Posted under mtv
This is a blog about Hayley Williams’ tank top. You know, the microscopic, blue “Varsity League” one she wore last night during Paramore’s performance on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.” This one:
This is not meant to be a fashion critique (mostly because, well, that’s me on the right), nor is it some pervy paen to exposed midriffs (honest). No, I’m writing this because I was there when Williams bought the tank top in question last week, at a Franklin, Tennessee, Goodwill shop.
See, Paramore were showing MTV News around their hometown at the time, and they were adamant about taking me and producer Akshay Bhansali to Goodwill, a place where they used to bum around before band practice (and also the place where they purchased most of the stuff you’ll see in the artwork for their Brand New Eyes album, which hits stores today). So, naturally, we obliged them, and after a pretty epic bike ride through downtown Franklin, we found ourselves in the parking lot of Goodwill, and the band wanted to do some shopping.
The only problem? Goodwill wouldn’t let us film inside the store (something about a corporate policy), so we stashed our cameras and went inside with Williams and Co., and watched as they selected a whole bunch of fairly redonkulous junk, including a muscle shirt, an amazingly shiny winter jacket, and, of course, that blue tank top. At the time, Williams said she bought most of her onstage clothes at Goodwill, but, to be honest, we didn’t believe her. After all, she’s a burgeoning rock icon. Surely, her stage gear didn’t come from the recycling bin.
Except when it does. And Paramore’s performance on “The Tonight Show” is proof. Personally, I’ve always thought it was pretty cool when bands strode on stage wearing the same stuff they bummed around in on the tour bus — there’s an air of authenticity to it, or something like that — but I never pegged Paramore as being a band like that. Now I know different. And it makes me like them even more (if that’s even possible). And, on a whole different level, it’s pretty amazing to think that perhaps last night, some kid in Franklin (because, honestly, the tank top in question is so tiny it could’ve only come from a child), tuned into “The Tonight Show,” watched Paramore play, and thought to him- or herself “Wait, that’s my tank top!”
Rock and roll dreams come in all shapes and sizes, after all.