As I prepare for my first night out without my 3 month old daughter, I'm contemplating the enormous emotional strength required in the task of letting go. Just the thought of a few hours away from her raises all sorts of unsettling emotions even though I know how important a break can be for my sanity. It's interesting that this is my current mind-set in the wake of the Dave Matthews Band's announcement to take the year off from touring in 2011, but by now I've come to expect these synchronistic occurrences. And I know that I'm not the only one struggling to process the group's latest news.As I prepare for my first night out without my 3 month old daughter, I'm contemplating the enormous emotional strength required in the task of letting go. Just the thought of a few hours away from her raises all sorts of unsettling emotions even though I know how important a break can be for my sanity. It's interesting that this is my current mind-set in the wake of the Dave Matthews Band's announcement to take the year off from touring in 2011, but by now I've come to expect these synchronistic occurrences. And I know that I'm not the only one struggling to process the group's latest news.
For days, I've been struggling with whether to write this article. On the one hand, I'm not the right person to do it because I never had the pleasure of meeting Satu Harris, but even so, her name keeps circling through my consciousness, making it clear that I wouldn't be able to write an honest article about anything else. So, please forgive my lack of first-hand knowledge about this amazing and inspiring girl, who has left a gaping whole in the hearts of the Dave Matthews Band community since her tragic and untimely death this May.
As I'm on my second day without my super delicious and creamy Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee, I'm considering the psychology of addictions. Why is it that the best tasting foods and drinks are usually the ones that end up causing some kind of negative reaction (e.g. weight gain, gastrointestinal troubles, headaches, etc.)? Why do “comfort foods” make our bodies anything but comfortable? Is it the same reason that we sometimes gravitate towards people who don't meet our emotional needs? Are we destined to continuously attract that which doesn't serve us in the long run?
In my last article for Don't Burn The Pig, I talked about certain synchronistic events related to Dave Matthews Band. As I was pondering what to write about this week, I got the distinct feeling that I was not finished with that topic. I started to think about synchronicity and how it affects the creative process. Like many true fans, I am ever curious about Dave's tricks of the trade. How does he decide what to write about? Does he have certain rituals that he relies on for inspiration? Are there things that have spontaneously happened in his life, which ended up being the basis for some of our favorite tracks?
The former Mt. Zion Baptist Church has been site of the Music Resource Center since 2003.Synchronicity is not just an album by The Police. It is a psycho-spiritual construct developed by the late Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. Jung defined synchronicity as an “a-causal connecting principle,” where two events occur in chronological proximity to each other, so that the people involved deem it a meaningful coincidence. Jung believed that synchronicity occurs in relation to the collective unconscious, a universal information system that connects us all across time and space. Synchronistic events occur quite often, and enlighten us to the notion that everything, everywhere, is connected at a very deep level. Popular examples of this phenomenon include: receiving a phone call from the very person you were just thinking of; or running into an acquaintance who turns out to have information that you were recently seeking. Jung's most famous description of this sensation involves a patient who was not progressing in her treatment until a rare beetle appeared while she was retelling a dream about that exact type of insect. This profound development became a catalyst for her future growth.
Earlier this week the Dave Matthews Band announced their fiftieth full release, the upcoming Live Trax 17, recorded on July 6th, 1997 at Shoreline Ampitheatre. Along with old favorites like “#41” and “Say Goodbye,” this compilation boasts the rare “Leave Me Praying” which eventually became “Don't Drink the Water,” (and perhaps “Bartender,” as some would argue),and Daniel Lanois' “For the Beauty of Wynona.” For many fans, shows like this one in the late 90's contain some of our top picks, and because every performance offers a different spin, we can never grab enough versions of these classics. Hard to say the same for other 90's acts like Boyz 11 Men and Spice Girls. Remember them? Just saying.
Last Wednesday night countless rock fans did the unthinkable. They sat through hours of televised country music, even if they watched it on mute. What would possess an otherwise twang-averse person to do this? The promise of a duet with Dave Matthews of course. And those who persevered were rewarded with Dave's amazing voice adding depth and emotion to Kenny Chesney's “I'm Alive,” a timely song about gratitude.
I, on the other hand, cheated, and only watched the video of Dave's performance, so what I'm about to say could be totally off, and I trust that you'll tell me if I am. But to me it was incredible to hear such strong applause when Dave walked on stage, and to see the crowd offer a standing ovation when he finished. Did they do that for everyone? Yes, I know, if I had watched the whole show I would know this. But just the fact that a rock musician can elicit such a positive response from a country crowd is astounding. And that's what got me thinking about Dave's undeniably universal appeal. Just what is it about this singer/songwriter that draws admiration from every audience?
Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
On a soldier's last breath
His baby's being born.
These lyrics from The Dave Matthews Band's recent hit “Funny the Way It Is” poignantly speak to the story I'm about to tell. In this tale of a musician's dream realized, the soldier is LeRoi Moore and the baby is an album he produced for the jazz/pop/folk artist Samantha Farrell. Both DMB's record “Big Whiskey” and Farrell's work “Luminous” were released after LeRoi's death, yet both carry undeniable influences from the great saxophonist. Samantha's soulful recording is now available on Itunes and a part of her proceeds will benefit LeRoi's charity, which among other things, plants trees and gives struggling children an opportunity to learn music.
Perhaps some of you have been wondering why those quirky and insightful articles with the psychological slant have largely been missing from dbtp.org this summer. Or perhaps that is just wishful thinking on my part. In any event, the truth is that I've been in a 3 month long intensive meeting with the porcelain goddess, and we finally seem to have come to a peace treaty, at least for now. While gone, I've missed many activities both obligatory and fun, including a West Palm Beach show complete with amazing seats! Every time I had to forgo something, a nagging sense of guilt and regret would follow. But imagine how Dave Matthews must feel, knowing that every time he has to take a sick day, thousands and thousands of people are going to be severely disappointed and potentially lose some serious cash due to flights, hotels, and other travel plans being dropped.