I wanted to through together some snobish concert review but I was too enthralled in the musical performance of the last two shows that I attended. On November 7th I was blessed to experience the lineup of Lights, Lydia, Lovedrug and my favorite band of all time, Copeland.
I have so longed to see the synth playing beauty, known as Lights, for quite some time now. She played a short set that was fantastic. I had a chance to speak with her after the show and I complemented her on her music video for, Drive My Soul, which a simple, yet delightful, masterpiece that rivals the great videos of the late 80s. Lights informed me that she was heading off back home to Toronto to film the "sequel" to her first music video. The new vid will be for the song, "February Air" which should be on her website/myspace early December.
I think Lydia was trippin' on some kind of drug. It was my second time seeing them and I enjoyed their flaming singer whose voice is just hauntingly good. Lovedrug was great as they were the previous time that I saw them in Los Angeles along with Copeland on the infamous Fiesta Cantina night with Lin. Long story, but an epic night.
Copeland took stage before me for either the sixth or seventh time, I have lost track. As soon as the first chords were played, I found myself lost in reverie. There were lots of new songs from the new album, You Are My Sunshine, but there were an equal amount from the previous three. I nearly lost my voice as I sang along with the crowd of Copelandholics to, When Paula Sparks. The band closed with a one song encore of, California, which I sang along to wholeheartedly.
I got to speak with Aaron Marsh as I do occasionally after Copeland shows and we agreed that in Portland the kids some out for the music because that is their love, unlike in LA/NYC/Nashville where the crowds are tainted with judgmental music industry people. It is always amazing to have a conversation with someone whose music inspires you to live life the way you do.
A few days later I saw another amazing show that started with an in-store acoustic set performed by Ingrid Michaelson at Music Millennium. I got me meet Ingrid and bug her about the song that she recorded with Andrew from The Age of Rockets, titled, Eyes of Blue. In fac, there was an EP recorded called the Pee Pee EP (yeah, I know) that had good original tunes in addition to an electronic version of Breakable. She said that she forgot about it and was being lazy about putting those tracks on itunes. She said that she would get on it...we'll see. Ingrid was RIDICULOUS. Meaning GORGEOUS. I was tempted to drop to one knee but alas, I did not. *sigh*
Ingrid's headlining performance at the Wonder was nothing sort of phenomenal. I was also introduced to Newton Faulkner and David Ford. I can honestly say that David Ford's performance was on of the best live acts that I have ever seen. I recommend his music as I do Newton's.
These last two shows that I attended I was reminded how music and love go hand in hand. There were some cute couples holding each other as they got lost in the music at the shows. It reminded me of art that I have on my wall of these cartoonish couples hanging out after the show in their "secret spots", and it made me smile. There is hope and love in music. Hope and love.
I feel like I need to address this openly because I feel that this issue or Prop 8 in California had been taken to a level that has brought out the worst in everyone. First of all I am a Christian. I find my identity in Christ and he has given me the grace that I don't deserve as a jacked up human being. I grew up in a conservative box and surrounded myself with those that thought like myself in college. I had friends that "struggled" with homosexuality. I was so fascinated by this topic that I would study books like Desires in Conflict by Joe Dallas and I even went as far as writing an exegetical paper on Homosexuality as a sin. I had myself in a box along with several other friends of mine that all went to the same church and never thought to question the Bible or the pastor.
A pastor said a few things during my college years that always stuck with me. 1). The reason why most non-believers are turned off to the idea of Jesus is because Christians are assholes, 2) if you don't question what I say or what scripture says then you are DUMB, 3) We have three-pound finite minds.
The more I studied and the more conversations I had I learned that God is LOVE and that most Christians have yet to comprehend God's message of LOVE. I feel that if one doesn't question their own faith or sexuality then they really don't know who they are.
The issue is gay marriage and I can see both sides of the argument because I have been on both side of the argument. I supported (in spirit because I am an Oregon resident) NO on Prop 8 because as an American I believe in the freedom and liberty and justice for all that our founding fathers intended for us to have as citizens of this great country. Blood was shed and continues to be shed for this freedom.
I think there are still too many homophobic Californians who didn't bother to research and study Prop 8. Some of those people who voted YES were probably Christians who felt "convicted" by a letter that the Apostle Paul had written to a specific church or community back in the day. Christians probably felt that they were doing the right thing by voting YES after having memorized 1 Corinthians, Romans and Leviticus. I get it. I've been there.
One another note, for those who call themselves Christians as use hateful words like "fag" please don't associate yourself with Jesus or even call yourself a Christian. AND to be a bit frank for the sake of making a point, for those who associate homosexuality with glory holes, Queer as Folk, Go-Go Bois and getting crunk with Britney in WeHo, please go make a gay friend so that you can lay the stereotypes to rest once and for all. Some of the most healthy relationships I know of are gay and lesbian couples. Who knows if gays have the right to marry maybe our horrendous divorce rate would improve.
Jesus was a very liberal progressive person in his time and went to the cross because of it. The Pharisees were the Conservative Evangelicals of that time and they didn't get it. People still don't get it because people fear change and what they don't understand.
What if we are blessed to have a gay or lesbian child? What if our First Family consist of two men and their son and daughter? There are so many questions and so many possibilities that seem so unattainable. I think about all of this in my introspective 3lb brain and can't help but to think of the scene outside of Grant Park in Chicago on 11.4.08 and hold on to hope.
We used to treat women and African Americans as second class citizens. I guess we have yet to break that barrier for homosexuals. It's sad. This could get ugly but I know that Dems, Reps, gays, straights, blacks and whites will push the issue of marriage equality and prevail.
I am very proud to be an American today…everyday for that matter.
I am actually quite upset by those that are saying, "for the first time in my life I am proud to be an American". I am blessed with the freedom that many nations long for. I am proud of my grandfather who served in WWII. I will always hold his stories near to my heart of how he traveled through the most dangerous parts of Europe and served and protected and how he met Winston Churchill and had a laugh with him. When I think about my grandfather I wonder if we would share the same political views. Regards of our views I know that we would love and respect each other no matter what. He encouraged me to pursue higher education and to seek God in all things. Those are the most important things to me.
This election season has been bittersweet for me. I have seen the good and the ugly sides of people. Two years ago I got a TIME magazine in the mail that had a young African American named Barack Obama on the cover and the headline said, "Why Barack Obama could be the next President". I thought to myself, "no way". Little did I know it was the beginning of the most exciting campaign season of all time. I was a two time GWB voter and was a fan of the old "Maverick", John McCain but I was looking for a progressive America and I was supporting Obama all the way as I learned more of him. I was glad to see the Republicans nominate McCain and shoot down Romney (who most of my Conservative friends happened to be supporting). I would have cried had Hilary won the Dem nomination. There was so much feuding during the primary. Politics are like a bad drug sometimes because people just start trippin'. I enjoyed the debate and I'm glad the man that came out on top was Obama. I cried…tears of joy. I was so emotionally invested in this election for the last two years that I couldn't hold back tears. I saw Jesse Jackson crying and I started crying. The footage of the crowds gathered in every city and outside of the white house was so emotional. It was like nothing I have witnessed in my life. It was a victory not for Democrats but for America. All this talk about CHANGE and now we will need some results. Obama is inheriting a busted yet still prideful America and I am very optimistic about the next four years.
There have been so many bad events that we associate with days/times in our lives. When asked where I was at 8pm on 11.4.2008 I will remember that I was at Reed College with my friends when the hammer that is West Coast came down and ended the McCain campaign and brought Obama the victory. I am proud of America, Obama, McCain and everyone who stood in a ridiculous line to vote.
This blog is to serve as my authentic thoughts and feelings on life, God, theology, identity, sexuality, art, relationships, music, emotion, pop culture, higher education and love.
