Home Was a Dream - One I'd Never Seen - Til You Came Along
It started with accidentally winning tickets to a country
music festival, so I went to look for musicians I didn’t know that were in the
line up. The first one I came across was Jason Isbell, so I plugged his name
into Spotify and pressed play. This song came up and I knew I had hit on
something.
"Cover Me Up"
After that, I listened to everything he wrote. There were so few of his songs that didn't speak directly to me. From the outset, I felt like he understood the notion of being Southern and being proud and being poor, but not being trashy and not being hateful. His music had depth and breadth and something to say, even when saying what he needed to say was hard. And that's what makes his music important.
I went the the festival expecting what I had seen before, a really talented songwriter with passing technical skill and a lot of flash, who would ultimately disappoint me with how he sounded and looked live. I was so wrong. I am so happy I was wrong. He blew me away with this one that I hadn’t heard. I think it was
written about my dad and it was powerful.
"Outfit"
That day changed my life forever.
Then I found out that Amanda Shires, the fiddle player and
his wife, is also a phenomenal musician. She's honest and raw and real. She's brilliant and talented and clever. She's kind and has that sort of country sweetness that you don't find in women as smart as she is. Her small, round voice is soothing and soft, but sometimes she'll stick you right between the armor with what she says. This is her new one.
"Eve's Daughter"
Then I wandered into John Moreland. This man can write a
damn song. He said once that he was glad he didn't grow up rich and good-looking. That sentiment just secured in my mind that sometimes, the best road to creativity is suffering. The man gives me hope that even at the worst of times, beautiful things can come out of the worst suffering.
"Heart's too Heavy"
The obvious transition was Jon Latham. He said that without Moreland, he'd have never produced an album. Thank God for Moreland. And I'm an atheist.
The new one is "Lifers" and I cannot talk enough about how this album is life-changing. And this album is his beating heart, wrapped up in a $125 guitar and a voice that sounds like wailing grunge, if grunge had had the sense to be southern.
"Last in Line"
I got very lucky and Jon asked me to review "Lifers" and I was so excited I literally danced around the living room. He knew who I was and wanted me to review his album. He liked my writing.
Things started to change that day and I can never go back to what I was. His music was missing from my life, he was missing from my life, and I didn't even know it. We wandered right past each other for years. I wonder what would have happened had I heard him ten years ago. Would it have been the same? Was I ready for that? Or would I have dismissed it the same way I dismissed Hemingway for ten years, until that day I stood looking myself in the mirror, drunk, and the face there was a stranger. And it all floated into focus.
Then Jon led me to Lilly Hiatt, who wrote the album of my 32nd
year just in time.
I mean, what a badass. She takes that stage with her Rickenbacker, and she transforms from this small, dark-haired, almost fragile thing into a Valkyrie. She'll sweep your soul right up and take you back with her to Joan Jett and Janis Joplin and the way it felt to see your childhood drive away in an old car.
And before I knew what I was doing, I was spending my time
in East Nashville, screaming at the man and loving as hard as I can.
Along the way, I've met people who are just the best kind of people. They have renewed my faith in humanity and reminded me that I am not alone. My brothers and my sisters are out there, with hearts and souls like mine.
I've done things I never thought I could do. I've written music reviews and made badass posters and stood tall like a lighthouse for people to see in the dark, flashing my little light and doing all I can to remind the world that she is beautiful.
And here we are. And I don't know what I would be without this journey. It's the journey I've been looking for all alone. My heart is fuller than it's ever been and while I've leaned heavily on others, while I've asked for help when I needed it, I don't feel burdened with debts for it. I feel free and light and warm. I think I found what home is.
There was a moment the other night when Patterson Hood was fully in the groove. He was, as Hunter Thompson wrote, "High up on his own private mountain", and he looked right at us with half-open eyes and this strange little smile, because he knew that we were right there with him. For me, that's a thing that's beyond price. That's true and actual treasure.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written, as always.
Just read back over this one in anticipation of writing my next blog post. I sure am glad to call you one of my own.
DeleteWe live in a world of magic amongst these musicians. They bring us in and wrap us up in their worlds. I couldn't be happier that we get to take that trip.