My Jewel Story:
Jewel Kilcher first hammered herself into my consciousness in late 1995, when she performed "Who Will Save Your Soul" on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." I, pigeon-holer that I am, immediately categorized her as a fusion of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. Over the next few months I added Liz Phair and Melissa Etheridge to the concoction, but she has finally emerged from this beautiful mess into a unique and wonderful singularity: Miss Jewel Kilcher.
Comments:
I have twice failed to meet Miss Kilcher, though both have been near-misses. The first time was her February 1996 show at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, where I passed within two feet of her without recognition. The second time was the first show of her solo tour at Bimbo's 365 in San Francisco. This time I scared the bejesus out of her from the front row by lip-synching "Absence of Fear," at that point a week-old song, and engaging in several smiling-staring contests at her. I'm only guessing at "The Bejesus Hypothesis," since people don't normally wink at you when they think you're a homicidal maniac. Well, Miss Kilcher does have a unique way of seeing the world, so maybe she DOES wink at Threats To Society such as myself. Thanks, Jewel! Wanna watch "Taxi Driver" with me thirteen times in a row?
