i work part time at a coffee shop. i love the coffee shop atmosphere, i love making (and drinking) specialty drinks, i love my customers. i've only ever worked in locally owned, small shops that are super chill and don't require a uniform or listening to a pre-made mix of music (i'm lookin' at you, sbux).
the owner at the shop is so relaxed she doesn't care if we play music off our own iPod's. music freedom is a phenomenal thing.
since i don't own a portable music device (archaic, i know) i borrowed one from my roommate and filled up that sucker with all my favorite jams.
recently when i was working switchfoot's 'the beautiful letdown' came on and i soaked in the nostalgic goodness as i pulled shots and steamed milk.
as i listened to an album that i've listened to at least 200 times a couple of things struck me:
1. that record is amazing. muscially. lyrically. all of it. it is just a well crafted piece of art. it's truth is transcendent and it doesn't sound dated.
and
2. that album was written when jon foreman was younger than i am now. i know life isn't about comparing yourself to other people and each person's journey is lovely and unique and blah blah blah but sometimes i just can't help but wonder WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE? WHY AM I NOT CREATING BEAUTY LIKE THIS?
i'm just gonna bank on the fact that no one else knows what they're doing either.
in an effort of equality, here's my letter to that GUY at every show:
dear guy that seems to be at every show:
you're tall. i'm short(ish). do the math and then be a gentleman and stand behind me.
you're wearing WAY too much cologne. tone it down, buddy. though that acqua di gio does smell heavenly.
i know you can't help that you are sweating, it's hot in here i totally get it, but please try to avoid rubbing your sweaty forearm on my arm/face/back...it's yucky.
you know that thing that i ragged at the girls about concerning their phones? same thing goes. GET OFF YOUR PHONE.
with each drink you get more obnoxious. switch to coke and if you feel like that isn't manly enough you can tell everyone it's a rum and coke. you lying seems way less offensive to me than carrying on like a drunk dirtbag.
that girl across the club that you're hoping will notice you literally hasn't looked at you once. give up the ghost, pal.
i know the difference between an accidental butt/boob touch and a deliberate one. don't even try it.
if you came to the show with a girl, please stop touching her. there is no need for neck nuzzling, make-out sessions in the middle of the pit or standing there with a handful of her derriere. (i'm super anti-PDA so maybe i'm the only one who has a problem with this, feel free to ask your neighbors next time you're at a concert.)
majority of the people around you don't care what you're saying to your friend/boyfriend so if you could dial it down a bit in the volume department that would be stellar.
you chose to wear those heels, stop complaining about your feet hurting. i get that you want to look cute (and we all know that heels make your legs and butt look killer) but if you wanted to sit down at a concert go to the orchestra. or karaoke.
get off your phone. there is literally no need for you to check your facebook or pinterest right now. and if you're talking on your phone you are completely socially inept and i want to "accidentally" bump into you so you drop it and i can "accidentally" kick it halfway across the venue. especially when you're talking during my favorite song.
you just spilled half of your drink. i think you should stop drinking right about...now.
you're not friends with the opening act. you just met him outside the club. girl to friend: "oh my gosh there's matt! matt? pretty sure it's matt. anyway, he's SO great. like the nicest guy ever!" STOP IT, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM.
no, don't worry, that's only the 6th time you've elbowed me...no need to apologize.
next time you get ready please stop with just 1 or 2 sprays of your perfume. it smells really nice but we're forced to stand so we're within 6 inches of each other and holy balls it's giving me a headache.
minnesota in the winter can sometimes be a really sucky place.
this year we have had stupid cold temperatures (like the most negative degree temperatures in over 30 years, we're talking 40+ nights of sub-zero temps). and on the days it did warm up above zero we got piles of snow.
WE CANNOT CATCH A BREAK.
all of that being said, not too many tours come through here in the winter. no one wants to get stuck in a snowstorm or have their van battery freeze and not be able to get it started or they just don't want to haul all their gear in and out in the frigid air. i don't blame them at all.
so my concert experiences this winter have been minimal.
however, a tour just came through on an almost balmy (i think it was like 5 degrees?) night and it was another reminder of why i long to be in that world. if i go without going to a concert long enough i can almost forget that i love it so much...then i step into a dark, crowded club and the show is incredible and i don't know how i can ever forget that feeling.
it was the 'simple' tour featuring andrew ripp with opening act judah & the lion. there was also a local opener, the frontman from hope country (sometimes he comes to my church and i'm not ashamed to admit that i openly stare at him because he's really handsome). there were tons of reasons i could list why the show was fantastic but one reason i found it so inspiring is that these guys are Christians in bands that aren't being shoved into the genre of Christian music. they maybe didn't do an alter call from the stage but they were so genuine in what they did say.
examples:
judah & the lion sang a new song they had just written and the lyrics talked about being rich but not having money. after the song the frontman said they were rich because they had hope and joy and they got to be in that club on that night. beautifully put. (for some reason it won't let me put a video in here but you should probably give this song a listen even though it's not the song i'm talking about.)
andrew ripp literally said, "i know it's saturday night but i'm going to take you to church" and went on to sing 'you will find me,' so overt (without being cheesy) in it's lyrics.
i love that there are musicians of faith in the industry making quality music (like brings-tears-to-your-eyes good) that aren't afraid to get sweaty and bring some truth into a dingy bar.
