listen closely

sold

the last few weeks were spent in preparation for tonight's daffodils show.  i bought a new drum stool.  we made a list of the forty or so songs that we know.  we practiced until exhaustion or impatience made us take a smoke or drink or potty or sleep break.  we watched a band we admired, looking for clues to the puzzle.  we even made an impromptu demo, and gave it to him at the show.  a shot in the dark, or a toe in the door, perhaps.  we listened to recordings of our practices, trying to pick out the good parts and eliminate the bad like a new recipe.  we practiced, and practiced some more.  all in preparation, for tonight, and for all the shows to come.

today, listening to KEXP's live recordings of my favorite bands in the entire world, my eyes and ears were opened.  i realized:  there is a thin divide between us and them, that divide being fame.  it is something every band works toward, but few achieve on a large scale.  but typically, it's not the reason we all make music.  music is a force all its own, a force that binds us together in the expressions of joy and sadness and love and every other human emotion.  it is therapy, it is adrenalin, it is satisfying, to the listeners and the performers all at once.  because of the profound effect it can have on the listener, musicians are often put on some sort of artistic pedestal.  but listening closely to some of those live studio recordings, those raw, unedited moments, and listening to the artists talk, really brings it back home to how similar we all are.  and why we all need music.  it is a celebration of life.