Music has always been very important in my life. Though I sing ridiculously off key & can can only play two songs on guitar from memory- my life and many of it’s memories involve music. It’s an amazing gift that a musician has. To be able to define moments in complete strangers lives. To make you cry & laugh & smile & dance. There are artists, albums & songs that will always be a part of who I am. Things I can go back to when I need to find strength or reason or happiness.

When I hear “Saw her Standing There” by The Beatles, I will forever think of being around 6 in the family room that eventually became my little brother’s room with my dad & uncle. They used to play guitar together. Set up amps, microphones, etc. And that song I always got to sing with them. I will forever see my father in that song. And, though our relationship hasn’t always been wonderful- that memory is pure love.

“Piece of my heart” by Janis Joplin makes me remember decorating our first Christmas tree in Danville, & probably for a few years after that. It was such a fun tradition to bring out the old records after we’d switched to CDs at Christmas & sing and dance around the living room. Forget Christmas music- Janis is where it’s at. Also: my mom, though I probably don’t say it enough is one of the coolest people who ever lived.

“Runaround” by Blues Traveler- though a family favorite for years before- will always remind me of my brother & the one night we recorded ourselves singing it while he played guitar. And how hard we laughed at the recording. That day had actually been one of the hardest days of my life. And I’m not even sure if my brother knew what had gone on that day- but little 13 year old Andrew really helped me out of a dark place that night.

I have songs “with” people & “for” people, for emotions & moods. I have songs that remind me of every single person I’ve ever met. Living & dead. People who knew & those who didn’t.

But, few albums move me the way Harvest Moon does. It’s strange, because in my childhood- it was a sad album. An album overplayed in my house as my parents divorced. It was always a beautiful album- but connected to a lot of sad memories.  And then one night- 20 years later- I played it for the 3 of you as you went to sleep. And the tradition continued. For days, weeks, months. There are only a few albums I put you three to sleep listening to & this one is by far the most special. It’s sometimes hard to put into words those moments in life where everything clicks- but when I hear the first three notes of “unknown legend” & I look at the three of you & your smiling faces? It’s the most amazing feeling. I love picking Sawyer up to dance with me while Truman dances along in his crib. And now instead of this beautiful album being tied to sad times- it’s tied to this night time ritual we’ve created. And as I dance with you I find myself thinking, hoping- that those same three notes that begin the album will one day bring you back to this moment. Even if you are still too young to really REMEMBER, I am willing to bet this song will always find you peaceful & happy- like a drowsy happy baby in your mommy’s arms.

Mommy.

My (not-so) kid brother Andrew is on the drums, while my mom is sitting with Sawyer, my (probably future) sister-in-law Xiomara sits in the rocking chair & I film while talking nonsense in my annoying voice, and apparently- I don’t know my kids names.
“Tru-hud-soy-TRUMAN!”

There is a lot going on here in this minute and some odd seconds but seriously- it was like a family band & it? WAS AWESOME!

Here’s an oldie but goodie that has been STUCK in my head the last few days.

“Whatever you need to make you feel
like you’ve been the one behind the wheel.
The sunrise is just over that hill-
The worst is over.
Whatever I said to make you think,
That love’s the religion of the weak-
This morning we loved like weaklings.
The worst is over.
The worst is over.”

Luckily, it happens that we got hooked up with tickets & when we got our tickets at will call discovered we were in the 8th row! And although I wasn’t specifically given a backstage pass, our group had a few so we were able to rotate using them & I definitely took advantage of the no line bathrooms backstage!

Anyways,
The show was really cool. I didn’t take any pictures because I was busy enjoying the music, which is all acoustic - as it always is for this incredible benefit.

And though I wasn’t DYING over the line-up, it was pretty cool.

Modest Mouse.
Elvis Costello.
Kris Kristofferson. (Hello! Me & Bobby McGee live?! Sure, Janis did it better by this guy WROTE it.)
Jackson Browne.
Lucinda Williams.
Emmylou Harris.
Billy Idol. (You better believe I was dancing with myself!)
Pearl Jam. (Taking me BACK.)
& the kicker:

Buffalo Springfield.
Live. For the first performance in over 40 years with all the original (surviving) members.
& I was practically GIDDY when I got to hear “For What it’s Worth” live.
Because it’s something I never thought I’d hear in my lifetime.
Music is a really important part of my life & I have to tell you, seeing them live was truly special for me.
& it’s probably the only incarnation of Neil Young that I hadn’t seen live.
So, I was stoked.

They also did Mr. Soul & I am a Child in the set, as well as some other classics.
It was pretty effing fantastic.

This wasn’t my first Bridge School & probably won’t be my last. I had a ton of fun, although next time I think we need to get a babysitter so Scotty can go as well. Nothing could have made me happier than to have him there with me.

I was also able to use “voice notes” on my iphone to record a few of my very favorite songs & the quality was good enough to add the songs to my itunes playlist. That was an added bonus, so thank you, iPhone. You rule.

& for good measure,

A video of Thom Yorke’s BEAUTIFUL cover of After the Goldrush- which was performed at Bridge School 8 years ago. Amazing.

I had something going on every single day this week for the most part & it’s gonna be like this until the new year. Is that just me? Because every year I hit October & wake up in February going “What the hell just happened!?”

Anyways, Saturday afternoon Sarah, Krust & I packed up Hudson in the rain & drove up to San Francisco to Ruby Skye, which is a club- like club-club. As in I probably wouldn’t ever go there EVER even if I was into going to clubs- except we went for Baby Loves Disco!


And it was really cool.


We got there at 2, which is when it opened but like any club- we waited out in the pouring rain until 2:30 when the organizers got their shit together.


But, when we got it it was pretty spectacular. The club was BEAUTIFUL. They were serving big kid drinks at the bar for the parents & had juice boxes on the bar for the kids. They did a long snack table with hummus & pita, veggies, whole apples, Revolution Jammy Sammys (A favorite around my house) & other goodies. They had a hang out area with toys & on the dance floor they had egg shakers & scarves for creative dancing.

The only down side was the music was realllly loud & Hudson would only dance in the play area because the music was much quieter. So, there was NO WAY we could get him to dance on the actual dance floor where they were having kiddie dance contests with $50 H&M gift cards as prizes! Which sucks since DUH! He’s the best dancer EVER & totally would have won.


We could only stay an hour since I had to get home (more later) and Hudson totally skipped his nap which meant he spent at least 50% of the time with the mad face on. But when we got back in the car- he was asleep within .5 seconds. Didn’t even make it through “Layee Gagah!” before passing the eff out!


We did, however get him a sweet shirt that says “V is for Vinyl,” it was between that & “M is for MC.”
Here’s a few clips of him dancing:

Jeff Buckley. Jeff freaking BUCKLEY. You were my Kurt Cobain & I cried that day in 1997 when my BFF came running out of class to tell me of your completely tragic death.

Your voice? It gives me chills EVERY SINGLE TIME I hear it.

So dreamy.
So so dreamy.

One of my favorite Decemberists songs for your enjoyment. One of my favorite live shows I’ve ever seen.(not this exact show- just in general. I like them live.) Which is why I’ve gone back to see them so many times!

“Ahhh Home. Let me go home. Home is wherever I’m with you. Ahhh Home. Let me go ho-oh-ome. Home is where I’m alone with you.”

I fucking love this song so much! I’m rocking out. So, thanks, Girl’s Gone Child.

And also?? A few weeks ago, the awesome Adriana @ Just By Living posted this song- also amazing and album-download worthy. It’s so great!

Two new musical finds for you guys!! Enjoy & try not to get overwhelmingly obsessed with these songs.

Earlier this week I borrowed my Dad’s copy of Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest songs of all time & got to thinking that I should compile a list as well. So, I am thinking I will do a post a every so often about music. Videos, quotes and songs to check out from my favorite musicians.

Since this blog is named for a Bright Eyes song- I suppose I should start there. Since- Conor Oberst may be one of the best song writers of my generation. In fact- I’d say hands down he is. I don’t even care if that makes me lame. His story telling abilities sometimes reduce me to tears if I am in the right kind of mood.

If you are new to Bright Eyes:
Best Albums: Fevers & Mirrors, I’m Wide Awake it’s Morning.

Best Songs:
If Winter Ends/Poison Oak/This is the First Day of My Life/Bowl of Oranges/I Will Be Grateful for this Day/Lover I Don’t Have to Love/True Blue/The Center of the World.

“But if the world could remain within a frame like a painting on a wall. Then I think we would see the beauty then. We would stand staring in awe at our still lives posed like a bowl of oranges, like a story told by the fault lines and the soil.” -Bowl of Oranges

“The story is incomplete. The pictures’ left unfinished. So I am writing my own ending. I’ll let my pen bleed black or blue. And I will color in the meaning. It will be gold and green and true. And I’ll learn to love my new discovered proof. I’ll be grateful for this day. I will be grateful for each day to come.” -I Will Be Grateful for This Day