our first show, or needed its power supply taped to the body, my last instrument was like an ex-boyfriend who also happens to be your co-worker. You need to coddle him to get things done around the office, and you have to put up with a lot of shenanigans in the break room.”  The Prophet is rocking my world right now and I can’t wait to get it on stage.

So tonight I am celebrating a small personal victory: I have looked my cliché in the face and said, in the words of Lesley Gore: “You don’t own me, I’m not just one of your many toys. You don’t own me, don’t say I can’t go with other boys”.”  Take that.

Speaking of electronics, a friend sent me this video. It starts off slow, so be patient; the resolve is so worth it.