music junkie.

always have been.

like i said long ago here, my dad was always listening to music (beatles, simon & garfunkel, van morrison, buddy holly, and on and on...), beating on the steering wheel of his truck, quizzing us on who was singing the song we were listening to at the moment.  i believe that was when the seed of  music was planted into my soul only to grow when i received a record player from santa at the age of  four (care bears, which broke and was replaced with a brown fisher price one.).  the records that came along --helen reddy, the beatles, dolly parton, and  the "purple people eater" single.  my sisters and i spent many days making up dances to "love is like a butterfly" and "that ain't no way to treat a lady" and i spent hours playing those records over and over again in my rainbow room.  i have my mother to thank (or blame;)) too.  she had my brother, sisters and i in voice lessons when we were younger and singing at church functions all dressed a like. (we were von trapped.) not to mention, watching musicals every sunday afternoon. (i still love to do that.) piano lessons were also a requirement from age 5 to 16. oh, how i wish i had taken them more seriously.  eleven years and all i can, sort of, play is canon in d, edelweiss, and nearer my god to thee. such a shame...

but, somewhere along the way, that seed that started so long ago in my soul became intertwined with who i am. music speaks to my heart like nothing else, no matter what genre i may be grazing in at the moment (and i graze back and forth in a great many.). it has such an influence over me and, like cat stevens, i let it "take me where my heart wants to go." i know that i am not unique when it comes to this, who doesn't love music? (besides jo;)) how can you not love something that can make you feel completely carefree or unshakably strong or feel the deepest emotion possible, be it a happy one or a sorrowful one, within a matter of seconds?  i love how kurt vonnegut put it in his quote... "music is, to me, proof of the existence of God."  it's all i need.

.....

along with being a music junkie, i became a bit of a concert junkie during my late high school and college years. i  took a break once the babies came along except for a few here and there...(do the wiggles count?) and rediscovered my love last summer with  jack, g-love, dave m., the avetts, priscilla ahn and more.  not a bad list. and this summer's line up, so far, has most certainly not disappointed me either.  this last month i have seen some of my very favorite artists living on this earth -- iron & wine, ray lamontagne and, my best friend, brandi carlile (pretty sure we'd be best friends if we knew each other, almost positive.;)).  my concert self could die a very happy girl right now. 

here's a bit of this season to date...

{i recorded a piece of this song @ the iron & wine concert for my dear, childhood friend, wes, since he was the one who told me to give this song a listen and i would fall in love. and i did. wes shares the deeply felt love i feel for sammy b. (and banjos...and the avett bros) which is quite evident by looking at his facebook wall. (it is also quite evident by his facebook wall that he despises rules, government, cowards and loves bars and bbq-ing. oh, and would like to know how to dougie.;))  here's to you, wes.  and "i thank the Lord there's people out there like you."=)} 

note: i have always wondered why a lot of his songs reference breastfeeding and then i read that his wife is a midwife and he has something like 5 kids. makes sense now, he probably hears a lot about it. see jo, you would like him.=)

 {alexandra, my sister and date to the arts festival summer solstice concert with ray lamontagne and brandi.}

{eventhough iron & wine has sung his way deep into my heart and i could not adore him more, i felt like the concert lacked a lot of passionate goers (perhaps most were just in awe as i was). this was not the case for brandi. EVERYONE was on their feet singing, dancing, hugging especially during the songs "the story", "turpentine" and her cover of "forever young". (i'm a complete sucker for covers.) i had chills throughout the entire set. it was an amazing show and there is something just magical about outdoor concerts.}

{ray. we shimmied our way up this far.}

{brandi & ray crew. would have been a perfect night had markus been in town to be there. i'm giving him another chance to experience brandi with me when she comes again in august. be there or be dead to me.;)}

some of my favorites from the latest concerts mixed with some all time faves...