Wonderful words.

Daybreak in Alabama

When I get to be a composer
I'm gonna write me some music about
Daybreak in Alabama
And I'm gonna put the purtiest songs in it
Rising out of the ground like a swamp mist
And falling out of heaven like soft dew.
I'm gonna put some tall tall trees in it
And the scent of pine needles
And the smell of red clay after rain
And long red necks
And poppy colored faces
And big brown arms
And the field daisy eyes
Of black and white black white black people
And I'm gonna put white hands
And black hands and brown and yellow hands
And red clay earth hands in it
Touching everybody with kind fingers
And touching each other natural as dew
In that dawn of music when I
Get to be a composer
And write about daybreak
In Alabama.

Langston Hughes

Monday, March 1, 2010

Om Nashi Me

I love you. And I love you forever. Om Nashi Me.

No truer words have ever been spoken than those by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros possibly and probably the most beautiful grouping of people and music I have ever experienced. They are in fact the group who inspired the name to this blog and they have captivated my soul.

I saw them in concert last night for the second time. But instead of being 100 feet away I was standing at their feet, sweat dripping down on me. It was an experience of pure pure bliss. The stage itself was tiny yet the band of 9 people sometimes more were jumping and janglin all around. I think the thing about them, besides their wonderful sound, that is so mesmerizing is their incredible joy. Each and every one of them lets loose, jumps and dances around the stage, all the while with a huge uninhibited grin on their face. Looking out at the crowd around me I saw this joy everywhere, I felt it in my body, it is infectious! It's electrifyin'!

At one point in the concert a violin player was hoisted up by the crowd and he played beautifully along, a girl form the crowd was brought up to bang on a drum for On Nashi Me, and for the last song, Brother, something like 30 people were brought onto stage to sing and be one. Yep I was up there and oh yeah it felt good.

It turns out after all this writing there is no way to do the beauty of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros justice. I think only Alex, Jade, Nora, Orpheo, Stewart and the rest can do that job. I urge you to listen to them, soak up their beauty their love, and if you ever get the chance see them live and let them transform you into a janglin soul.