Where the Heck Is Matt? Why, in South Amherst!

[asakiyume]

Today Matt, of Where the Hell [now toned down to Heck] Is Matt fame (videos here and here), came to dance in South Amherst.

I was one of the first people to arrive, but gradually more and more people came, until we had a small crowd. There was a woman whose name was Forest--not Forest Something, or Something Forest, just Forest. She's a dancer. There was a young meteorologist, and an acquaintance of mine who does shape-note singing, and a pastor who is going to let me go up into her belfry to take pictures of her bell and who has a little daughter. There was a woman with her two grandchildren. So many people, happy to dance!

He came with just a smartphone to film with! And asked for a stepladder and a chair, and people found those things--and then for someone willing to film, and guess who was willing: wakanomori!

Here he is consulting with Matt (forgive the crummy photo; I didn't bring my camera (crazy), so this is taken with my cell phone)



Here are two pictures of the crowd that wakanomori took from his vantage point on the ladder (you can click through to see bigger) (Also, the pastor's church is over on the right as you look at the picture):





Here's the front row, where the kids were (my cell phone picture again):



After it was over, one guy called out, "You've been all over the world--what's one thing you've learned?" Matt thought about it a minute and said, "That people want to be helpful."

It's true--you could see it in action right there. A sunshiny thought.

Matt collects way more video footage than he uses in his final video, and what he got today may not make it in--but it'll be up on his website, eventually. When it is, I'll link.

Last of all, a posed shot together :-)



[Edit, from 2018. I'm going through carefully putting photos that were only available on Livejournal into my Dreamwidth photo storage, so that when I cease to pay for an LJ account, the photos will continue to be visible. As I do, I'm revisiting the past from the future. In this case, I know now, which I didn't then, that this Matt video would be lackluster compared to the early ones; that you can't go to places based on popular demand and have as interesting and diverse a video, and that the enthusiasm of the earlier years can't be maintained for ever and ever. Matt deserves to--and ought to--move on to a new project. Hopefully now he is/has.]

Comments

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Very cool!!!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It was so much fun!

[ivy]

Ha! That is super awesome! I've seen that site before and enjoyed it; how fortunate to get to meet and dance with the guy!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It was a real treat!

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

Terrific! There's so much to like here! :) For one, that's a great child in the striped top, just kicking around,doing her own thing - but then all the children - all the people - are lovely! :)
Yes, people do want to be helpful.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

That little girl is the pastor's daughter :-)

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Oh, what fun! And that beautiful scenery!!!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It was very, very scenic. If you come by this way this fall, we'll have to visit the library.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

YES!!!

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Aww, I love Matt's videos! That's so awesome that you got to meet him. :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I love them too! And he was so recognizably himself!

[pameladean]

That is entirely charming and actually gives me renewed hope for the human race.

P.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Matt's whole experience and how it's evolved does that. I really love his videos and how they bring people together, but/and in addition to that, I really like how his approach to what he's doing has changed and developed.

[duccio.livejournal.com]

Fun fun fun, and beautiful those videos. Hope you make it into one of them so I can see you kicking up..

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

When a video eventually comes out, it's going to make it extra fun to watch!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

That's so awesome! I hope you make it into the video!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

If I do, I'll be just a face in the crowd, but the experience was tons of fun. And I gave him a copy of my book :-)

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! It looks right up his alley!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I hope! I didn't say anything about it when I gave it to him or even that I'd written it. I just said, "May I give you a book?" and he looked surprised but game and said, "Sure!" So I handed it to him. It was in a mailer and then a plastic bag (because it was threatening showers that day--and indeed, rained buckets shortly after the event), so he had no idea what it was. It'll also be very easy to misplace, but *shrugs* We'll see what happens.

[wuweibaby.livejournal.com]

:)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

^_^

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow! I love those Matt dancing videos. Sometimes they make me cry, but in a good way. How amazing that I know someone who is involved in the making of a new one!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Same here about making me cry, but in a good way. It was pretty amazing to see him in the flesh!

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

That is so cool! Great pictures! (Nice one of you and Matt.)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It *was* cool--great fun: everyone was so psyched. One person didn't know at first what it was all about, and then when I started to explain, recognition dawned on his face and he was like, "You're the guy from those videos--I love those videos!"

And thanks :-)

[oiktirmos.livejournal.com]

I didn't notice if you mentioned it but you wrote about Matt here - http://asakiyume.livejournal.com/266675.html
And now for you to start your own world tour.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I would love to do that, I really would.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

How awesome to witness and participate in such a happening. :D

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It was exactly as good-feeling as you might imagine it would be.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Very cool! After a week full of politics, it's great to see and hear something like this.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It's just what the doctor would order as an antidote to politics, for sure. (Workplace or national? or international?)

[c-maxx.livejournal.com]

Good pictures and good to see you!!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

:-)

I'm not getting any younger, but that picture's not a bad one.

(This icon one, on the other hand, is like from ten years ago, and I probably shouldn't use it, or else I lay myself open to charges of misrepresentation.)

[maryavictoria.livejournal.com]

Amherst - town of my babyhood. I remember you well. Props to Matt for doing what he does.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I think you'd find it very little changed--in spirit, anyway.

[w. lotus (from livejournal.com)]

I think this is my first time seeing you!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't post pictures of myself much!

[inspirethoughts.livejournal.com]

Neat.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It was a lot of fun :-)

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

I finally got the chance to click through and watch one of the videos.

Did you know about Matt before he came to town? I hadn't heard of him before your post.

ETA: Oh, clearly you did (http://asakiyume.livejournal.com/266675.html)!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Yes :-)

I saw the 2008 video when it came out, went back and saw the 2006 video (not linked here), and enjoyed the 2012 video when it came out, too.

Not only have I enjoyed his videos, but I like his evolution of thought on what he's doing. He seems to keep striving to do better.