The last week has been exhausting but terrific. We finished the last leg of the tour to mostly small and subdued crowds but had the fortune of playing to a great audience in Columbus before driving home middle of the week; it was probably the most fun I’ve had playing a show in years. I came home to spend about a day with the people I miss most and then drove to Padukah, Kentucky, to see my friend Jonathan get married. The three days there were honestly joyful. He’s a friend who understands me like few people do and it was so exciting to watch him commit his life to someone he loves so much. I got to do the majority of the music for the wedding, including playing the bridal processional on electric guitar which has to be some kind of first; it was Jonathan’s idea and worked great. While I was there, some friends straightened my hair which proved quite humorous, the pictures of which I’ll post on myspace.
I also got to spend some time with my folks who drove in on Saturday to come see a show. We had dinner, talked for a while, and as always, they showed their incredible support for me and my pursuit of music. They rarely miss a show and I am grateful for the way they’ve chosen to cheer me on rather than cursing my choice to not become a doctor. I know you read this dad; thank you.
Presently I’m enjoying some great music I've aquired. I’ve been given several records recently for different reasons and picked up a couple on my own and all are proving to be great records. My friend Zach posts an album for recommendation on his blog every Monday so I’ll take today and do the same. Last night I picked up My Morning Jacket’s “Z”, Copeland’s “In Motion”, and Pedro the Lion’s “Control”. I’ve also been given copies of the new Paul Simon and The Flaming Lips records, Mark Knopfer and Emmylou Harris’ duo record, and a group called Tapes n’ Tapes. I would say any of these are worth picking up, but the real surprise of the bunch has been the new Paul Simon which is a great record. I’m always a bit weary when an older artist puts out new records as they seem to mostly disappoint these days but this album is terrific.
Jonathan also gave me a CD for playing in his wedding that I think deserves some special attention. It’s Andrew Peterson’s “The Far Country,” and album written entirely around the concept of death and the afterlife. It’s lyrically profound, almost a book in and of itself, and is based upon a quote by someone who’s name is presently escaping me (might be Meister Erkhart): “God is at home and we are in the far country.” This is the kind of album you just kind of live with for a while and it’s breaking my heart. Please get a copy and spend some time with it. The idea of that is presently sitting with me comes from the title track. Peterson talks about creation, all the terrible things about it, the wars, the corruption, the things that seem so obviously God-less and then mentions nature, the mountains, the kinds of things that can seem so God-filled. He concludes by saying that all of it, from the “sin-fraught cities” to the “groaning wilderness” are all longing for what is lost, for God and for Christ, who is in heaven. I am humbled by the truth that even the best parts of this world, things that even draw me close to God and lead me to worship such as a beautiful day like today, are still things that hurt and cry out because this place is so temporary, because all of it is fallen. I am convicted to hurt and cry out as well, to long for God’s kingdom and a day in which we are forever in His presence. I find these lyrics profound and I encourage you to visit Peterson’s website and read through the lyrics.
We leave tomorrow evening for the final leg of the tour and the longest one to date, being twice as long as any other trip so far. I am finding that I love the road but I love being home as well. Despite everywhere I get to go, I will always miss my friends and those I am close to. Home is just that, home, but it’s the people that make it that way. Cheers!
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