That Train Is Going Off The Rails!!

So, Z and I attended the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear today. We were pretty far back, and had to rely on the jumbotron to see what was going on up on the stage. My favorite moment of the day was hearing Yusuf, the artist previously known as Cat Stevens, come to the stage and begin to sing, "Peace Train", as a member of the Sanity crew. However, he was upstaged by a member of the Fear crew, Ozzy Osbourne, singing "Crazy Train". It was glorious in its absurdity. And since I posted "Peace Train" fairly recently, Ozzy's song wins the post of the day.

It's been interesting to be in Washington with all this insanity happening. The METRO, though, is unnavigable, so we've been taking cabs everywhere. Probably even for dinner tonight. We're meeting Christine and her friend over in Logan Circle, for tapas and people watching. It should be fabulous.

Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

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I Rocket West Out Past That Jersey Line

Well, south, anyway, past that Jersey line. Stopping here in DE on our way to DC for the Rally To Restore Sanity/Fear. Should be a fun weekend.

And, we didn't so much rocket as get stuck in traffic for most of the ride down here, for no discernible reason. Fried. Hoping to pass right out in a moment.

Morning New Disease - Jets To Brazil
(the co-pilot picked this one, but it rocks.)

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Go Straight to Hell

You know who you are...

Straight to Hell - The Clash

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Make Every Song You Sing Your Favorite Tune

For my partner in margaritas tonight, which, I was supposed to buy.



Shine a Light - The Rolling Stones

A Different Face, But The Words Never Change

Thank you for posting that picture the other night, David. And thank you for remembering this was our song, and thinking of me at that moment. Someday, maybe, we can have a drink and catch up, or go park in the cemetery in the fog again, and watch the car headlights become klieg lights between the trees.

You were always one of my favorites. So nice to be in touch once more.
Fondly,
"5"

Down in the Park - Gary Numan

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And You Can Tell Everybody This Is Your Song

When my mother was pregnant with me, she used to hear this song on the radio, every morning as she was lying there with motion sickness. As she felt better and was able to listen more carefully, she assigned this song to the emerging me, and always told me that this was the song that reminded her of being pregnant with me, her first, and how wonderful that time was for her.

So, today, the song is for my mom. Just because. And I do tell everybody that this is my song... :) I love you.

Your Song - Elton John

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We Gotta Start It Off With A Positive Jam

In honor of show #5, and the person with whom I'm going, here's a repost, and a relevant song, about said friend, and the, well, second time, we met. As the universe would have it, we're just friends at this point, but I think that's the best way to be. We get along well, and frankly, are so busy, it wouldn't work anyway. Besides, when one is pining (Jesus, I just admitted that, didn't I) it's also ultimately unfair.

BUT, it's the fucking Hold Steady, and Z's never seen them and I'm PUMPED. So, consider this a full circle post as well.

I have a date Saturday. A second date. He's brilliant, and funny, and good-looking in a quirky, Craig Finn, kind of way. He's in law school at my alma mater. We met for drinks on Tuesday, and hardly stopped talking the entire time we were together, except to randomly look at each other quizzically, as if to say, "where did you come from?" And I'm nervous and excited to get together again this weekend. The parking ticket he was issued the other night while we were out was, "totally worth it, to get to meet you", he said in an email yesterday.

Positive Jam - The Hold Steady

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If I Can Met 'Em, I Can Get 'Em...

...and there's the rub.

Another Saturday night, and I ain't got nobody,
I got some money 'cuz I just got paid.
Oh how I wish I had someone to talk to,
I'm in an awful way...

Well, the lyric says awful; I'm actually not all that bad. Did a little shopping earlier, practiced yoga, came home, showered, made an interesting dinner (eggplant puttanesca with polenta), and now I'm trying to decide what DVD to watch.

I'm not unhappy, I'm not melancholy, I'm not even pining; just thinking company would be nice. But, I enjoyed every aspect of my day, and not answering to anyone about being late, or taking yoga at the studio by work, not the one close by home, or making essentially an experiment for dinner. I own it all.

And yet... the company aspect still gets to me. Such is the contradiction of my existence, I suppose.

Enjoy your Saturday night.

Another Saturday Night - Cat Stevens
(make with the clicking; no embedding on this one) :(

Follow Your Bliss, It Reads On My Chest

Yeah, I know, another "missed day". No worries, you'll get two songs today. AND, since I left my house at 7:00 Friday morning and didn't see it again until 12:30-sh SATURDAY morning, deal. Full day of work, interview with Buddy from Senses Fail at 5:30. Dinner, then Bayside and Senses Fail at the Royale in Boston. Then, because apparently I think I can hang, I hit PA's Lounge in Somerville to see The Full-Time Dreamers, and various random spoken word artists and a performance troupe called Wasted Talent that did nothing but confuse me.

Senses Fail was all sorts of screamo-pop-tinged-hardcore energy. Review and interview for PlaybackSTL coming soon. This was the second to last song they played last night, and it was a JAM . Even I, in her black turtleneck, jeans, and Dansko clogs (because she had to go there straight from work because life is really crazy right now), sang along. Like the coolest soccer mom in the room. And, quite frankly, at a 16+ show, there was about 1/3 of the audience that I LEGIT could have been their mother. Awesome.



Can't Be Saved - Senses Fail

Take My Body To Seven Mile Island

Nap. Then Jason. Cannot wait.

Seven Mile Island - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

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Scared Shitless Of What's Coming Next

Had I gotten home before midnight last night, after school committee, I would have told you that, via tweet from Patterson Hood, I was reminded it was 33 years ago yesterday that the plane crash involving Lynryd Skynyrd happened. This song, one of my favorite DBT songs, is about that crash. Creepy as all hell, especially when he sings, "These angels I see in the trees are waiting for me..."

Tonight, I'm going to see one of their former bandmates, Jason Isbell. Should be a great night. I'm an old lady though, and will definitely need a nap.

Angels and Fuselage - The Drive-by Truckers

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Summer Was Gone, and the Heat Died Down

So many of the trees are gold this year. My last "fall" song. My favorite season; ironic, as change is not one of my favorite things. Still, there is little in the world as beautiful as a New England fall in all its glory.

Enjoy these days while they're here.

Time of No Reply - Nick Drake

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If I Could, I'd Be Your Star Again...

Oh dear God, I am undone...

I love this band. They hit this emotional chord in me that often sends me reeling. They are delicate, and haunting, and angst ridden, and angry sometimes, and poignant, they just undo me. Every time. I've listened to this song three times since seeing it on Heather's blog, which I have adored for years, and I'm nearly in tears now.

give my jewels to the army, my silverware and jeans
give my love to your family; tell them anything.
give yourself to anyone; give yourself away
don’t be a nightingale for anyone’s space to fill.

if i could, i’d be your star again
fall across your falling sky…

it takes a lot of little rain to make you feel like nothing.
anything, anything you can do, do to me for everything i did for you
nothing.
i didn’t try to take your love away
i just never knew i had it…

there is nothing you can say to ever make me want you
american
there is nothing you can say to ever make me leave you
american.

american mary…

It doesn't matter he's singing to a girl in this one; I could sing this song. Oh, could I sing this song...but first I need to cry a little about this song.

Thank you for existing in this world. As sad as you are, you make it beautiful, and worth living.

American Mary - The National

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And Her Hair Came Over Her Shoulder

The Galway girls and I got together last night, at the Black Rose in Boston. There was live music. There were many drinks. There was a young man in the corner, in a brown moleskin blazer, white button down shirt, and jeans, alone, singing along. Galway swooped in and bestowed its magic on the room, as after a time, the young man and I were talking (and, lo and behold, he's from County Galway, too). Then flirting. Then kissing in the middle of the bar. Then dancing, twirling and dipping, and kissing some more. That lovely, lilting, soft Galway accent, and those sparkling eyes. Hypnotic almost, but sometimes being true to yourself not only involves dancing with abandon in the middle of a bar, but going home to yourself as well.

And then, it was over. Not a dream, but not likely to happen again. This may have been one of the songs we danced too, and we danced to many last night. So, to Pete, with the curragh tattoo, and the beautiful smile, and the great moves on the floor (fake it till you make it...and we made it look good), You were quite the dream. Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo aris...

Black Velvet Band - The Dubliners

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Crack Up In the Sun, Lose It In the Shade

Another repeat story tonight, with another repeat character in my life. The major players, you'll see a lot here...

When I bought three of the Ryko Replacements reissues in the span of a week and a half, I really had no idea that it would have the effect on my brain that it's having right now. But, every time I get into my car, and turn the stereo on, I find myself wondering what the hell year it is, and why isn't Matt riding with me?

It seems that the past is haunting me, and I could fix this easily by just changing the cd's in my car, but, I DON'T WANT TO. There is something positively delicious, like bittersweet chocolate, about this reverie I'm finding myself in right now. Because the combination of Tim, and the fall, illustrates the drunken heyday of Matt and I's days together. Those days when it was all new, and shining, and swirling through our world like a tornado. Every second there was something new to learn, to hear, to touch, and if I felt drunk then when it was happening, I'm feeling equally as drunk remembering it now.

We took the bus to the Dedham Plaza after school one day, to go to Strawberries Records, because he found himself absolutely incredulous, after reading a truly maudlin poem I had written about a drunk, that I had never heard The Replacements before. At that point, I had never heard OF them, never mind heard the song I essentially, unknowingly, ripped off in that writing. On the bus to the next town over, into the store, and home again on the bus, and immediately upstairs to my room, where he skipped the whole first side and went right for "Here Comes a Regular". We lay on the floor, our heads facing the speakers, and listened to the whole thing before he had to go home for the evening.

People talk about memories being tied to specific senses, and without question, sound is there for me. There are certain albums whose opening notes transport me back to certain times in my life as if they were time machines. Tim is one of those albums. And it isn't just that single day; it's that whole, glorious, mad fall when we were first together. The bright sunshine, the vivid colors all around us, the cool breezes, all of it seemed to be projecting into the world what we felt in our hearts, an unrelenting feeling of drama and excitement and flaming passion for everything. "Hold my life, until I'm ready to use it, because I just might lose it."

So, I've been driving around most of this month, through the same streets we walked, with Tim in the player, and the autumn unfolding outside my window, and I keep thinking I'm going to turn a corner and see Matt in his denim jacket walking from the center of town. And whereas I'm not wishing those days back, I am wishing I could pick up the phone, and say, "hey, let's go for a ride". Because I keep looking at the empty passenger seat in my car and being surprised that he's NOT actually sitting there. It sure feels like he's here somewhere.

Hold My Life - The Replacements

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I Wish Those Days Would Come Back Once More

We had family dinner and game night at my sister's house tonight. Rallying around my mother, who had a death in her extended family, we made tacos and chili, which is a favorite feast. Later on, there was dessert, and a game called Apples to Apples, which my nephews loved playing. Gracie just liked playing with the cards.

Before the card game, though, there was dancing. My little niece is beginning to walk, and she likes to "dance". She holds on to something and wiggles her little bum and waves her hand around wildly, and does something that looks like the cabbage patch. She yells at you if you don't dance, too. So, we had dancing. My sister put this song on and said, "Gracie you love this song, this is one of your best." And sure enough, her face brightened, the bum wiggled and the head shook and hands waved.

A really lovely simple evening with some of my favorite people.

I Wish - Stevie Wonder

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Variations On A Theme

Songs about fall, my favorite season. It was 29 degrees here this morning; the heat in my house was running, and I needed the heat in my car as well.

Cooler, darker, thinner light. I love this time.

Urge for Going - Joni Mitchell

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You Can Tell Her That I'm Easily Found

I have Jason Isbell to thank for this one.

Yesterday, two separate friends posted Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, one of my favorite fall songs. This morning, I woke up to see in my facebook news reader, several quotes from the title track of what may be my favorite Springsteen album. That darkness he sings about is that darkness the fall ushers in on that chill breeze. It's always amazing to hear live, the few times I've seen him bring this one out to play.

"Darkness" reminds me of my neighborhood, growing up. Peter, the boy across the street, had this album propped up on his parents' hi-fi one afternoon, and I always wondered about that skinny guy in the leather jacket on the cover. When I found Bruce four years later, via the smashing success of "Born in the USA", the very NEXT Bruce album I bought was "Darkness", remembering the cover only. I love the unease in this album, the trepidation, the grit. Bruce can still channel it, too, even after all this time. I cannot WAIT for the reissue later this month, and the documentary.

Jason is playing here next week, and I'm going. If, as some gift from the universe, he was quoting this song repeatedly in order to maybe cover it during his live set, I'll make sure I pick up all the pieces of my brain after it explodes.

Make with the clicking; this one won't embed... the Barcelona concert. A mighty fine concert DVD, if I may add.

Here's a much older one...



Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

Sometimes, the soundtrack is dictated by other people.

Which is not to say I don't love this band, or this song. It's one of my favorite "fall" songs, as a matter of fact. But after two people I know, who don't know each other, posted this song on Facebook this morning, I figured it was a trend.

I love that sound the leaves make as they scuttle across the pavement, blown by the winds that always seem to import something darker than, say, spring or summer breezes do. Change and a great unrest, ushering in that season of darkness.

I do. I love the fall...

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground - The White Stripes

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Leaves Are Changing Seasons of My Poison Years

This song always reminded me of my public school years; it was released in 1989, just after it was all finished. Ironically, I always see the sun shining in my head when I hear this song, as it was on side one of this album. Side one is how long it took me to drive to my friend David's house, a friend I met late in my high school career, but one who made those final days so worth living. As well as that glorious sunny summer right after graduation.

The sun always seemed to be shining as I drove to his house, listening to this song, shaking off high school and all its detritus for good.

Bob, for the record, will also show up here many times during this year.

Poison Years - Bob Mould

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To the Salthill Prom With a Galway Girl

I should save this for later this week, when I have my reunion with the Galway crew, but Sarah posted this today, and it's been stuck in my head all day, and making me smile.

Honestly, I'd never heard this song before going to Galway(no, I haven't seen P.S. I Love You), so I consider this one of my treasures from my great adventure. Three of the musicians in the corner are Siobhan and Mairin Fahy, and Mairin's husband Chris Kelly, who we saw perform as part of Trad on the Prom (yes, the very Salthill Prom) our second to last night there, as well as a private performance on campus earlier that afternoon. Marc Roberts sang with them that night as well, so this little video is all sorts of special.

Cause I ain't seen nothing like a Galway girl... :)

All We Are Saying Is Give Peace A Chance

imagine desktop, originally uploaded by crau1971.

Happy Birthday, John. We miss you every day.


Give Peace a Chance - Plastic Ono Band

(video link)

You Never Planned on the Bombs In the Sand

Mom's Fight for Burial Near Son Leads to New Law

The soldier in this story, Corey, was one of my students my first year teaching in middle school. He was funny, caring, a huge hockey fan (he deliberately wore a Buffalo Sabres sweatshirt to class during a Bruins/Sabres playoff series to provoke me), and a terrible writer. He used to check in with me, even after he wasn't my student, just to say hi, talk hockey, whatever was on his mind. Seeing his face all over the news this morning (and a bit last night, too) has been really hard. And seeing the state his mother is in is even harder.

When we decide to be teachers, we have all these grand ideals of working with kids, helping them reach their potential, become learners, thinkers, productive citizens. Military funerals, any type of funeral, really, never figure in to that equation. For every soldier that makes that sacrifice, not only is there family grieving and friends grieving, but a teacher grieving the student he or she once knew, remembering the child that forgot their homework, shared their artwork, talked about their home life, aced a test and celebrated, helped a friend on the playground.

So send a little light and love Corey's mother's way, and to our troops, and to the teachers who stand to the side at those funerals and grieve a child they lost, too.

Dress Blues - Jason Isbell

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Red Red Wine

And not the UB40 version. The song is The Replacements. The reason is I'm off to a wine tasting fundraiser with some great girlfriends.

Red, Red, Wine - The Replacements

(Tinysong is awesome when you can't get an mp3).

Off to find something Spanish. Or Argentinan.

Short Distance Dedication, To One Licking His Own Brain

"I can be the friend you want, I can be your confidant, I can be the right reminder at the right time, throwin' out a life line..."

Mike Doughty is a great singer-songwriter, and he penned this tune that is a perfect plea, to you from me. Whoever "you" are... ;)

(Of course I know.)

Your Misfortune - Mike Doughty

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Bad Case of Noisemaker Blues

There may be a time here and there when I will recycle a previously written story for the day's soundtrack. I had a Facebook message from one of the guys in the following story, so today's track is on repeat ;)

First, major shout out to my new pals, Sam and Matt, who took pity on the "old lady"(my term, not theirs, they rocked it hard) in the line for the free Hold Steady show on Thursday night, and reminded her first why front row jammed against the stage is awesome, but also why she was never really a "pit girl".

So, yes, let's talk about what I just said there--free Hold Steady show. At the Paradise in Boston, my favorite Boston club ever. I can't remember where I saw the advertisement for this first; I just knew I had to jump on it. I've talked about this band before. Still linking to the new album stream (which sounded unbelievable live, but I'll get to that in a second). So, I RSVP'd immediately, and planned to be in line at the Paradise by 6:00 to ensure entry, banking on the indie kids not being able to get organized that quickly. Again, apologies to my buddies from the line; that statement is in no way a reflection on you, as you were there right behind me and the 30 or so other people who had queued up by 6:00. I even got a good parking space on the street.

The mood in the, at that point, short, line was electric. Originally, I had thought I'd sit there with my iPod and people watch, but I was too excited to be in place to get into this show. So, when Matt and Sam got in line right after me, we struck up a conversation, which continued into the front room of the club, where they let us wait due to fears of rain. Oh, and to the guy who drove up from New York, and bought all that beer and disappeared? You should have bought bottles and keg cups; it would have been much easier to smuggle in. We left it in good hands, though. Now, I'm not entirely sure why Matt and Sam and I hit it off so well--could have been the ridiculous list of shows I can rattle off, the band names we all dropped trying to prove our cred, or the fact that I get bouncy when I get excited about something (literally and figuratively). Whatever. We had a great time. Sam even waited while the door man sorted out where my email confirmation was, and let me in. Sam also convinced me that front row, rather than my standard spot in the balcony, was the way to go for this gig. Forgetting what I observed at the last Hold Steady show I went to, I went along with my new pals.

Opening band Aberdeen City were pretty good. The lead singer certainly was rocking the Ian Curtis/Interpol look, and the sound was very dirgey, leaden bass, with somewhat jangly melodies, and a drum sound that almost knocked me into the back bar--outstanding, really. But as good as they were, nothing really compared to Finn and the boys. They took the stage, and after ripping through the opening number, "Constructive Summer", Craig let on that he'd been to many shows there during his, and my, BC days (yet ANOTHER spot I probably ran into him in my youth, we are ships in the night, Mr. Finn), he'd always wanted to play there, and this was their first time. And slammed through "The Swish". The set list was nicely populated with old and new. Aside from the previously mentioned, "The Swish", "Stevie Nix", "Knuckles", and "Don't Let Me Explode" were songs I wanted to hear, and were pure power. However, it was about halfway through, "Yeah Sapphire" that I realized I could no longer ride that wave.

Jammed up against the stage worked really well for Aberdeen City. Good band, nice groove, no elbows in my glasses. But, the Hold Steady were an entirely different energy, egged on by Finn's frenetic sputtering and jumping and gesticulating. This is by no means a BAD thing; however, it's been many years since I've had to hold a position in a pit. The sway and crush began two notes into the first song; by the fourth, I was ready to break all pit etiquette and smash the face of this one drunk girl who was trying to get in front of me. However, having been to approximately 487 live shows at the Paradise over my lifetime, I knew that all I had to do was get back 5 feet to the center pillar, where I could lean, be close enough to grab some great shots and feel the energy, but not break anything valuable. Like my nose, or a toe, or something. After nearly getting trampled in the pit at a Ramones show, I know my pit limits, and I bailed. Five feet backward, though, I had the pillar for support, and I proceeded to rock out. Besides, next to the pillar, I got to do this.

As much as the old favorites were crowd pleasers (as it is with all bands), the new material really shone last night. A little less druggy and bloody, but as romantic and wild as any other of their albums. And by romantic, I mean grand sweeping tales with high drama, and higher kids, Don Quixote stabbing at windmills romance. Dreaming the impossible dream of one last great party. Thursday night was a great party. They closed the regular set with "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "Slapped Actress", from the new album, and I thought I would explode. Because The Hold Steady, for me, are everything good about the music I love--all of it, in all its schizophrenic glory--rolled into one loud, growling poetic package. And when you get a band that understands BOTH the power of the 70s stadium anthem AND the 80s all-ages hardcore matinee, and channels them into the perfect bar band rocker, how can you NOT just combust from sheer joy?

Sam and Matt found me at the end, glad I was just chilling in the back. We parted ways, (Sam, you have this address), drunk from the rush, at least I was. I'm still drunk from it, and I feel my Hold Steady evangelism rising again. It's going to be a great summer.

---
And it was a great summer, and Matt and I have been to shows together since that night. This is one of my favorite stories.

Southtown Girls - The Hold Steady

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Not a Pretty Girl

Ms. DiFranco is going to show up quite a bit in this endeavor, so let me set the stage with this heavy hitter.

In graduate school, I took a course called Curriculum and Instruction, and one of the assignments in this course was to develop our personal educational philosophy regarding curriculum. By the end of this course, my life, as I knew it at that time, would have fallen apart; at this point, I was just trying to leave work early enough to make the class on time.

The introductory work to this assignment was to come to class with simply a personal statement; a piece of art, literature, music. Something we felt defined who we were. At the time of my studies, I was working part time at the Gap, and was friends with a girl who insisted I start listening to Ani DiFranco. I'd heard her album "Dilate" and I enjoyed it. She was insistent that I go further into her catalog. So, I had recently picked up the album, "Not a Pretty Girl". I listened to that album, alone, in my study room in the apartment I shared with my husband at the time, and I suddenly realized she was singing my life. From the brazen "Shy", which was NOT directed at my husband, to the plaintive and remorseful, "Sorry I Am", which was, every note seemed to echo an experience I was living at that moment. Two songs stood out from all the rest, my "theme"song, "32 Flavors" and the title track, which I initially thought to be my soundtrack. And it is, when I'm angry and trying to prove a point. It took me a while to discern the difference, but at that moment, I took "Not a Pretty Girl" as my own.

If you look at the lyrics to this song, it is a woman asserting herself in the face of adversity, a woman saying, I can handle this, and I can handle you, despite what you initially believed. And I needed that song at that moment, because sitting in the back of that class was a woman who, as a girl, was on the fringes of the group of girls who TORTURED me throughout elementary school. So, on my assigned day, I brought in my portable stereo, and my Ani cd, and I hit play, stood at the front of the room with my arms folded and stared down the room. I'm pretty sure that's the day Thom decided he was in love with me, and speeded the unraveling of my life, but that's another story for another day (and another song, too).

So, the fierce side of me loves this song. The fierce side of me will stick this song right in your face and force you to take note. The fierce side of me has never believed she was a pretty girl, and is still surprised when someone says otherwise. Still, put me down, punk. I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere ;)

Not a Pretty Girl - Ani DiFranco

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That'll Keep You Going Through The Show

Sometimes, the soundtrack can be what's currently happening, as well. Tonight, I'm going to see Roger Waters stage "The Wall" at the Garden in Boston. I realize that sentence technically should be about 30 years old, AND, back in the day, the closest the official "Wall" tour came to New England was Nassau Coliseum, but still, it's going to be a classic rock/ghosts of my youth kind of day today.

Hello, is there anybody in there...?

When One Life Goes, Another Begins

Southern gothic gutter punk goodness. Second song they played last night. Amazing set, for sure, somewhat overshadowed by my first band interview (see, life milestone...)

Hindsight being what it is, I maybe have wanted more questions, but I think the interview with Adam, the lead singer, went well. I'll know for sure once it's transcribed.

Besides, doesn't every life soundtrack need a good revenge song? ;)

'52 Ford - Murder By Death

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You Gotta Grab It With Both Hands

Today(October 1) is my 39th birthday. To be honest, I’m completely ok with that number. The last time a birthday number really gave me pause was 35; for some reason, it felt “old” to me. I was depressed, anxious, and completely full of shit. Age is a number; it doesn’t define you. I’ve had several friends turn 40 this year, to varying degrees of acceptance of that fact. One friend, the illustrious Scott, marked the year between 39 and 40 with a sketch a day. It was a beautiful tribute to his talent, to what defined him. I’m stealing the concept, somewhat.

Music defines me. Although it may not be my talent, it is my passion. Those of you who know me, and those of you who know me through the blogs, know that there is an ever-evolving soundtrack running in my head. Songs that narrate the ups and downs, the ordinary and extraordinary moments of my life. Sometimes, those songs remain statically linked to a specific person, place, or time; sometimes, my songs shift (songs are shifting now, in fact). But, there is always a playlist helping me make sense of all of it. Giving a framework to memories that are beginning to fade, filling in the colors on the tapestry I weave with each passing moment. So, every day, for the next year, I’m going to reveal to you the soundtrack to my life, so far. A song a day, every day.

So, today, on day one, to set this scene, I dedicate today’s song to the friend I consider the father of what I know about music today. I had my specific likes and dislikes before I met him, and I’ve grown and changed and explored on my own, but he was the one who taught me that life, indeed, does have a soundtrack. To Matt, who gave me the first soundtrack to something meaningful in my life, the mix tape that was the Rosetta Stone to what makes up my taste in music today, this is for you. This is our song. Believe me when I tell you I can never thank you enough.

Keep Hangin' On - Husker Du


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