So before anyone gives me a hard time, and I know who I should expect to hear from, I apologize for this blog being late this month. Life gets busy sometimes, and sometimes saying life is busy is a good excuse to use when you forget about something. I'm not going to say which one it was this month.
My song for February is Buryin' My Name. I wrote this song when I was in college, I think. I based it very loosely on some ideas I got from a Dylan Thomas poem. I don't listen to this song very much and I haven't performed it in many years. I was trying to be very philosophical in the lyrics, trying to emulate some Dylan, Bob this time. The meaning of the song stems from my thoughts on how odd gravestones are. While exploring remote woods in Maine, I've found that it isn't unusual to come across a small graveyard. Some are very well maintained, while others I've come across are fading back into the woods. I've read some of the stones and I always want to know more about the people that are represented by them. Who were they, what was their everyday life like? What songs were they humming or were they belting something out hoping to entice others to join in with them? These graveyards really cement for me the idea of how circular everything is. We're born, we live, and we go back into the mix. I've been reminded of this idea by the recent passing of Pete Seeger. Where Have All the Flowers Gone is near the top of my all-time favorite songs. I learned it by singing along to it on long car trips, whether it was my father leading us in a round of it or, when we got a vehicle with a tape deck, it was the Kingston Trio singing it in their wonderful three part harmony. Buryin My Name is nowhere near to being in the same league as Where Have All the Flowers Gone but I think the message is similar. I don't know, maybe I'll have to listen to it again.
I recently heard two great bands live in concert. I know this has nothing to do with my song but I can't help mentioning it. The Mallett Brothers Band opened for Blackberry Smoke at the State Theater in Portland, Maine. The State is a great place to see a concert, an old theater that has maintained its character. The Mallett Brothers Band is a Maine grown band, formed around the sons of David Mallet, the singer-songwriter who wrote the Garden Song and The Ballad of St. Anne's Reel, among many others. The Mallett Brothers Band rocked. Their songs were pure rock, influenced by rural life in Maine. Some might call it country-rock but I think rock summed it up. There were great vocal harmonies, tasteful guitar and dobro playing, and the drumming was incredible. Their drummer is hands-down the best drummer I've heard in awhile. Whoever miked his set needs to be bought several rounds of suds. It was like they listened to Stan Lynch's drums on Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's Damn the Torpedos album and copied the sound. I'd been meaning to hear this band for awhile and I was glad I did. If you get a chance, check them out. They're playing in March at the Port City Music Hall. I'm not sure of the date but I'm thinking I might have to check them out.
I didn't know anything about Blackberry Smoke before I went to the show. They're a good ol' rock band from Georgia, I think. They rocked. They had a definite southern sound, but it was unique, like a cross between the Black Crowes, Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and Mudcrutch, Tom Petty's band before the Heartbreakers. The lead singer/lead guitarist was engaging, the band was tight, and they put on an incredible show. A roadie also smudged the mics before the show. Smudging is a Native American blessing ceremony. It worked because the show was great and everyone seemed to be having a good time. I felt blessed to be there and hear the great music and take in the great atmosphere.
Check out both these bands if you get a chance. Rock and Roll is good for the soul, and they both rejuvenated my soul. I'm sure they will for you, too.
My song for February is Buryin' My Name. I wrote this song when I was in college, I think. I based it very loosely on some ideas I got from a Dylan Thomas poem. I don't listen to this song very much and I haven't performed it in many years. I was trying to be very philosophical in the lyrics, trying to emulate some Dylan, Bob this time. The meaning of the song stems from my thoughts on how odd gravestones are. While exploring remote woods in Maine, I've found that it isn't unusual to come across a small graveyard. Some are very well maintained, while others I've come across are fading back into the woods. I've read some of the stones and I always want to know more about the people that are represented by them. Who were they, what was their everyday life like? What songs were they humming or were they belting something out hoping to entice others to join in with them? These graveyards really cement for me the idea of how circular everything is. We're born, we live, and we go back into the mix. I've been reminded of this idea by the recent passing of Pete Seeger. Where Have All the Flowers Gone is near the top of my all-time favorite songs. I learned it by singing along to it on long car trips, whether it was my father leading us in a round of it or, when we got a vehicle with a tape deck, it was the Kingston Trio singing it in their wonderful three part harmony. Buryin My Name is nowhere near to being in the same league as Where Have All the Flowers Gone but I think the message is similar. I don't know, maybe I'll have to listen to it again.
I recently heard two great bands live in concert. I know this has nothing to do with my song but I can't help mentioning it. The Mallett Brothers Band opened for Blackberry Smoke at the State Theater in Portland, Maine. The State is a great place to see a concert, an old theater that has maintained its character. The Mallett Brothers Band is a Maine grown band, formed around the sons of David Mallet, the singer-songwriter who wrote the Garden Song and The Ballad of St. Anne's Reel, among many others. The Mallett Brothers Band rocked. Their songs were pure rock, influenced by rural life in Maine. Some might call it country-rock but I think rock summed it up. There were great vocal harmonies, tasteful guitar and dobro playing, and the drumming was incredible. Their drummer is hands-down the best drummer I've heard in awhile. Whoever miked his set needs to be bought several rounds of suds. It was like they listened to Stan Lynch's drums on Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's Damn the Torpedos album and copied the sound. I'd been meaning to hear this band for awhile and I was glad I did. If you get a chance, check them out. They're playing in March at the Port City Music Hall. I'm not sure of the date but I'm thinking I might have to check them out.
I didn't know anything about Blackberry Smoke before I went to the show. They're a good ol' rock band from Georgia, I think. They rocked. They had a definite southern sound, but it was unique, like a cross between the Black Crowes, Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and Mudcrutch, Tom Petty's band before the Heartbreakers. The lead singer/lead guitarist was engaging, the band was tight, and they put on an incredible show. A roadie also smudged the mics before the show. Smudging is a Native American blessing ceremony. It worked because the show was great and everyone seemed to be having a good time. I felt blessed to be there and hear the great music and take in the great atmosphere.
Check out both these bands if you get a chance. Rock and Roll is good for the soul, and they both rejuvenated my soul. I'm sure they will for you, too.