trash trash trash

I’m not one to go to prep rallies, candle light vigils, church or any event designed to bring people together for a spiritual purpose (I did go with Liam and Susan to see the World Cup at Government Center).  I tend to find my spirituality, if you call it that, in the quiet moments that life gives you. Perhaps over a Sunday newspaper, or shooting hoops on a quiet Sunday morning with no one around is when I find me.

I laugh at things like holding hands across America. Good luck I think. Not that I dismiss the motivation or sentiment, it just doesn’t resonate with me.  Give me a quiet moment with a friend talking about world issues and I’ll be happier and even think the world is improved.

So I find it somewhat amusing when I’m going to do a little of what I rail against.  Everyone, on your way around every day try picking up one piece of trash and throw it away. Yes. One piece of trash. Wash your hands afterwards if you feel so contaminated, but pick up one piece of trash and throw it away. Don’t pick up every piece or you won’t get anywhere unless you live in a national park where there are no humans around for miles. If everyone picked up one piece of trash imagine how good things would look. Perhaps you would, and everyone else, hesitate to litter in the future because it would be an eye sore.

OK, I’ve ranted enough!

Craig

Cake takes the Cake

I was jamming on guitar with my buddies Eddie, Tim and Eddie when Eddie (the first one) suggested I checkout the cover by Cake of “I Will Survive”. I found it on youtube and was blown away. Check it out:

First you must understand, I love covers. I like covers because, for me, it shows more about the artist in the delta between the original song and their version than hearing an original song by the artist. If I know the original it’s very revealing to see the choices the musician made in their cover. Martin Sexton’s cover of Purple Rain, or Ryan Montbleau’s amazing cover of “Pink Cadillac” (I think he’s scared of me when he sees me in the audience because I always request it), or Colleen Sexton’s cover of “I Will Survive” all offer insight into the musician’s interest and thought process.

OK, back to Cake. They have managed to do something I’ve never heard before in a cover song: they’ve taken a song of empowerment for women (and men I guess) into a great male “crawl out of the gutter but I may not make it” song. They really haven’t changed the lyrics (except for a f*ck I think) but the delivery, the sense of failure behind the motivating lyrics is haunting. Well done. This one is going into my favorite play list on youtube. I may have to make this into a series of posts–there are a couple of covers on youtube that I just love.

Tip Jars

I’ve always been slightly annoyed by tip jars. I don’t mind tipping at restaurants, but tipping at Starbucks…I dunno.. Especially when the wages are reduced to compensate for tipping.  Anyway, rather than be negative I was thinking what jobs should have a tip jar?  Ignoring for a moment how tipping could adversely affect the position or relationship, I encourage  you in the comments to suggest jobs that you think should be tipped. Here’s my contribution:

Perhaps bus drivers should be tipped.  I remember how the bus driver told  a blind passenger that they are at his stop. Or once how the driver got out the bus, helped a mother load her stroller onto the bus and then cheerfully got back on the bus. Also, bus drivers take a lot of flack from the passengers (“Back Door!” someone growled, “Why are you late”, “Can you get her to move”).  People some times turn to an authority figure to resolve interpersonal problems that is not the authority figure’s responsibility. Hmm..that last sentence seems more like an off-topic rant, so I’ll stop here.

Oct 9th Oct 9th Oct 9th Oct 9th Oct 9th Oct 9th Oct 9th Oct 9th

That date has been circled on my calendar of things that Rock My World. Why? That’s when Ryan Montbleau’s new album is due out. I saw Ryan last night perform at Club Passim and all I can say is…oh my gawd. Makes me want to give up my job and play guitar for the rest of my life. Then I realize I couldn’t write insightful, interesting, toe stomping songs like that. Well, maybe I could, who knows but I would be too busy covering his songs.

I initially planned to go to last night’s concert by myself and wasn’t disappointed when no one could join me. I sorta wanted to go to last night’s concert by myself. Quite like going to a movie alone, going to the concert last night allowed me to focus completely on the music and not look over to my friend to look for that moment of connection and appreciation. I guess, selfishly, I didn’t want to be taken out of the moment. Well, moments. Wow.

Anne Heaton opened. She opened with a song about the responsibility of being a Mom. She’s pondering it. Wow. I guess we’re all getting older. Her songs have never, as far as I know, touched on this subject before. I remember from 4-5 years ago with Live From NY and this never came up. Musing on time are not what you want to read about, nor what I want to write about because we all experience the passage of time and what’s important changes. Anyway, she wowed me with an older song that I never listened to–”Belly Side” is a great fight song. The gist–while we’re fighting I still want you cuddle up with you and for you to see my soft unprotected side. Interesting.

Well before this entry takes too long to write and I lose interest, let’s talk about Ryan’s set. Again. Wow. He started off with his song “Stretch” an amazing ode to his fans and to the road he is going to travel. I’d like to take a moment to talk about some of his new songs. On his last album his song “One Fine Color” blew me away. Amazing. Stuff. In particular these lings:

I used to give away a flower a day
Now I’ve got me a field of roses
That stare back at me from the window and beg me for somewhere to go

I used to leave the light on after sunset
Now I just sit in the darkness
Count the hours as they roll by and I sip my bourbon slow

It melds beautifully with his bluesy guitar work.

Anyway, his new song which I think the title is “Give It Away” is a piece of therapy for him I assume. Great lyrics. Great playing. Any time an artist opens himself up to the audience and reviews a bit of himself in song it is a powerful moment (well almost always)–this is no exception. A powerful moment. I loved it. I going to burn it into my soul. Basically he commented on himself saying that he’s screwed up things (“looked love in the eye and looked for something petty”–I think that’s right, forgive me Ryan if that was from a different song). So, he concluded, he as to gather everything up and give it away (emotionally and spiritually but if not I’ll take his Martin guitar).

He also did something incredible. He played a cover of Martin Sexton’s song “Diggin’”. You have to realize, gentle readership, that I absolutely love Martin Sexton. To have my favorite artist cover my favorite artist (which is better I don’t know) is a convergence of Joy . Ryan once said in a radio interview that he loves to play the obscure cover that one guy in the audience to shout “Yeah!”. Well he got me. I was that one guy. Damn you Ryan! Imagine Craig is a grumpy man position shaking his first and rattling his cane. His version was, and even Ryan admitted this, not as good as Martin’s but who can sing like Martin Sexton? Probably not even God. Not that there is a God or that she would bother singing for us. Did I mention that Ryan is going to be opening for Martin on Martin’s tour through the mid-west in the fall? I see a road trip in the future!

Another very interesting song he did was “75 and Sunny” which was a very clever song. He mixed the weather forecasts with a reflection on age. “I’d rather be 75 and sunny than 35 and weary eyed.” Well said Mr. Montbleau. He also said something along the lines that he’s noticed he’s less interested in what’s new and fresh. Does that happen when we get older? I think so. Astute observation. Especially for a blues/folk artist who loves hip/hop, gypsy jazz, Sting, Paul Simon..I’ve always thought of him as all over the map, maybe that map is no longer growing in size?

Again I was impressed by his whistling abilities. His whistle solo in “Honeymoon Eyes” earned a applause from the crowd. My god what a fun song.

Two other band members joined him on stage, Larry Scudder on viola and Matty Gianarros on upright bass. They did a few more tunes including the whacky “Eggs” which seemed like they were channeling the Resophonics.

All in all a great show. Right up there with Ryan show I saw with Susan when Peter Prince opened.