I had heard that U2 concerts were spiritual events - almost like church worship services - but I hadn’t experienced it for myself until tonight. And what I had heard was correct. There were moments of pure communal unity and joy. I think specifically of the moment that the band left the stage and the whole crowd erupted into a cheer for an encore. The sound of our un-amplified voices and clapping hands matched the volume of the rock band at full blast. It’s like how I image a triumphant entry into the afterlife would sound.

There’s something that U2 has that few other bands or artists have. It more than the music. Their concerts and their songs are so full of life. They point towards hope and a promise of something better.

This is inspiring to me as an artist.

I feel like I’ve written enough sad songs. I’ve poured out my broken heart and intended to connect with people who are hurting. But I myself am now healing and feeling really good. It is time for hope.

Last night I think I played the best show of my life so far.  It has reignited my passion for music.

The concert was at the House of James in Abbotsford.  I used to live in Abbotsford and I never thought that it was a great place for gigs, but after experiencing my fair share of dull gigs in the “big city” of Vancouver, I realize that smaller cities and towns are fun to play at because they have less events and places competing for their attention.  And I think this affects the way the people respond to hearing some good music.  They want to support the artist and really get connected (or so I assume from what I observed).

There were quite a few people who bought my CD, plus people payed cover to see the show.  So I made a decent amount of money.  It feels so good to make money doing something I love.  And it’s not about the money in itself.  I’m very content with a simple life and am not in it for fame or fortune.  It’s a weird psychological thing that I’m talking about.  It feels good to get paid for playing music because it shows that people value my work.  They ascribe worth to my music when they pay to listen to it, whether live or on a recording.  Payment is a sacrifice.  In the old bartering system, people would exchange goods or services for other goods or services.  Now we have money as a middleman.  So when I get paid for a CD or concert it’s like people are saying, “Good job.  Your music is appreciated.  I will trade you this for your work.”  Hearing the verbal encouragement is nice too, but it doesn’t take much sacrifice on their part and, therefore, falls a little flat.  I remember the faces of people who buy my CD.  I don’t always remember the people who said, “Good job.”  But in the moment I still appreciate it.

I also want to mention a few people who made the night so great:

- Lando, the owner of House of James who let us perform there

- Adam Roper, who organized the event

- Brad and Shannon who drove me (I don’t have a car)

- Barbara Swain and Josh Hyslop who both performed phenominally as well

And last but certainly not least…

- Emily Ewing, who sang with me and did a fantastic job

Thanks also to everyone who came out to listen.  We couldn’t do it with out you.

The show in Nanaimo was great.  We had a full house at the Buzz coffee shop.  Thanks to all who came out to enjoy local music and thanks to the Buzz for hosting us.  It was great to see old friends and family (Nanaimo was where I grew up).  I missed playing with my accompanying band, but I managed to perform a decent set by myself.

There’s something bitter-sweet about coming home to Nanaimo though - my parents feed me a month’s worth of food in a few days.  I love eating, but it forces me to at least consider working out, which is frustrating because I’ve finally got a job where I don’t have to do anything physically.  I’m getting used to being lazy.  Poor me.

I also played at an open mic in Nanaimo, but that wasn’t too glorious…

The CD release concert last night was awesome!  There was a great turn out and I had so much fun.  The opening band, Oats, was fantastic too.  Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/oatscollective

At first I was a little unsure of my performance since I forgot the lyrics a couple times, but I think I need to keep remembering that perfection doesn’t match up with my style of music.  I’m a bit rough around the edges and maybe that’s a good thing.  Plus a lot of people encouraged me and said they really enjoyed the show.  Anyway, I love music and there’s no stopping now…