the dreaming tree

i’m changing my blog atmosphere around a little.

i finally got to see walk the line last night (the first three times i tried to go it was sold out). it was really well done,and i thought joaquin phoenix and reese witherspoon were both extraordinary. for once, though, i’d like to see a movie about a musician that is about the music more than it is about drugs, but i guess that may not interest the general public as much as it might another musician. i’ve still yet to read cash by johnny cash, so that might include some good stuff about the music, but i bet it’s a lot about drugs and life apart from music, too. that’s fine, though, cause relationships and the like are at least as important, and kinda contribute a lot to the music, usually. i also want to read more about his spiritual life, especially from his later years.

i’ve got more to write about, but i’m not in the mood to sit at my computer any longer tonight.

i wish i could grow up again. not necessarily so i could change the way things are, but simply to experience things from new and different perspectives. maybe i’d live in california this time around. maybe i go to private schools. maybe i never play baseball. how would my personality and self change as a result of just a few differences? today at wal-mart i saw a mother showing her son a butterfly perched on a flower, and i sat there and watched the boy seeing with young eyes, eyes that haven’t seen the world for what it is. he was filled with awe and wonder, and he passed it to me, even for such a simple thing. i loved the place it took me–wondering about my own experiences and early explorations of life and the palette i drew from. and then i thought, hallelujah…there is so much more to learn, to see, to grasp, to ponder, to touch…to be.

i am
           a brok 
                   ,de)from(es   ne

fa
   ll
     ing                  and(my tree)
                 nwod 
                          (wounded)
             down               
                          do
                              wn    
 into what               softly
i               perc(bleeding)eive
             as
;evol                             

        and       i       am
                                            (enraptured(anew)

last saturday night was crazy awesome. if you don’t remember, that was the night that my band, father maple, got to play with andrew osenga. actually all day saturday was really fun. we rehearsed most of the afternoon, first with just us, and then with andy when he got there. and let me just say that he’s one cool dude. it was a blast hanging out and playing music with him. that evening, our set went extrememly well–probably the best we’ve ever played live, with the help of the incomparable nick flora. we played two new songs, which i think went over quite well with the crowd, and we also sold all the cds we brought with us to sell (that was very exciting). and then andrew’s set was phenomenal. i hope he gets the chance to leave caedmon’s call soon so he can do his own thing, because he’s really, really good. we felt very privelaged to get to play a few tunes with him during his set, and those went quite well, too. the crowd of 100+ was one of the best i’ve ever seen at thrio’s–they were all paying attention and everything. anyway, it was certainly one of the highlights of my (tiny) music career thus far. plus, andy loved my beard…and father maple. read about it from his perspective at www.andrewosenga.com/blog. thanks again to everyone who came out…and here are a few pictures from the show…

oh yeah, and thank you to lara for your awesome note. i put it on my amp while we played.

first off, u2 was beyond amazing. best concert i will ever see. ever. they’re as perfect live as a band can get. incredible. here’s the setlist, which i located at u2setlists.com…

City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo / Rockaway Beach (snippet) / Rock ‘N’ Roll Nigger (snippet), Elevation, The Electric Co. / Bullet With Butterfly Wings (snippet) / See Me, Feel Me (snippet), The Ocean, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting (snippet) / In A Little While (snippet), Beautiful Day / Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (snippet), Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own / The Black Hills of Dakota (snippet), Love And Peace Or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky / The Hands That Built America (snippet) / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet), Miss Sarajevo, Pride (In The Name Of Love), Where The Streets Have No Name, One / Ol’ Man River (snippet)
encores: The First Time, Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of, Angel Of Harlem, With Or Without You, All Because Of You, Yahweh, 40

at the end, everyone was singing the chorus to “40″ as the band exited one-by-one: first bono, then adam clayton, then the edge, and finally larry mullen, jr. also, on that tune, the edge played bass and adam played guitar. and then everyone kept singing for a few minutes, and as we were leaving the building, i’d hear people here and there still singing. it was a really cool ending to a stunning night.

secondly, i finally went to a doctor about my hand. it is broken: a spiral fracture on the third metacarpal. i’m going to see a specialist next wednesday…hopefully it won’t require surgery or something drastic. right now i have a removeable splint/cast thing running up most of my forearm, and only my index finger and thumb are usable. but don’t worry, michael and zach, i’ve been playing guitar for the past couple weeks in this state, so i’ll be good for the show, i promise.

thirdly, i watched crash again tonight, and it hit me as hard as it did the first time. just an excellent movie that everyone should see.