The Second September

A September ago now I had a wonderful trip. There must be something magical about that little ex-church in the center of Nashville... it somehow pulls you and throws you into a place somewhere quite far away actually. Last September, it was away from the hell of a new life that I had found around me. From the groans of my soul and the constant lump that burrowed in my throat. And then he came out, dressed in those colorful wings, as if he knew exactly where he would take all of us and was merely toying with our sense of stability. "What the water wants is hurricanes," Sufjan humbly spouted to the crowds on his opening lines. "I have a red kite; I'll put you right in it. I'll show you the sky." And that's exactly what happened.

This September another escape occurred, though one of slightly different dynamics. My soul was not rotting; my times have not been hard. My times have just been nonexistent. I sit here and I honestly cannot remember the last time I had the ability to sit and think, not worrying about a meeting I had in five minutes or a paper that was waiting to be written. But yesterday, a Irish man once again used the Ryman as a portal to access another world. It was a world where time didn't really seem to flow at all, where my busyness was drunken away. And it was incredible. What an experience. Even without his beloved Lisa, his vocals that soared from one extreme to another made up for the difference. Clocking in at an hour and 45 minutes of straight playing time, unsupported, it was a gem of a night. The famed drunken "Cheers Darlin' " finale couldn't have been done better, and I don't think I've ever seen an exit from the stage as masterfully executed and as appropriate to the evening as the one that played out before my eyes there, bringing me back to the present world a new and freed person.




Two different Septembers and two different circumstances, yet the same effect. September at the Ryman has brought me into the year once again. I wonder what will greet me for the next one.

Mr. Rice, Meet Tim... Tim, Damien.

September 13th, this man will be in front of my eyes:

(warning... profanity alert)


Ah yes...

September and the Rhyman have treated me well thus far. Sufjan, now Damien.

And yes, that is Glen Hansard, star of Once, playing guitar behind him in the video. If only...

Man Man at the Mercy Lounge

I opened up Safari yesterday to my nice Google homepage only to see on my Nashville concert ticker that Man Man was playing a show that night. It didn't really matter what happened the rest of the day, with a surprise like that, there could be no wrong. I've been a fan for a few months now, and with a picture of their live show like this:


there was no stopping me from seeing Man Man for myself. I got to the Mercy Lounge slightly early and heard their sound check, which only served to top my anticipation. Their lead singer came and let us in, talking to us and thanking us for coming. He even went back stage and got the six of us plastic bowls and spoons, cereal, and soy milk for us to enjoy before the show. What else could go wrong? When the show finally started, the energy was close to euphoric. Unmatched by any I've ever seen. Not even close. They came out in war paint only to play 50 minutes of continuous music...no breaks. For instruments they used everything from bike horns to spoons in a metal bowl. And the crazy thing was for all the stage antics, facial expressions, and audience christenings (yes, i was man man christened), they actually sounded great! They were so good I have made a promise to myself that I will travel up to 3 hours to see them again, so if you have a chance, by all means GO TO THEIR SHOW! I will leave you with a wonderful sample of my night last night. I hope you enjoy!

Man Man -- Hot Bat
Man Man -- Engwish Bwudd

Thanks to http://lostinyourinbox.blog-city.com/ for the mp3s.

In light of my night, my list of favorite shows has undergone a dramatic shift. Sufjan is still secure, but Man Man has made its mark:

1) Sufjan Stevens at the Rhyman
2) Man Man at The Mercy Lounge
3) Coldplay at Starwood

Close behind: Lovedrug at Exit/In, Augustana at City Hall, and perhaps even Family Force 5 at Rcktwn.

Bazan and Gibbard at City Hall

I had high expectations, and they were easily fulfilled. I had never heard of Jonathan Rice, but he's a pretty goodun. Not much of an uplifting message, but good nonetheless. With David Bazan having his own solo record and several recordings as the former frontman of Pedro the Lion and Ben Gibbard being the mastermind behind Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, and All-Time Quarterback, each had several songs in their arsenal, and I had no clue what to expect. The audience got a little bit of everything, including several covers.
I think the only thing that could have made it better was if it were at a better venue for accoustic acts. The Rhyman would have been incredible! If you didn't know any of the artists' work, it could have been a long show, but for me I couldn't get enough.

CMT's at Belmont

The CMT Music Awards were hosted for the second straight year at Belmont. Despite the ridiculous frustrations of having the media/set-up crews taking over our campus, it was quite fun to be able to be on the floor for the screening of the show. I'm not a big country fan, but seeing such artists as Carrie Underwood, Bon Jovi, Hank Williams Jr., Chris Kristopherson, and yes, even the freakin' STANLEY CUP was pretty exciting.

The Red Carpet
Bon Jovi
Rascal FlattsCarrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood -- Video of the Year
Kenney Chesney
An Excited Tim

Augustana at Cityhall

A friend graciously gave me two tickets to the Augustana and Vega4 show last night in Nashville at Cityhall, and I was willing to go. To be all that honest, I wasn't overly excited about it with their recent success with the song "Boston." I have been a fan of the band for a couple of years now since I heard their EP before All the Stars and Boulevards was released, but it's been a while. I had the irksome worry that I was about to see a pretty, glossy band that doubled for the album cover of the next Grey's Anatomy soundtrack. Not so. And it was incredible.

Vega4 is a multinational band, featuring a frontman and a bass player from ireland (think bono meets snow patrol to get a picture of the vocals), a drummer from Canada, and a guitar player from New Zealand. They were very good for an opening act, though, and their stage presence, albeit crude, was quite enjoyable. They ended their set with the lead singer taking the mic and walking through the crowd a good 20 feet out from the stage. The hit song is "Life is Beautiful," and if you're a fan of any snow patrol (somewhere in between Final Straw and Eyes Open), then you should fine the tune and listen to it yourself!

Augustana definately was different than I expected. Their frontman honestly reminded me mostly of Kid Rock in his appearance and mannerisms, sporting red boots, tight jeans, a simple white v-neck undershirt, a slight mustache, and a black cowboy hat covering his long, unmanaged curly black hair. He had an extremely low voice and had sometimes awkward interactions between him and the audience. Definately not a diva playing the crowd, he was in his own world of his own music. Which was perfectly fine when you have the voice that he does. Un-frickin-believable! He, along with the band, got lost in their songs, and you wish they'd never find their way to the end. Half the set was probably new songs the audience has never heard before, but it didn't matter. I wish I could see him again getting to the climax of a song letting his raspy voice take off and soar to crazy heights and his body being thrown into every word he sang. It was great. Halfway during the set, he brought up a steel-guitar player that he had apparently met earlier that day. They played a few of the most beautiful folk songs I have heard, and I wouldn't complain (probably the opposite) if they released a folk album next. Unfortunately, I don't think that'll be the case...but it should be! Anyway, if you get a chance to catch the tour before it ends, I would suggest it!

Last picture credited to Not on the Guest List.