Here we are, the lost causes...

It was one of those weekends. I was shown my imperfection. I was praying for a miracle to break the awkwardness. A miracle was delivered indeed on Sunday evening at the Wonder Ballroom. I am beginning to think that this music venue lives up to its name as I have now had two amazing nights at the place.

I was attending this show with Rosanna and Kyle but I was in my own world the entire time. The lineup could not disappoint. Straylight Run and Scary Kids Scaring Kids with Anberlin as the headliner. I had seen all three of these bands before at least one in Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco and I was thrilled to see them on one ticket!

Straylight Run took stage and I knew their presence would be lacking since Sarah was no longer in the band. I would miss delicate yet strong voice driving some of my favorite songs and I knew that the bands dynamic would completely change without her on the keys. When the played, “Mistakes We Knew We Were Making” I felt broken as my present state resonated with the lyrics beautifully sung by John Nolan. “When all our sins come back to haunt us in the end, they hang around and tap us on the shoulder”. Tragically sad but true lyrics. My favorite part about this band was singing every lyric to “Existentialism on Prom Night” with a few hundred Portlanders. There were two or three songs I enjoyed in the set. I did miss Sarah a lot and was not too fond of the new songs.

SKSK! By far one of my favorite bands to see live. They seemed out place on the line up with the screaming and hardcore riffs but the electronic keyboard played by Pouyan would stun those in attendance. I love how Pouyan dances and gyrates on his band mates and the keyboard…in fact he was going at it so hard that he tore the crotch of his jeans. Seeing this took me back to the San Diego show when Pouyan flung himself off the lighting fixture 30 feet above the stage and landed in the crowd. If you get a chance to see this band live and you can stand the noise I highly recommend it. SKSK needs to be experienced at least once. It was such a good show!

My heart was racing as I waited for Anberlin particularly Stephen Christian to take stage. His music had been speaking to me loud the last couple week. I had to re-listen to “Cities” and remember how significant that album was to me last year. I picked up the new album, “New Surrender”, the day it came out a few weeks back and the songs “Breaking” and “Haight St.” spoke to me so much that I welled up a bit on the drive home from Music Millennium.

The lights went low and Anberlin took stage. It was such an amazing show and Stephen’s voice sounds so much more brilliant live than recorded. That is saying a lot since his voice is amazing on the album! They crown erupted and the kids sang along to old favorites like, “Day Late Friend” and “Paperthin Hymn”. Stephen’s lyrics are so honest and well throughout. It is evident that he is such an introspective human being who is faithful and optimistic. He stage presence was astonishing as he was about to encourage and bring together a crown. It was what I imagined an Obama rally to be like.

The song I was waiting for was finally played which totally took hold of me in an unexpected way. The song was Dismantle Repair…

I am the patron saint of lost causes
a fraction of who I once believed (change)
only a matter of time
opinions I will try and rewrite
if life had background music,playing your song,
I've got to be honest, I tried to escape you
but the orchestra plays on,
and they sang, oh, oh, things are gonna change now for the better
oh, oh, things are gonna change

[Chorus 2x:]hands like secrets are the hardest thing to keep from you
lines and phrases like knives your words can cut me through
dismantle me down, (repair) you dismantle me, you dismantle me
give me time to prove
to prove I want the rest of yours (prelude)
call this a prelude to a lifetime of you,
it's not that I hang on every word,
I hang myself on what you mean,
its not that I keep hanging on,
I'm never letting go.

These lyrics have been in my head most of the last year and I felt comforted as Stephen sang these words. This song rejuvenated me and I had somewhat of a spiritual experience and it just got better as the band came out to play just one last song for the encore. One song was all that was needed to make this encore and this show perfect. The song was (*Fin). And all of us at the Wonder Ballroom were left in a beautiful silence thinking of faith and our own perfection…

(*Fin) by Stephen Christian, performed by Anberlin

Feels like you're miles from here,
in other towns with lesser names.
Where the unholy ghost doesn't tell
Mary or William exactly what they want to hear.
You remember the house on Ridge Road
told you and the Devil to both just leave me alone.
If this is salvation, I can show you the trembling.
You'll just have to trust me.
I'm scared.
I am the patron saint of lost causes.
Aren't we all to you just near lost causes?
Aren't we all to you just lost
Tommy, you left behind
something that will mean everything right before you die.
What if you gained the whole world?
You've already lost four little souls from your life.
Widows and orphans aren't hard to find.
They're home missing daddy who's saving the abandoned tonight.
Wish your drinking would hurry and kill you.
Sympathy's better than having to tell you the truth.
That you are the patron saint of lost causes.
All you are to them is now a lost cause.
All you are to them is now, causes.
Billy, don't you understand?
Timothy stood as long as he could and nowyou made his faith disappear.
More like a magician and less like a man of the cloth.
We're not questioning God.
Just those he chose to carry on His cross.
We're no better, you'll see.
Just all of us, the lost causes.
Aren't we all to you just lost causes?
Are we all to you lost?
Lost causes
So all we are to you,
Is all we are, is all we are
All we are is all we are

[Choir:]Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you? (Lost causes, all we are is all we are)
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you? (To you, lost...)
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Take what you will, what you will
And leave. Could you kill, could you kill me
If the world was on fireand nothing was left but hope or desire
And take all that I could require, is this love?
Or am I on the floor over-desperate?
Hold hands streaming of blood again?And then take full weight of me
Guard my dreams, figure this out,
It's me on my own. Helpless, hurting, hell.
Will you stay strong as you promised?
Cause I'm stranded and bare.
Meanness is washed up and all that I haveis God. Take this and all,
Then grace takes me to a place
Of the father you never had
Ripping and breaking and tearing apart
This is not heaven
This is my hell.

The Night Starts Here!!!

Last night was my anticipated first visit to the Wonder Ballroom. The headlining band was, Stars. This would be my third time seeing the progressive Canadian band live. I was accompanied by my friend Rosanna who I had just introduced to Stars, but she immediately fell in love with them. While we were standing in line at will call, we ran into our friend Sarah. Sarah had her friend Dan with her who would also be seeing Stars live for the third time. I was a little envious of Dan when he told me that he had seen Stars at the Doug Fir. We hit it off and chatted about music and Stars the entire night. It is rare that I find someone who can appreciate the beauty of walking the streets of Portland in the rain while listening to, "Look Up". 

The first band (whose name I cannot remember) was a tragic electronic mess. I loved the synth, the beats and the bass...but the singer was like listening to a busted Kele Okereke. I found this a good time to look around the venue and it was great to spot a handful of Reedies and took comfort that they enjoy good music. It was also a good time to chat with Rosanna, Sarah and Dan. 

I eagerly anticipated what was to come and then it happend...Stars took the stage that was beautifully decorated in roses. Torquil and Amy took the stage along with the rest of the band and was blown away by the way they opened by performing, "The Night Starts Here". It seemed like the most opportune time to rock out. The Torquil and Amy are by far the best singing duo that I have come across in a very long time. The energy, passion and romance that was exhibited by the former lovers was mind-blowing throughout the entire performance. I think at one point during the set I turned to Rosanna and said, "This is music that I can make love to". She laughed. I received a tap on the shoulder from Dan to signal that the opening chords to "Look Up"  were being played. It was the most rich performance of that song that I have heard to date and I imagined myself walking the streets of PDX in the pouring rain with a smile on my face. Such a flawless song. Ridiculous.

We were given a two song encore and then we were left with butterflies in the pit of out stomachs. I have been to plenty of shows in my day but the scene in Portland is far greater than anything I ever experienced. We laughed, we may have cried, we left with new friends and happy hearts...