Take Two on Tuesday

if you haven't read summer's blog "authenticity and courage", then stop now and start there. it's great. :)

I'd really like to echo her thoughts about last night's show being one of the best christmas presents she'd received, and also, feel pretty grateful she chose me to accompany her. thanks babe.

musical authenticity. kinda scarce these days, when a lipsynced bimbo can get her voice auto-tuned in the studio and sell 10 bagillion records without ever writing one line of music or poetry in her life. it does make me sick, but i'll try to stick to positives this time... moving on...

last night was not the lipsynced bimbo, or anything close for that matter. 4 chairs, 4 artists, and a few more than 4 guitars (when you make money playing music, looks like you can afford more than 1 good one... heheh). Emmylou Harris started the night, and she, along with everyone else, was excellent. No light show, no stage props, antics, or anything... and I can honestly say that it was one of the best shows i've been to in recent memory. Entertaining PEOPLE, with talent, very unlike a My Chemical Romance fireworks show. (I would apologize to you MCR fans, but I'd rather not actually.)

and from the first note sung, it only got better. the artists pulled me in and i got lost in their songs, their stories, and i too felt a bit of the joy and worship that summer mentioned in her post. to me, it felt like a bit of reawakening, and as they performed, hundreds of song ideas for my own writing flooded my mind. It was as if i was taking back a piece of my musical soul that had been slowy eaten away for the past 7 years dealing with the music industry. in that moment last night, i desired to create again, desired to write music, and i felt more alive in a musical way than in a very, very long time. lets see you do that lipsynced bimbo and pyro-hounds.

Regretfully, it had to end, and tomorrow the ideas and life i experienced there may fade out, but at least i know it's still there. i'm just thankful God used 3 girls and their buddy to let me know i still had that desire and ability. I've certainly doubted it as of late.

and thank you Patty Griffin, for the most gripping performance of any song i can remember seeing. "Up to the Mountain" nearly moved me to tears, as i felt Summer's emotions as well as my own, and was captured in a way i can't really describe.

Live anywhere this show is coming? Go buy tickets. Now.

-derek

authenticity and courage

for christmas i received some really great gifts, but i think my best to date were concert tickets from my brother. derek and i went to see patty griffin, emmylou harris, shawn colvin and buddy miller last night in asheville.

i cried before they even started singing. so it was good night:). it was actually one of the best nights i have had in a long time.

the stage was bare except for four chairs, mic stands, guitars and these crazy little monkeys that made noise. it was really evident that they wanted the music to make the show, and it did. i have had a real struggle worshipping lately and last night i felt like i loved jesus for the first time in a long time. in my head i know i love him, but i have a hard time getting any love out of my heart because of my grief. sometimes i blame him for my mom dying. but last night i felt joy in my heart and it was a nice feeling. i dont think i realized to what extent music affects me. it was really interesting that the concert had no "christian" labels on it, yet the honesty of the artists and the creativity and beauty that surrounded the stage was surely from God.

i love folk music because of that authenticity. they sing about real things, like pain and depression, yet also joy. my favorite part of the night was when they started talking about martin luther king, jr. (yesterday was his birthday). beforehand i had hoped that patty would sing 'up to the mountain', but then i knew she would. this was a song inspired by mlk. she started talking about courage and how we dont see it very much these days, and i agree, but kind of not.

i bought the cd with this song on it the day before my mom died and we used this song in her slideshow at the visitation. she was courageous. and i felt like last night in my heart i really honored her. gosh, i miss her so much. but i felt like i knew her again last night. if even just for a second.

-summer

how can it be bullshit to state a preference?

following suit...

my top 5 albums of 2007 (in no particular order):

1. alterbridge - blackbird

2. eisley - combinations

3. patty griffin - children running through

4. mutemath - mutemath

5. mindy smith - my holiday

recently at church we were discussing our favorite books.  as most of you know, i (summer) love favorites.  so i said, "i know my favorite everything.  just ask me anything."  josh, this really intimidating guy from our group, started quizzing me with random favorite questions. for example:  what is your favorite processed cheese?  i got really overwhelmed and decided that maybe i don't have just one favorite.  i have a lot of things i really love and likewise, many things i hate.  so making top 5 lists is way easier for me now than just picking my favorite.  thanks josh.  even though you are intimidating, i like you. 

p.s. you should watch high fidelity, unless you are offended by strong language.

-summer

the year that was...

2007. For Summer and I, probably the most interesting year of our lives. A difficult, exciting, and change filled year. The end of our lives apart, and start of our life together. Also, a redefining of a dream and a vision of a new future.

With all thats happened in 2007, I feel like we should've started this 12 months ago, and yet, when I sit down to type our blog I have no clue where to begin. This will only be the beginning I know, and all the thoughts of this year swirling around in my head will come to rest. Then, perhaps I can pick up the pieces and write something with a bit more direction. :) 

So for now, welcome to our blog. Empty as it is, I'm sure within the coming months it will fill up with our tales of adventure. Or perhaps just little factoids like what kind of coffee we drank this morning, or what we thought of the movie we saw together last weekend. Either way we hope you find it interesting, and maybe you'll come back for more.