It occured to me, between procrasting my paper and a lonely friday morning, that I have not posted music in the last week or so.
So... enough said.
Have a good one.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
ten pages left
Precursor: I am listening to "Justice" right now.
Spring Break: Chapter one.
On Friday some friends and I drove into Vancouver to see Xavier Rudd. After the consumption of some very overpriced sketchy burgers we walked a block away from where we parked to the Queen Elizabeth theatre.
The concert opened with a guitarist with a jamaican/australian accent, who sang songs about nature. Kelsey, Greg and I exchanged bad jokes to each other while sitting on a balcony waiting for Xavier to kick it.
The show itself was amazing, save for a rather drab audience sitting in the balcony with us, compiled mostly of chachy guys who brought their girlfriends for the sole purpose of sitting around complaining about the people who were dancing.
I was thoroughly impressed by the many drums, native sounds, diggeree doos (which is spelled wrong) and overall excitement. At one point 60 or so kids rushed the stage, and were pushed off by the large security force, all two of them, which was fun enough in itself to watch.
(pause briefly to acknowlede my very annoying self-reflective dry writing style... noted).
(note, also, that I have had too much coffee and am, thus, running out of creative energy to finish this embarassingly boring entry which, like those stories actors tell in bad DVD commentaries, only I will find interesting).
Yesterday Brad and I drove into Seattle to see Lifehouse- a band which I have been listening to since high school. After realizing the venue was nowhere near Pike Place, and realizing we had 5 hours to waste, we shared a pint at a brewery across the street from Safeco Field. Then it was off to the show.
The opending act was HoneyHoney, a band with a guitarist that looks exactly like Andrew Stock and a singer that looks sort of like Kendra Wilson.
The next act was this guy named Matt Nathanson, an artist who had a big head (literally) and really dry humor.
And then Lifehouse. I think the two best moments of the evening were the first ten seconds of their set- watching Jason wander out of a purple-lit cloud of smoke up to the mic (beautiful) and watching Bryce rock the lead vocals of "Bridges".
I was definately close enough to see the hair on Bryce's face. Except he was pretty clean shaven that day so there was no real hair. Even so, If he did have facial hair I would have been close enough to see it.
As well, I loved getting to sing every word in "Am I ever going to find out", secretly wishing I could stand on stage and sing the backing vocals.
It is a very different experience getting to see a band you have studied for years but have never actually met. Standing on stage it felt Like Jason, Sean, and Bryce were close friends I had known for years, and I kept waiting for one of them to wave at me, and say "Hey, Adam. Glad you came".
Yes. That is creepy. Even so.
Speaking of me being a weirdo, before the show started I struck up a conversation with Michelle Ben about the Backstreet Boys. I told her how I had to go to 5 different record stores trying to find their first CD when it first came out, and how I tried to buy tickets to one of their shows but it sold out in 30 seconds (I don't think that would happen anymore).
All in all, a very good time.
Today I woke up about ten, wrote some notes for a paper I am trying to write this week, talked to Reide Norman for a bit, and then did not feel like writing anymore...
Which sucks, because I have to give a youth talk tommorow about food.
So, that is how I managed to see two concerts in four days. Now I am broke.
Alas.
I probably have something important to do right now. I have to figure out what. See you later.
- Adam
Spring Break: Chapter one.
On Friday some friends and I drove into Vancouver to see Xavier Rudd. After the consumption of some very overpriced sketchy burgers we walked a block away from where we parked to the Queen Elizabeth theatre.
The concert opened with a guitarist with a jamaican/australian accent, who sang songs about nature. Kelsey, Greg and I exchanged bad jokes to each other while sitting on a balcony waiting for Xavier to kick it.
The show itself was amazing, save for a rather drab audience sitting in the balcony with us, compiled mostly of chachy guys who brought their girlfriends for the sole purpose of sitting around complaining about the people who were dancing.
I was thoroughly impressed by the many drums, native sounds, diggeree doos (which is spelled wrong) and overall excitement. At one point 60 or so kids rushed the stage, and were pushed off by the large security force, all two of them, which was fun enough in itself to watch.
(pause briefly to acknowlede my very annoying self-reflective dry writing style... noted).
(note, also, that I have had too much coffee and am, thus, running out of creative energy to finish this embarassingly boring entry which, like those stories actors tell in bad DVD commentaries, only I will find interesting).
Yesterday Brad and I drove into Seattle to see Lifehouse- a band which I have been listening to since high school. After realizing the venue was nowhere near Pike Place, and realizing we had 5 hours to waste, we shared a pint at a brewery across the street from Safeco Field. Then it was off to the show.
The opending act was HoneyHoney, a band with a guitarist that looks exactly like Andrew Stock and a singer that looks sort of like Kendra Wilson.
The next act was this guy named Matt Nathanson, an artist who had a big head (literally) and really dry humor.
And then Lifehouse. I think the two best moments of the evening were the first ten seconds of their set- watching Jason wander out of a purple-lit cloud of smoke up to the mic (beautiful) and watching Bryce rock the lead vocals of "Bridges".
I was definately close enough to see the hair on Bryce's face. Except he was pretty clean shaven that day so there was no real hair. Even so, If he did have facial hair I would have been close enough to see it.
As well, I loved getting to sing every word in "Am I ever going to find out", secretly wishing I could stand on stage and sing the backing vocals.
It is a very different experience getting to see a band you have studied for years but have never actually met. Standing on stage it felt Like Jason, Sean, and Bryce were close friends I had known for years, and I kept waiting for one of them to wave at me, and say "Hey, Adam. Glad you came".
Yes. That is creepy. Even so.
Speaking of me being a weirdo, before the show started I struck up a conversation with Michelle Ben about the Backstreet Boys. I told her how I had to go to 5 different record stores trying to find their first CD when it first came out, and how I tried to buy tickets to one of their shows but it sold out in 30 seconds (I don't think that would happen anymore).
All in all, a very good time.
Today I woke up about ten, wrote some notes for a paper I am trying to write this week, talked to Reide Norman for a bit, and then did not feel like writing anymore...
Which sucks, because I have to give a youth talk tommorow about food.
So, that is how I managed to see two concerts in four days. Now I am broke.
Alas.
I probably have something important to do right now. I have to figure out what. See you later.
- Adam
Thursday, February 21, 2008
sunrise, sunrise
It has been a long (long) week. It has also been the first week of spring.
Today was our last day of classes before "reading week", so I'm wrapping up the week with many a social gathering. Some friends and I put on a photography night last night, with amazing spice teas and paintings. Tonight I'm co-hosting a concert for a friend.
For Spring Break (aka, reading week)... I don't know. I can try to have a ten pager done, as well getting a lot of reading done, but those things are always in the air, never fully planned or followed through as originally planned.
This week, to explain the many details, I have;
1) Held someone close
2) Painted
3) Read poems under a tree that me and some friends named "Desmond".
4) Felt angry and frustrated at myself.
5) not done homework.
6) Smoked a clove cigar
7) Listened to Norah Jones surrounded by friends and the smell of coffee
8) Printed beautiful photographs, taken by friends. Wished I could show you.
9) Listened to "My Morning Jacket" in the morning.
10) Laughed
So... Its been a lot of friends. Which is always good.
I owe you some pictures, or perhaps some more good music. My computer is still broken, as are all of my lent goals for this year. It is a great sense of defeat as well as a longing for forgiveness and redemption.
Funny how that works.
- Adam
PS- I'm seeing Lifehouse and Xavier Rudd this week. Woot.
Today was our last day of classes before "reading week", so I'm wrapping up the week with many a social gathering. Some friends and I put on a photography night last night, with amazing spice teas and paintings. Tonight I'm co-hosting a concert for a friend.
For Spring Break (aka, reading week)... I don't know. I can try to have a ten pager done, as well getting a lot of reading done, but those things are always in the air, never fully planned or followed through as originally planned.
This week, to explain the many details, I have;
1) Held someone close
2) Painted
3) Read poems under a tree that me and some friends named "Desmond".
4) Felt angry and frustrated at myself.
5) not done homework.
6) Smoked a clove cigar
7) Listened to Norah Jones surrounded by friends and the smell of coffee
8) Printed beautiful photographs, taken by friends. Wished I could show you.
9) Listened to "My Morning Jacket" in the morning.
10) Laughed
So... Its been a lot of friends. Which is always good.
I owe you some pictures, or perhaps some more good music. My computer is still broken, as are all of my lent goals for this year. It is a great sense of defeat as well as a longing for forgiveness and redemption.
Funny how that works.
- Adam
PS- I'm seeing Lifehouse and Xavier Rudd this week. Woot.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
the climbing way
Ok friends, I realize the irony of posting a Raine Maida video on a post devoted to Matt Good... but even so.
I picked up Raine Maida's solo album today, while on mini-road trip to put up posters for the Brad Steeves concert, and pick up the new City and Colour album.
It was an eventful half hour, or so (Brad's show is Feb 21st, 7pm, at CBC. If you live anywhere remotely close to Abbotsford, which more than half of you who read this don't, check this one out).
In other news, I am now broke, and hungry. On the positive side, my experience with fasting has made me less randomly hungry, I have new music (that did not cost and arm and a face, like most Christian albums) and I have pounds of coffee to keep me not-hungry in my bouts of not eating.
Speaking of that, to remove this conversation from my attempts at self-humour, I have been thinking a lot about this organization called Rice Raiser, a group that provides ways for families to eat, at ridiculously affordable prices.
For example, in Sierra Leone, $20.00 provides lunches and snacks for 3 students for one year. In Bangledesh, $1 buys vegetable seeds for 7 families.
So... I'm not really broke, or hungry, by any means in the grand scheme of things. I know music is very much a influential and important part of my life. and food is neccesary for survival.
Now, to what degree can I build a life that offers the greatest amount of sharing, generosity, that builds towards this idea of "enough" that Shane Claiborne talks about, with my love for music and the need for people to eat?
Hmm. So, that is the question I have to leave myself, for now.
Lets talk more about this... over tea. I have had too much coffee today.
Later.
I picked up Raine Maida's solo album today, while on mini-road trip to put up posters for the Brad Steeves concert, and pick up the new City and Colour album.
It was an eventful half hour, or so (Brad's show is Feb 21st, 7pm, at CBC. If you live anywhere remotely close to Abbotsford, which more than half of you who read this don't, check this one out).
In other news, I am now broke, and hungry. On the positive side, my experience with fasting has made me less randomly hungry, I have new music (that did not cost and arm and a face, like most Christian albums) and I have pounds of coffee to keep me not-hungry in my bouts of not eating.
Speaking of that, to remove this conversation from my attempts at self-humour, I have been thinking a lot about this organization called Rice Raiser, a group that provides ways for families to eat, at ridiculously affordable prices.
For example, in Sierra Leone, $20.00 provides lunches and snacks for 3 students for one year. In Bangledesh, $1 buys vegetable seeds for 7 families.
So... I'm not really broke, or hungry, by any means in the grand scheme of things. I know music is very much a influential and important part of my life. and food is neccesary for survival.
Now, to what degree can I build a life that offers the greatest amount of sharing, generosity, that builds towards this idea of "enough" that Shane Claiborne talks about, with my love for music and the need for people to eat?
Hmm. So, that is the question I have to leave myself, for now.
Lets talk more about this... over tea. I have had too much coffee today.
Later.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
the colder side of land and sea
Josiah Leming, One last song
The ship was sinking; we were drinking, singing one last song,
Casting our gold into the ocean.
You grabbed a bucket, started screaming, "Come on, come on",
Trying to slow the downward motion.
Back in the kingdom, we were kings and queens and Oh, so strong
That God himself could not contain us.
We never thought we'd be the shorter half of sword and gun.
Now god himself could never save us.
Waves of silver, waves of gold
Are coming now to take me,
To separate my body from my soul
And Jesus leaves or takes me.
Hopes of heaven, fears of hell
Tell me, what's the chance I'll make it.
All my other plans have failed,
And all this time I've faked it.
We started sinking, drinking water from the open sea
Losing our bodies to the ocean.
You grabbed my hand and started screaming, "rescue me"
Together fight the downward motion.
Back in the kingdom we were kings and queens and Oh, so strong
That god himself just had to show us.
We never thought we'd see the colder side of land and sea
But he's the only one who knows us.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
blue sky, white snow
So, I've been thinking a lot lately. Surprisingly.
My computer has been broken for about a week now. Because of this, I have a lot less dead time- time usually reserved for hours on facebook, and downloading films/music.
Now my time has been filled with reading, of all things, and putting together insights.
One thing I thought about today: In Rock Faith and Pop Culture we talked about rebellion. I started to think, but did not share with the class, this idea that a lot of the artists I listen to rebel in ways that allow growth and maturity.
One of the ways "rebellion" was described today was "unconventional creativity" - moving away from cliche music making, to exploring new ways of doing music.
I started listening to Matt Good's new album, "Hospital Music", recently- and album Good wrote after an overdose, and a week in a hospital. In interviews Good talks about being diagnosed with Bi-Polar. All of this produces a raw, uncomfortable, honesty in Hospital Music.
I think this form of rebellion has a lot to do with musical integrity. If you really want to make money as an artist, sell hundreds of CDs, you aren't supposed to write songs about your personal state. Culture itself tells us that being too personal is weird, that deep pain is something to be worked out in private.
Our culture, I am discovering, is less about personal, sincere, honesty and more about being generalized, an average person... being a statistic instead of a person. Rebellion is, I believe, about making music that seeks to questions one's personal state and heart, rather than partake in a consumer-culture saying "this is how you are supposed to write, and live".
In this case Good rebels by writing deeply personal work, rather than write about a car he just bought, a bitter feeling towards an ex, or a late-night in a club. As Sia, another artist I'm listening to, explains, "Some people have real problems".
Thanks for reading. Let's talk.
- Adam
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