Past, Present and Future...

Well, by this time next year, I really hope to be set on my path to ministry. I have mixed feelings about my life up to this point. On one hand, I have had some incredible experiences. From making great music with friends I consider as close as brothers to traveling and living life as an adventure, I feel like life has been pretty full. On the other hand, I have done very few preparations for certain goals I have (ie. mission’s work, pasturing, leading). I have decided to not live in regret. I think God has taken me on this distinct journey for a reason and the outcome is going to be amazing as long as I keep my eyes fixed on him.

Looking back at my life as a 23 year old, I made some huge mistakes, and I also grew a ton. I feel like a completely different person. God is doing a constant change in me, and I am truly ready for the next level.

The past few weeks, I have been really trying to sift through all of the crap that clouds my vision. I have been driving more and more with out any music on, so I can focus on prayer and my thoughts. I have been praying before I go to bed. I think God truly is preparing me, and softening my heart.

Anyhoo, I think the next 365 days of me being 24 are going to be great, and my relationship with God is going to become more intimate than ever.

<3

This week in music vol. 2

Time for another music Friday post!

Youth Group – Casino Twilight Dogs
I saw this Australian band open for Death Cab for Cutie last year. I thought they were very good, but honestly haven’t given them much thought since. Last week, my friend sent me a link to this c.d., so I downloaded it and having been jamming it since. I would describe it as quaint/simple indie rock with a lot of Beatles influence. The production on this album is great. The drum mixing really gives all of the other instruments a chance to breathe. It seems like a great album for all moods. A stand out track would be their cover of Forver Young. I have always loved that song despite its cheesy 80’s production, so it was nice to hear it modernized from a good band. Definitely check out this album!

Bonnie “Prince” Billy / Matt Sweeney – Superwolf
If you have talked to me about music in the past year, I have most likely jocked this album. First of all, probably one of my favorite “sounding” records. Everything is just perfect on it. No over-compression, super dynamic and a ton of imperfections that make the album perfect. Will Oldham’s lyrics are ironic, dark and humorous at times. I suppose the genre would be placed in the indie/country/folk circle, which I hate to say because that is such a trendy market right now. Don’t be fooled by current trends, this music is great on a base level of songwriting and Will Oldham has been making music professionally since the late 80’s. Anyway, do yourself a favor and buy this album, put on some nice headphones, crank the volume and listen to an amazing album.

Ben Folds – Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP
First off, I’d like to point out that Ben Folds is one of my all time favorite song writers. He has a knack for writing stellar songs consistently. I guess you could say he kind of has the Midas touch. While I think this new album (a collection of his recent e.p.’s) is solid, it doesn’t live up to his massive shoes. I suppose the fact that the album was put together separately means I should listen to it in a different context. I just don’t think this is nearly as good as his old material. Like I said, still solid, I just don’t think it will be remembered as one of his greats. I must admit however, that the cover of Bitches Ain’t Shit is pretty hilarious! If you are new to Ben Folds (Five), I think you should start in this order:

Rockin’ the Suburbs
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Mesner
Whatever and Ever, Amen
Songs for Silverman

the onion is seriously incredible:

ORLANDO, FL—Brad Rolen, the new bassist for Pillar Of Salt, remains oblivious to the fact that he is in a Christian rock band, sources reported Tuesday.

Enlarge Image

The oblivious Rolen (left) and his Pillar Of Salt bandmates.

"Pillar's great," said Rolen, 22, who is unaware of his bandmates' devotion to Christ, despite playing on such songs as "Wade In The Water," "Eternal Life," and "Kiss Of The Betrayer." "We rock really heavy and hard, but we've got a positivity that you don't see in too many bands these days. I've only been with these guys for three months, but I feel like it's the perfect fit for me."

Rolen, who joined the Orlando-based band in March after responding to a "bassist wanted" ad in a local newspaper, said he was attracted to Pillar Of Salt for its music, which he calls "really intense and powerful," as well as its impressive stage show.

"I was between bands after Junkhorse broke up," Rolen said. "I went to check them out live and was just blown away. They had this awesome Black Sabbath-type stage set, with all these crucifixes and candles everywhere. Then, during [the song] 'False Idol,' a gold cow rose from the stage and [lead singer and songwriter] Jack [Rhineman] beat the shit out of it with his guitar. I thought, man, these guys put on a kick-ass show."

Rolen was also wowed by the range of Rhineman's music.

"Jack's amazing," Rolen said. "He writes all these super-heavy, Metallica-influenced tunes like 'My Master' and 'Blood Of My Father,' but then he'll turn around and write a killer love song like 'Thank You (For Saving Me).'"

"Actually, Jack writes a lot of songs about chicks," Rolen continued. "'Your Love,' 'When You Return,' 'I Confess'... I don't know if they're all about the same girl or lots of different ones, but one thing's for sure: Jack loves the pussy."

Rolen said he is awed by his new bandmates' encyclopedic knowledge of heavy metal and hard rock.

A copy of the band's upcoming CD.

"At the audition, [drummer] Greg [Roberts] said Pillar Of Salt was going for a Believer-meets-Living Sacrifice sound," Rolen said. "I didn't know jack about either of those bands, but I knew I could play bass like a motherfucker, and that's what got me the gig. Afterwards, I asked Greg what Living Sacrifice sounded like, and at the first practice, he gave me a tape. It's not Slayer, but it rocks. He's given me some other stuff by Whitecross, Third Day, and Stigmata. I've always prided myself on knowing metal, but these guys put me to shame. They must really have their ears to the ground to know all this music I've never heard before."

Because Rhineman and Roberts are both in what they call "a committed relationship with someone very special," Rolen has found himself to be the only member of Pillar Of Salt open to "hot groupie action." But despite having the band's female fans all to himself, Rolen has had little success.

"A lot of hot chicks are really into Pillar Of Salt," Rolen said. "After our first few shows, I thought I'd be getting more trim than a barbershop floor, but it hasn't worked out that way. Whenever I ask them to come back to the bus with me, they say, 'I can't do that—that's not right.' I'm like, 'Come on, this is rock 'n' roll.'"

Though he said he loves playing with Pillar Of Salt, Rolen conceded that the relationship has not been without its moments of tension. He recently became upset with his bandmates over their unwillingness to play concerts on Sunday. "We got an offer to play at the weekly Sunday Metal Spotlight down in Tampa, which would expose us to a whole new audience," Rolen said. "The guys said playing the Spotlight wasn't an option because Sunday was their 'day of rest.' Hey, I like kicking back and decompressing on Sundays, too, but we're a young band trying to establish ourselves. These guys need to get their priorities straight if they're serious about making it." Pillar Of Salt is currently preparing to embark on a U.S. tour in support of its debut album, Sanctified, to be released June 10 on the band's own Witness Records label.

Music for Lepers

I have been listening to this band called the Psalters for a while now, they make their own version of worship, which sounds a lot like mid-eastern world music. I always knew they had some interesting ideals and philosophies, so I checked out their website and found this in the Mission section. I think this is beautifully written, and it really spoke to me today:

This is the philosophy/situation from which the psalters, as we know them through the Bible, created their worship music. There is a great deal we as American Christians can learn from psalters and their approach to Glorifying God through music. Indeed, their approach seems a good elixir for the diseases of humanity in general; but nowhere in history or geography does their music seem a more appropriate vaccine than for the plague that affects myself and my culture/generation. There is a plague of leprosy in my country and it seems that not only are the devices of our culture impotent to stop it; the culture itself appears unable to so much as acknowledge the presence of this debilitating disease that is ravaging the land.

For many sacrificial years physician Dr. Paul Brand had been working with Leprosy patients in India , seeking to at least discover ways of reducing the effects of the disease if not finding a cure for them. What he discovered was almost as revolutionary as a cure: One of the oldest known and perhaps most notorious diseases in history has been misunderstood for thousands of years.

Until Dr. Brand’s work (the most ground breaking fruits of which occurred in the fifties) physicians had thought that the deformed limbs, blindness, gangrene, etc. of Lepers were all directly caused by the disease. Dr. Brand discovered, however, that the disease attacks only the millions of pain receptors in our body, while leaving the rest of our tissue undamaged. Because they do not feel any pain, the leper will regularly place their hands on hot stoves, or allow a paper cut to become infected until gangrene sets in and the foot or hand must be amputated.

One of the many typically powerful examples of the effects of life without pain is recorded by Dr. Brand in his book The Gift of Pain. He records an incident involving a patient in a leprosy community in India :

"An eager young patient caught my eye as he struggled across the edge of the courtyard on crutches, holding his bandaged left leg clear of the ground. Although he did his awkward best to hurry, the nimbler patients soon overtook him. As I watched, this man tucked his crutches under his arm and began to run on both feet with a very lopsided gait, waving wildly to get our attention. He ended up near the head of the line, where he stood panting, leaning on his crutches, wearing a smile of triumph. I could tell from the man’s gait, though, that something was badly wrong. Walking toward him, I saw that the bandages were wet with blood and his left foot flopped freely from side to side. By running on an already dislocated ankle, he had put far too much force on the end of his leg bone, and the skin had broken under the stress. He was walking on the end of his tibia, and with every step that naked bone dug into the ground. Nurses had scolded him sharply, but he seemed quite proud of himself for having run so fast. I knelt beside him and found that small stones and twigs had jammed through the end of the bone into the marrow cavity. I had no choice but to amputate the leg below the knee. (Brand p. 7)"

Leprosy strips the victim of the gift of pain that acts as an alarm system blaring incessantly until it is heard. When a healthy person catches the flu or gets a cut, their pain receptors force them to drop everything else that they are doing and deal with the situation until the pain goes away and the body returns to health. Conversely, Lepers have no insistent alarm system, and will therefore allow minor infections to develop into horrifically debilitating catastrophes even though they may be aware of the problem. Yet because it does not hurt they allow the infection to continue. They may see the problem but they do not feel it.

We too are lepers. We live in the "cushiest", "comfiest", richest country in history. We have our wealth, our philosophies, our drugs, and the media to protect us not only from truly feeling the pain of the oppressed, but also from feeling our own oppression and need to be healed.

"So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich , and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire,..." (Rev. 3:16-18)

The oppression of the rich, powerful, comfortable, and drugged is that it is a separation from Christ. It all oppresses by layering blanket upon blanket of materialism and worldliness until we are pinned down under a mountain of cushy fabric that separates us from the Light, and suffocates us from the cool biting air of His Breath.

On the other hand, oppression as traditionally defined (poverty, slavery, violence, cultural ostracism) generally affects us in a different way. It cuts and tears and rips away from an individual---leaving them exposed and vulnerable. I grant that the response to this oppression is not often positive. Many times when people experience these forms of suffering they seek to flee it through drugs, bitterness, and a perpetuation of violence. It is up to the individual how to respond to suffering. But it is suffering that helps us to deeply feel our NEED for Christ and to more deeply identify with Him and the cross He bore.

It is also true the rich powerful oppressor often suffers as much or even more than those he oppresses. But it is a suffering of numbness; alienation from Christ the suffering servant; a spiritual deadness born out of a fleeing from suffering--and therefore this form of oppression actually serves to perpetuate our problem. That is why I feel we need to identify with those who do not have the layers of blankets; but are rather out in the biting cold, naked and torn.

Yet instead of identifying with the suffering Body of Christ we use the Body as if it were merely a tool, like the young leprosy patient who used his broken leg to get to the front of the dinner line. Because we are only told about the pain in Sudan , but do not ourselves feel it, we are perfectly content to allow Pepsi and Coca-Cola to buy gum arabic from the oppressive regime that has murdered 2 million people (most of whom are Christians) since 1989. Because we do not directly suffer from the severe poverty and oppression that occurs every day in Latin America, we raise no great fuss over our government training and arming thousands at the "School of the Americas " in Atlanta , Georgia to conduct guerrilla warfare on unarmed peasants south of the border. It does not cause us to flinch when we find out that this is done in order to install the type of puppet government best suited to meeting the capitalistic needs of the American economic machine.(Brown pp. 1-5) We do not bleed when we find out that thousands of Iraqi children are dying every month from NATO enforced sanctions that ultimately are in place in order that our black gold may flow freely, or at least more cheaply, from our automobiles.

Only when 15 middle-class, suburban, predominantly white youth are killed in "our own backyard" do we as a culture and generation even care to reflect on the disease that is enslaving us. That is because when we look intently upon the faces of these victims in our city paper (perhaps situated on the front page above the small article mentioning the ‘Crisis in Kosovo’) we see our own friends, neighbors; perhaps even ourselves. They are people who go to the same sort of school we go to. They live in the same type of neighborhood, wear the same kinds of clothes; listen to the same kinds of music, etc. etc. In a word we identify with them. We feel their pain because they are a part of us; and from that feeling we realize that there is a need for change and healing, or else that part of us will continue to suffer and hurt.

If we do not feel that hurt then that part of us has lost its identity with us. We no longer perceive that part as a member of ourselves. That is why we are so readily capable of using our neighbors like tools. We do not, in our heart of hearts, feel that they are a part of the Body of Christ. We do not identify with them. We do not suffer with them. They are available to us to be used as tools.

This is what happened to Dr. Brand’s leprosy patients. Now that he had discovered what was causing all the tissue damage of his patients Dr. Brand focused his attention on training the patients to protect their hands and feet and other parts of the body that regularly came in contact with potentially harmful objects and situations. He assumed that once the leprosy patients were properly educated about the importance of protecting their hands and feet, the patients would be able to keep themselves healthy and free of injury. He soon realized, however, that irresponsibility and carelessness were not the only obstacles keeping the leprosy patients from maintaining the health of their bodies. They had also lost a sense of identity with the parts of the body they could not feel pain from. The lack of pain signals had actually served to psychologically amputate the arms and feet from the boundary of self. One of Dr. Brand’s patients said to him, "’My hands and feet don’t feel part of me. They are like tools I can use, but they aren’t really me. I can see them, but in my mind they are dead.’" (Brand, p. 126)

Middle-Class Americans (like myself) suffer from leprosy. Jesus was constantly healing lepers. He does not flee from them. Nor does He flee the rich and "comfy". The rich young ruler and the Pharisees suffered from our form of leprosy and Jesus was constantly dealing with them too. Yeshua says, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline" (Rev. 3:19)

He sought to heal them by making them uncomfortable; challenging their beliefs; challenging them to give up all they had and take up the Cross; serving and identifying with the traditionally defined oppressed---just as He did. Jesus called them to this form of repentance not only for the sake of the poor; but so that they could learn from the poor how to feel, and struggle, and be healed of their leprosy with the gift of pain. So too we are called to identify with the suffering servant so that we can be healed of our leprosy.

We identify with the traditionally defined oppressed by living with them and serving them. We also identify with them by studying their interpretations of life as they have lived it. Their interpretations are to be found in their books, poetry, dance, art,...and music. We lepers need to immerse ourselves in their heritage as well as their lives. Christ is found everywhere; but this is where He is felt.

Christ speaks to us as we immerse ourselves in the musical heritage of the suffering servant; just as He speaks to us when we immerse ourselves in the literary heritage of the suffering servant (i.e. the Bible, the great Church fathers and mothers both past and present). As we soak ourselves in this heritage we will begin to learn how to make music for the lepers. Music that will help to heal our leprosy, not perpetuate it. Music that will help us to not merely think of Christ, but to feel Him, and stand with Him, praising Him, the suffering servant, our Lord, and Healer.

SUBJECT: LOTWM OFFICES MUST RELOCATE BY END OF APRIL 2007.

Here is a newsletter I just got from my sister and her family in Africa:

We are getting what we see as a “kick in the right direction!” The owners of the building we use for Light of the World Ministries in Francistown Botswana have notified us that we need to vacate the premises by the end of April as they have other plans for the building.

As you may recall, we already have our own land that we broke ground last year with Pastor and Mrs. Hagin. We have already moved the church there. The following are still in rented facility:

• Light of the World Ministry Offices
• Light of the World Academy (preschool, kindergarten)
• Light of the World Bible Training Centre
• Youth meetings, meetings, etc. are all using this facility.

NEEDED

We have building plans approved for a first phase that will cost about $400,000. This will take at least eight months to build. In order to move on to our new premises in time for a May 18^th second semester opening we need:

ITEM: Unit Cost: Cost*

• Six 10x40 ft. portable buildings $6000 each $36,000
• Electric hook-up $ 1,000
• Fence $ 1,000
• Six Air conditioners (not just a luxury here ! ) $1000 each $ 6,000
• Plumbing waiting for quotation
• Electric wiring waiting for quotation
• 40x 60 ft. Pavillion paid for!
• Sewage connection paid for!
• Water connection paid for!
• Ground clearing done-needs some additional work after good rains this year

*rounded to nearest thousand

Above: portable buldings such as this

will be needed to make a timely move.

We need not less than $50,000 in the next several weeks to make an uninterrupted move, allowing the Preschool, Bible Training Center, and all other ministry activities to continue operation without disruption. (no more $800 per month rent!)

After a meeting with the school parents informing them of our move most were excited to be on our own property. One woman expressed what others may have been thinking, “Pastor, do you think it is enough time? Can we do this?” I smiled and told her, “We WILL do this!” We are looking forward to having all of our operations in one place!

YOU CAN HELP US MOVE!!!

We have previously mentioned our “Foot by Foot” fundraising program.

Just as we learned to walk……One Foot at a Time ….. We will build!

• 8,000 square feet
• $400,000 ($50,000 needed in 4 weeks)
• One Square Foot costs $50

We are asking you to consider how many square feet you could contribute towards this project. Our church members have pledged 153 square feet, Bible School students, preschool parents and others in Francistown have also gotten involved. Kristin and I are sponsoring 100 square feet ... Madison and Anderson are each sponsoring a square foot, too!

As you may know, we stood in faith for our property through seven years of red tape to get this beautiful 11 acre property. Let's watch God make a “quick work” of this immediate move as well as our first phase building!

Consider sending :

• A one time gift

or

• A twelve month pledge (x amount of square feet per month for the next 12 months).

Please respond by sending us an email to buckley@botsnet.bw indicating your intention and send your contributions to:

Rhema Bible Church Missions

PO BOX 50126

Tulsa, OK 74150-0126

Designated for Matt Buckley

100% of your gift goes to th Buckleys designated for this project

(Please do not send any correspondence to this address)

All gifts toward this project will be acknowledged by a plaque in a prominent place in our new building!

Please advise how you would like your contribution to be listed (eg: “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” or “Faith Family Fellowship- Friendville, Florida” etc. )

Write to us at:

Matt and Kristin Buckley

PO Box 470105

Tulsa OK 74147-0105

Leave a message for us on 918 398- 4498 ( a Vonage number that we can retrieve here)

Below: Rendition of first phase- LOTW

Dinner!

I should probably stop posting pictures of my dinner...haha. I just needed to share with you all how good the Maudite beer is by Unibroue. Give it a shot if you ever get a chance!

Woody's Wings

This restaurant owned my stomach last night, but it was worth it. I am pretty sure they put hallucinogenics in their food because I had some wild/vivid dreams last night.

For Me This is Heaven

That's right folks, my Clarity LP came in! I must admit that I totally had a rock out session in my room last night as I spun this. I am wondering if I got a special print, because it is the grey marble, but there is a bunch of blues and purples in the swirl as well. I am wondering if the press was a bit dirty when they made this one. Stoked!

Also, to continue my Ours fetish, here is a URL that has some bootlegged songs off the upcoming album:

http://www.665.org/leaked

Analog Afternoons

I have spent the past two days setting up my new record shelf that I got from my buddy, Jon. I must say, organizing your records is the most relaxing thing ever. Yesterday, I threw some “Explosions in the Sky” on my Denon turntable, and worked on my records in bliss! I went through and moved all of my records to the new shelf and put everything in thick plastic sleeves for protection. I still need to alphabetize my collection, but that will take a little time. Anyway, here are some pics of my set up:

I was just thinking this morning as I drove into work, I really miss the rain. I can’t remember the last time I was out and about on a rainy day. There is something to refreshing and lively about rain. I realize it’s still the winter, but I know that spring is just around the corner. I can’t wait to smell the freshness of the outdoors and see the new life popping up everywhere. We really are surrounded by miracles on a daily basis.

As soon as I can, I really want to commit more time to nature and spending my days outdoors. I certainly feel like God speaks to us through art and nature. I know all of this sounds overly artsy, but it’s true. There is peace in the silence of the mountain trails. There is love in the sounds of chirping birds. There is an absolute truth in the smell after a hard rain. All of these things really bring me back to that intimate relationship with my God.

So in conclusion, anyone want to go on some hiking trips with me this spring/summer?

Today, I started reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau. So far it is really interesting. I find 19^th century literature to be really beautiful. It’s funny, because Thoreau is pretty much speaking in scientific terms about the psychology of man, and why we go through our everyday life. Yet the way in which he writes is very poetic rather than prose driven. Anyway, I will let you know my thoughts on it once I finish it. Here is a little sentence from it that stuck out for me:

“See how he cowers and sneaks, how vaguely all the day he fears, not being immortal or divine, but the slave and prisoner of his own opinion of himself, a fame won by his own deeds.”

To Feel Again...

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a retreat with my church’s “College and Career Age Group”. It was such a blast. Here is a recap of the weekend:

On Friday night we arrived, unloaded the cars and claimed beds/floor space. The house was freezing cold as it was heated by the wood burning fireplace (more to come on the coldness later). All 26 of us sat down in the living room and sang some worship songs and had a quick talk.

That evening, we all went to bed around midnight. We soon discovered that the house was not heating up fast enough, so we slept in about 15 degree weather! It was honestly the coldest I have ever been in my life. Most of us ended up not sleeping and just huddled around the fireplace. It was humorous after the fact.

Saturday morning, we had breakfast around 8:30 and just chilled for the next few hours. In the mid morning we had another meeting. We had a group discussion on our biggest satisfactions in the Church today, and our biggest disappointments. It was really interesting to hear everyone’s point of view. The general ending of the discussion seemed to conclude that we, as believers, need to get back to our first love and start really developing our personal relationships with God instead of just going through the motions.

That afternoon, we all hung out playing board games and acting overtly gay (haha). It was so stellar to just have nothing important to do. For the record, I completely wiped Hoshi out in poker!..haha. I would say this afternoon was the best time of bonding for the group as a whole. It seemed like everyone was really enjoying themselves.

That evening, we had our final service, which consisted mainly of just worship. Delmar spoke for about 30 minutes, but the other hour and half was simply time with God. It was a powerful evening, and I will recap what happened to me spiritually a little bit later.

The cabin was much warmer that evening, and the three Josh`s (Me, Hosh and Josh Brown) all slept in a twin bed. I must say that despite being spooned by Hosh all evening, I slept like a log.

On Sunday morning, the triple J (the 3 Josh`s!) slept in. When we got up, everyone was pretty much ready to hit the road, so we packed our stuff, threw the football around a bit, and left.

Like I said earlier, this was a really refreshing weekend for me. I have been dealing with a ton of conflict in my life lately. I really feel like God was beckoning me to come back to my first love in him. I would say the thing I am most excited about, is the fact that I am starting to feel again spiritually. I feel like I have been ignoring that side of my life for so long. I would love to say that I started balling my eyes out, and God knocked me on my face, but that is not how it happened. I feel like my road back to wholeness won’t be an instant one, however, after feeling that glimpse of him this past weekend, I am ready for the work. I am ready for a lifestyle change. I want to start looking through God’s eyes. Everything seems so much more beautiful when seen through holiness.

Anyway, I am glad you are all around me to witness the change in my life, and hold me accountable to it. I am ready for the next step, and I think God has a plan for me (and you!).

Here are some photos from the weekend:

About to play monopoly!

Me, Tracy, and Jami

The celebratory dogpile after our board game victory.

Hosh looking like an 8 year old:

Wood burning stoves!

Rach and Wendy just chillin!

Story I wrote about a year ago:

A Harvest Day

I still remember the smell of his lamb-fur jacket. I was five, he was seventy-three. An odd duet some would say; however I would say that our song was the most beautiful of all. At such a ripe age, I can say that he inspired me. His kindness, his compassion, and his understanding were truly Christ-like. I remember running through the corridor just to embrace him. He would pat me on the head and give loving words of encouragement. I can still remember soaking my pillow with tears. Sobbing into the down and cotton. My mother tried to comfort me in my grief, a feeling she was quite familiar with. Her words rang through my ears like a melody. The score she was writing me could not take image out of my conscious. It was an image of my beloved old friend, giving his last breaths to the leaves and his last words to a Lord that loved him so. I came to a crossroads on that evening. The trail that I chose was full of snarls and snags, but my feet were always firmly planted. Now at the age of 23, the idea of my friend still lingers with me. He is with every movement I make, reminding me to walk in love like he did.

Pictures from the Ours Tour:

credit - Uzi @ www.uzishots.com

For all of the pics he took, check out:
http://uzishots.com/photo/shows/2007/20070223-oaklandmetro/index.html

These are from the Oakland show. I am really impressed by these shots.

This week in music vol. 1

So I decided that I am going to start blogging every Friday about the music I have been enjoying that week. So here goes nothing:

In lieu of my excitement to receive my Clarity LP, I have been listening to a lot of Jimmy Eat World. If I keep up on this aspect of my blog, you are going to be seeing this band’s name pop up quite a bit. Jimmy Eat World is my favorite band of all time and there really isn’t any time when I am not in the mood to listen to them. As for what exactly I have been listening to in preparation to receive my LP, I have been really enjoying Static Prevails. It is the first full length they released after signing to Capitol Records in the mid-nineties. It definitely has a different feel from their work after this, but I still love it. It is extremely gritty, raw and emotional. Tom Linton sings on approximately half of the songs, with Jim Adkins singing the others. I would encourage you to check out this CD. I will warn you, you need to listen with an open mind, if you are expecting the same sound that is on Bleed American or Futures, you will be disappointed.

Secondly, I have really been enjoying Piers Faccini. He is a singer songwriter from England. His music is extremely delicate and well thought. I have been listening to the album Tearing Sky, which is his latest album. I think my favorite aspect of this disc is how he leaves so much room in the production. The drums, guitars and everything are very sparse and simple. This does not make the recording boring, however, it really gives it room to breathe, and let his stellar song writing really shine through.

Finally, I think I am officially obsessed with Black Flag. I know it’s an odd obsession to have, but there is something about 80’s hardcore that really draws me. I am sure some people would consider this music to be completely horrible. To me, it’s not about the recording quality or the song writing. It is about conveying a big middle finger whatever frustrations you may have. The energy that this band is able to convey is simply stunning. Greg Ginn’s guitar tone is insane. It sounds like he has everything at ten and is playing as hard as he possibly can without breaking strings. Anyway, if you ever want to know your roots in hardcore, do yourself a favor and listen to Damaged

Ours show 2/28/07 Review

My eyes were heavy all day yesterday with tiredness as a result of the evening before. I was quite weary all day, and ready to just go home and watch television and take some tums. At about 4:45pm, fifteen minutes before the end of my work day, my friend Dan gave me a call and said that Ours is playing a last minute show that evening. This band is and has been one of my favorite bands for the last four years. My body told me not to cave in and go to the show. Fortunately, I denied that urge.

We arrived at the Walnut Room at 7:45pm and grabbed a drink and a sandwich. I must commend this venue on its impeccable service (my sandwich wasn’t half bad either!). After chilling there for a bit with the boys, we made our way into the actual concert room and secured our seats. We were literally sitting on a table right next to the stage.

The first band got started at around 9 o’clock. I am struggling to remember their name, but they were truly professional. My only complaint was that they did a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Good Times, Bad Times. They pulled it off just fine, I just think that seems a little sac religious. I talked with their guitar player after the show, and he said they were all on 3 hours of sleep because they had to drive through a horrible snow storm to make it in. I definitely could not tell they were tired based on their stage show!

After what seemed like a very brief set change, Ours finally took the stage. I cannot express how in control they are of their show. From the moment the first note was struck on the guitar, Jimmy had hypnotized the audience. He was wearing all leather, which could seem extremely cheesy, but he pulled it off. They started the set with four new songs to be on the upcoming album that does not have a release date quite yet. I won’t go into the exact set list since I can’t remember it exactly. I would say that the hour and a half performance consisted of about 70% new songs and 30% old. Normally, I would be a little disappointed in that breakdown, but this is not the case here. The new songs sounded immaculate. It’s hard for me to express how intensely excited I am for the new album. In case you are wondering, Jimmy hit every note perfectly live. I would even go as far to say that he was better live. The intensity of his voice never ceases to amaze me. For me, the highlight of the performance was when the band stripped everything down musically, and Jimmy sang the standard “Ave Maria” which he tied in with a new song called “God Only Wants”. I felt as I watched this show, that I was watching an opera or a delicate story line put into song. There was not one moment in the hour and a half that I felt bored or lost interest. After the set had concluded, the band spent time with the fans. I spoke with all of the members, and every one of them treated me like I had known them their whole life. They were very personal and fan-oriented. Jimmy told us that his voice was weak that night because of the previous evening and a bottle of Makers Mark. If that is the case, I don’t know if I could handle him at 100%.

To sum up this entry, you need to see Ours play. If you know me, you know that I have been to many shows in my lifetime. I can say with confidence and clarity that this was the best one. I know that is a hefty claim, but I truly believe it. The whole time, I felt like I was watching a piece of rock and roll history unfold right before my eyes. I am tired again today from going to bed late, but I can’t wipe this smile off my face as a result of the performance last night.

Links:

Official Ours Website:
http://www.ours2.net/

Great fan site with a ton of bootlegs and album info:
http://www.killtheband.com/