Dancing in the Rain

As I sit here at 12:17 in the morning on 12-12-10 on my silver, nearly deflated workout ball with a Nalgene liter bottle of water and recently baked chocolate meringue cookies I desperately think to myself:

I. Must. Roast. More. Almonds!

That was right after I barged into the house to quench my excruciating thirst (now aided by trusty Nalgene); and this beforehand was sustained by my good friend D who held me back with iron-man strength from dropping to my knees to drink from a street puddle. As we walked to the bus station from a thoroughly enjoyed Jon & Roy concert.

Yes, I have attended my second out of Third Annual Jon & Roy Holiday SPECIAL! And what fun it was. D and I waited amongst the antsy but ever-loyal J&R fan crowd outside of the venue doors, anxiously waiting to be let in, patted down, searched through, turned upside down, eye-scanned, finger-printed, ID viewed, out of the rain. Well, not exactly to that extent, but we were still waiting to be out of the non-stop downpour. Once 7 p.m. rolled around we joyfully leaped up the stairs, my newly bought Canon child being huddled closely to my chest, and we were graciously led into the magnificent cathedral of a church...that holds about 200 people or the like.

With fairly decent seats we witnessed the musical wonders of:

 Steph  MacPherson accompanied by Vince Vaccaro; absolutely incredible voice she has.

 The ever so talented Aidan Knight!

 Jon & Roy with guest singers from Current Swell, another amazing Canadian band.

 And last but not least the fantastic, talented, beat-jumpin', lovable Jon of Jon & Roy!

Two other musicians performed but with pictures too blurry I can only mention their names of Bahamas and Damien Jurado. Bahamas took us back to old folk-inspired tunes with a true western accent ringing out and made us laugh with an amusing love song by the name of "Hockey Teeth." Jurado haunted the audience with a 4 to 5 minute "ghost song", one that sent shivers down spines and captivated stunned faces as he screamed bits of song into the audience. Both were extremely talented artists with reputations of playing with other famous bands around the world. 

By the end of it all J&R had the crowd stamping their feet and clapping with arms high as they closed off with one of my favorite songs, "Little Bit of Love" and high above the dancing group hovered and looped a lazy, nearly transparent mechanical bird. Yes, someone brought a mechanical bird to a concert and flew it during the performances. It was amazing.

If you haven't had a chance to jam out to these new-on-the-market bands (well, some of them) it's about time you did. Although they're all Canadian, save Jurado who hails from the near Canadian city of Seattle, they are damn good at what they do and you are by no doubt missing out on some good tunes. Broaden your horizons and listen to something of what I love to call West Coast Reggae (J&R) and mermaid inspired melodies (MacPherson).

And I must roast more almonds now that my thirst is quenched.

-SJ

Footprints in the Sand

Our strive to be remembered is withstanding and never tiring as we move onwards in our lives. For some of us the want is easier to achieve than for others. Artists in both visual and concrete materials are recognized by the common stranger all across the globe. Political figures are acknowledged for their opinions, tactics and mistakes. Activists involved in a cause that strikes home can be picked out from a crowd and bowed to or cursed at. A musician's song or ballad sticks with us throughout time, reminding us of the memories we made sure to peg to our mind's cork board, simple or complex ideas that are felt important. On a more personal scale, each individual cherishes a close family member or friend who's had a significant impact on their lives, either positively or negatively or both.
Never throughout time has the person's aim to be remembered in such a way faltered. It's seemingly far fetched to hear someone claim "I do not care if no one remembers me" and nor is it possible. Even if someone were to sincerely say that, with no other motives, desires or regrets, would it be possible for the surrounding beings to forget that person. The being who would claim it, their actions and movements, their appearance, their smell and sound and their words would never, ever be forgotten, because even if one's brain is afflicted and overwhelmed with billions of other pieces of information or disease, the brain never forgets.
If the brain never forgets, why is it such an issue to us to be remembered? Why do we feel the importance of being recognized on the street or of being acknowledged of what we've accomplished or failed at? Of course, although some people really are significant to our lives (presidents, dictators, teachers(some), artists, parents, etc.) most people are not. As harsh as it may sound, I really do not care about the everyday call-center worker in India or even the scooter scammer downtown who insisted of asking for change for a taxi, when there was absolutely no intention of actually taking a taxi anywhere. I may begin to care for these people if I come to know them better, but the chances are, in my busy, short life, that I won't get to know the billions of everyday people in the world. It's the same with everyone.
The incessant need to feel remembered can be overwhelming and sometimes harmful in ways of trying to change oneself to gain that position in society. It all boils down to that other question so frequently asked (at least I constantly ask myself it) as to "Why do I care what they think?" "Why does it matter what they care?" For the most part of my days I don't care but then I sheepishly catch myself believing that I do, that I need to know what they think and that I need to know if they will remember who I am. This need or want doesn't only come from a personal insistence; social media, global advertisements and some of the remembered, influential people themselves encourage the ambition to "be remarkable."
A good friend of mine said "I feel like everyone in this city feels like they have to be a part of the arts to fit in, to be accepted here." I agree with her; this city is very art-orientated, very environmentally aware and conscious of its growing younger population. But I think that those pin-pointed people are more so trying to find their balance in the arts and finding something that they will be remembered by.
I have no doubt that that gnawing feeling of wanting to be simply remembered by someone who is deemed important in my life or by the masses will ever go away. I will always want to leave my everlasting footprints in the sand.

cred: Youtube