Saturday, September 26, 2009

Re: Bon Iver

Of the many concerts I've been to, I noticed that there are just five categories that you can apply to your concert experiences:

1. good concert
2. good performer
3. tolerable concert
4. bad concert
5. bad performer

Of course you can mix and match certain characteristics. For instance, the last concert I saw (Wilco) was a mix of 2 and 3: good performer, tolerable concert -- making the overall concert experience just slightly above average.

Last night I saw Bon Iver perform at the Wiltern, and in the midst of it I realized that their performance was beyond my scale. They were great performers and that was a great concert.

I was happy from the getgo because there was seating -- something I came to appreciate once I realized that I'm not tall enough to watch concerts whilst standing. I got to the concert at the end of the opening act, Mega Fun (who were also very awesome), excited to hear Bon Iver live for the first time. I mean, could their three-part harmony and amazing, funky sounds be reproduced live just as well as on their recordings and youtube clips?

More than words.
The trio, plus a guy that switched back and forth from bass to drums, were amazing. Seeing them live had so much more soul and quality than hearing them on recordings. I was amazed at how Justin Vernon could sing so powerfully in such a quiet voice and crescendo into a strong, full voice within the same song. I constantly felt both the urge to smile and cry at the same time as each song ended because the songs were so beautiful.

My favorite song that they performed of the night was Skinny Love. They performed it with such conviction in their music, and that made it all the more moving.

Conviction can make even the ugly beautiful.

Saturday, September 19, 2009


All lines are broken
And we need you to hold on
Your eyes have opened
But you've got to go on
I'll comfort you, I'll stay with you
It's a promise not forgotten

Now I hear you in my mind
There is a story you bring to life
And I will bow gently by your feet
But tread softly, you tread on my dreams

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

YELP! I need somebody...

click here to find me on yelp!

danke, grazie, thanks...

i've never considered myself to be one that isn't thankful -- but i realize more and more lately that i take things for granted so often and to such great lengths.

a couple people i regularly take for granted are my parents... i bite their heads off when they try to greet me in the mornings: blaming them for waking me up earlier than i had planned to. i complain when they ask me too many questions but get annoyed when they don't answer mine. basically, i'm the biggest brat when it comes to treating my parents with respect and love the way i should. and yet they provide everything for me, love me, and always try to raise me up to be a greater woman. i'm so undeserving.

but their love and sacrifice for me is a murky reflection of the perfect and unconditional love and sacrifice of God for me. the relationship i take the most advantage of is my relationship with God. and though i am a completely undeserving, sinful, and ungrateful human God still invites me to be His. this inexplicable mercy that God and my parents show me should give me enough to me thankful for during every second of my day for the rest of eternity.

... so what exactly am i waiting for?

even arch enemies like dwight and jim show their gratitude for one another -- even if it is in obscure and unconventional ways...