Sleep to wear
Musician/barista ready for whatever, whenever.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
James Watts, 21, sits outside enjoying some sun, the breeze and a cup of coffee with a group of friends, several of which are members of his band that played the night before. When I asked what inspired his outfit today he looked down and laughed, “I wore this for the show last night, and I slept in my clothes.”
Ah, the life of the musician.
The group was abuzz, talking about what time they needed to leave in order to make it to their show in Texas the following afternoon. Surely Watts will change before then, but judging from today, he won’t be needing a change of clothes for the trip.
the look
Watts looks at home in his sunglasses. He said he has them on constantly, inside and outside. He’ll wear them while he plays as well. “I start the show with them on, but they fall off,” he said. Other accessories include hairbands, worn around each wrist until he needs to pull his hair back at work, and two necklaces. Watts said he’s had the tight beaded one since he was 15. He credits its staying power to a higher power. “It’s kind of a miracle that it’s still on,” he said. The longer necklace has a bear pendant and was given to him by a friend before he went on tour.
With the sun beating down and heat palpable, most would steer away from wearing such a dark ensemble. Watts instead keeps it near all black with his shirt and jeans. His only nod to the fact that it’s 95 degrees outside is the rolled up sleeves of his black button-up shirt and the flip flops he’s had since he was a teenager. He’s obviously comfortable, not even breaking a sweat. His dark blue skinny jeans are contrasted with light-colored stitching, giving the jeans some dimension. This particular pair is actually cut for women. Watts got them on sale for $10 and loves them. “They fit well and they feel good,” he said.
At the musician’s feet is a canvas knapsack full of anything he might need: books, a tobacco pouch and pipe and journals. Watts keeps two journals, one for the happy stuff and one for the sad. All in all, the man is prepared to go anywhere at anytime. Also, prepared to write it all down for a song or simply a memory.
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