Thursday
Nov062008
My Seventeen-Year Old Self
Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 01:15AM
Mark and I started our first band back in high school. There were a few things that really fired us up to do this. In no real order they were:
- Pearl Jam's "Ten" album
- one of Jars of Clay's first shows, while they were still in college, at Agape 94. They were barely older than us, and they played at like 9 am. We thought "we could do that."
- The Prayer Chain's "Mercury" album
- early 90's U2 and Toad the Wet Sprocket on the radio (though we had yet to really know the bands)
So we devoured those bands records, poring over liner notes to see who played what lick, who wrote which lyric. It was an exciting time, coming alive to not only hearing music but starting to learn the world in which it was made.
Well today I was working at Sputnik, as usual, and Jars of Clay was in the other room working on a seriously killer new record. It's so good I'm sort of depressed. It's a constant reminder of how far I still have to grow.
Over in my room I was playing guitar for a project Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd are producing. Steve was in The Choir, another of my all-time favorite bands since high school. Their album "CircleSlide" will always take me right back to my senior year. I listened to that thing so many times. I know exactly where every random cymbal hits in the long jam outro of "Restore My Soul". Steve also produced that Prayer Chain album. And he called me to play guitar today.
My seventeen-year old self would literally not believe a day like this could be possible. My twenty-nine year old self tried to act like he's not still that seventeen-year old on the inside and just play it cool. I doubt I pulled it off.
Who cares.
It was a freaking awesome day.
- Pearl Jam's "Ten" album
- one of Jars of Clay's first shows, while they were still in college, at Agape 94. They were barely older than us, and they played at like 9 am. We thought "we could do that."
- The Prayer Chain's "Mercury" album
- early 90's U2 and Toad the Wet Sprocket on the radio (though we had yet to really know the bands)
So we devoured those bands records, poring over liner notes to see who played what lick, who wrote which lyric. It was an exciting time, coming alive to not only hearing music but starting to learn the world in which it was made.
Well today I was working at Sputnik, as usual, and Jars of Clay was in the other room working on a seriously killer new record. It's so good I'm sort of depressed. It's a constant reminder of how far I still have to grow.
Over in my room I was playing guitar for a project Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd are producing. Steve was in The Choir, another of my all-time favorite bands since high school. Their album "CircleSlide" will always take me right back to my senior year. I listened to that thing so many times. I know exactly where every random cymbal hits in the long jam outro of "Restore My Soul". Steve also produced that Prayer Chain album. And he called me to play guitar today.
My seventeen-year old self would literally not believe a day like this could be possible. My twenty-nine year old self tried to act like he's not still that seventeen-year old on the inside and just play it cool. I doubt I pulled it off.
Who cares.
It was a freaking awesome day.
Reader Comments (9)
Hahaha this reminds me of John Mayer's 2003 grammy acceptance speech on priding himself in being bigger than the moment but at the moment him being a 16 year old.
Sounds like an amazing day
Dude, I love the Circle Slide CD by the The Choir. Really good stuff. I'll have to take a spin with it today.
Mercury was AWESOME and The Choir keeps getting better and better in my opinion. Congrats on getting a chance to play with those mentors.
By the way, can't stop listening "O Help My Unbelief" from the Indelible Grace record - you sound fantastic on that, man.
Circle Slide and Mercury are such amazing albums. You are living my dream working with people like Steve Hindalong and such.
As someone who regards "Coming to Life" as the mystical axis on which my musical world rotates, I can relate. And what's more, the main album that transitioned me into my teen years was Jars of Clay's self-titled debut. Needless to say, going to Tom's class every couple weeks with you and Matt Odmark is a bit surreal for me.
Also, Pearl Jam rocks my face off. But I don't go to church with Eddie Vedder or Stone Gossard, so it's not quite the same.
"one of Jars of Clay’s first shows, while they were still in college, at Agape 94. They were barely older than us, and they played at like 9 am. We thought 'we could do that.'"
And you guys did! Reading that made me think back to working Main Stage when you guys played back, wow, when was that? '99 and '00? My how the time flys.
Dude,
2 things for you:
1) You are on the UPSWING of your career, whereas Jars, even though they are still making good music, are coming down from their high.
2) There are people like myself who look at you the same way you look/looked at Jars of Clay / Steve Hindalong. If we were at Sputnik getting to play on an Andy O record or sing a little part or heck, even just hang out and talk music for a while we would be desperately trying to "play it cool" and failing.
I know you can't possibly look at yourself like that, but it's true nonetheless.
P.S. Where's the next Podcast? Haven't seen a new one in quite a while.
Mercury is an amazing record.
Mark S.-- Jars are on an artistic upswing, no matter what their sales are.
Andrew-- I can totally relate to this post. Whenever I look stage right and see "Kenny Hutson from Vigilantes Of Love!" taking a mandoguitar solo, or when Derek plays and sings on my records, etc. etc. etc. Seventeen-year-old Matthew is LOVING my life.