Thursday, October 11, 2012
The Importance of Music
The Hubby and I are going to see Blue October in concert tonight for the first time ever. We've been wanting to do this for as long as we've known about this awesome band, but they were either not in town when we could afford it or we couldn't afford it when they were in town.
We couldn't afford it this time, either, but my brother-in-law gifted us a pair of tickets because he knows how important this band is to us, and specifically, the genius behind the lyrics, Justin Furstenfeld.
It's rare to have someone in celebrity status connect with you so completely, knowing he's dealing with many of the very same things you are, day in and day out, and then to have that person express it in a way so perfectly yet you could have never strung those words together on your own...
To give you all an idea of just how much impact these songs have had on our lives, because of our continuing battle over the years, together, with my husband's bipolar, consider the following exchange we had between us yesterday:
Hubby: Do you think I'll make it through the whole concert without crying?
Me: I don't even think I'll make it through one song without crying, so. NO.
Hubby: *laughs in a way that is somehow both sad and comforting* What are the top three songs you hope they'll play?
I listed my top two and left the third choice as "everything else, I can't decide." I really do love ALL of their songs. But between us, we both agreed on the following song as a top favorite:
If they close out the concert tonight with that song you can guarantee we will both be bawling our little eyes out.
Music is just as important to the human psyche as literature. What songs (or bands) have had a major impact on your life?
~Lydia
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Oh Lydia, you are going to LOVE the concert! In my opinion, Blue October is SO much better live than they are on CD. I've seen them 9 times since discovering them in 2001 and they just get better every single time.
ReplyDeleteBlue October has had a major impact on my life and my writing. In fact, a lot of music has. I just started featuring an "Inspiration Station" on my blog on Fridays that will mainly contain music because it speaks to so many emotions. Right now, my musical inspiration is the song "Run" by Snow Patrol. I'm trying to write a scene where two people who've just discovered how much they mean to each other are being ripped apart by circumstances beyond their control, and they have no clue what the future holds for them.
I have playlists on YouTube to cover most of my writing moods. Some of the bands that have inspired me are: Great Northern, Florence + the Machine, Slipknot, Wye Oak, She Keeps Bees, Alison Krauss, and so many more. If anyone wants to trade musical suggestions for writing, or is looking for a song to capture a mood, please feel free to hit me up. :)
Happy writing and happy listening to all!
Great post, Lydia! I totally agree about the importance of music. My wife and I recently went to see Irish songstress Lisa Hannigan in a tiny (by her standards) venue in downtown Chicago. My wife knew how important her music was to my work (one song, Teeth, became the theme-song for the heroine of one of my manuscripts), and she surprised me with the tickets. A collegue of hers used to be a music promoter in Chi, and got the tickets for her. When we arrived we were shocked that he'd gotten us VIP passes with many free drink tickets. We got to say hello to Lisa and sat on high beside the stage. When she played Teeth, my wife gripped my hand. Yes, there were tears. Very powerful! And unforgettable!
ReplyDeleteRescue Me (by Hawthorne Heights) will always have a special place in my heart. Music has been an important way for me to share my feelings with others. During the time in my life when I couldn't find the right words (literally lost most of my vocab), I could turn a song on for my husband and say, "This! This is how I feel right now. This is how it hurts." Love the post and hope you guys enjoy your concert!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experiences, everyone. We had so much fun! Justin is not only a great singer, but he's an energetic performer too. He drew the audience into *every* song. That one goes into my Top 5 Concerts of All Time, easy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful song...the emotion is so incredible. I love finding songs like that.
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ReplyDeleteMaybe not the best concert I've seen, but it was definitely up there. "Hate Me"... what can I say about that song that won't sound cliche'? It's like he wrote parts of it from my life.
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