David Bazan should be taught in school. At least, I think I would have gotten more out of my high school education if it’d been something like “equal parts David Bazan and curriculum.”

I have wanted to write so much about David Bazan for a year now, and kept on putting it off because it’s hard to shoulder writing about something that means a lot to you. I just got back from his Living Room show in Allston, MA, and I’m still buzzing from the experience, so this seems like a good time.

Being a fan of music has really defined my lifestyle, and it was amazing to be in an environment with so many similar people. Most of my friends don’t really “get” going to show after show after show; most of the time I really do just buy two tickets to a show and try to find someone to go with (which is crazy because I go to so many good shows). And then to be put in a room full of people who totally get it! I just experienced a wonderful kind of renewal in excitement about experiencing music. Being into music, going to shows, and so on is just like any other hobby or thing you love—it can get tedious and at times feel like a chore. The same routine of printing out tickets and getting directions, driving, sitting around, waiting, getting tired, driving back, and so on. It’s a lot, especially if most of the shows you go to are a 1-3 hour commute away. Tonight reminded me that music is more than just the sum of its parts, and it’s these kinds of reminders that keep me living the life that I do.

I happened to be the first person (besides the hosts) to arrive at the show, so I got to spend about an hour hanging out before the rest of the crowd showed up. The hosts were absolutely wonderful people and fans, and not only provided a comfortable and welcoming environment, but bought pizza, cupcakes, soda, beer, and candy for everyone. One of the hosts in question is in fact the writer of Bradley’s Almanac, a Boston-based music blog that you should all peruse.

As soon as David Bazan walked to the front of the living room and took his guitar out, I felt this unbelievable drop in my stomach. He opened with “Strange Negotiations,” the title track from his upcoming release. It’s hard to mentally recap a song after only seeing and hearing it once, but the only thing “Strange Negotiations” and other new songs left to be desired was a copy of the record. I can’t remember every song, but he also played “Please Baby Please,” “Hard to Be,” “Cold Beer and Cigarettes,” and “Priests and Paramedics.” The entire night felt more like a running conversation between the audience and Bazan than a normal show. David paused after every few songs to kindly ask if there were any questions or concerns from anyone in the audience.

It’s faster to buy cigarettes and some cold beer
If you don’t rattle the cashier
By asking her back to your room
She’s calling security

The show went by so quickly that when David announced that there were only a few more songs left I thought it was crazy that it was ending so early. I had a few moments of nervousness because I wanted very badly to hear “Bearing Witness” but was scared of being denied a request (and I felt hesitant to be the only audience member to ask for a request) but I also knew that I would have felt terrible if I didn’t request it and he never played it. I think he’d just finished playing “Please Baby Please,” which ended up being the penultimate song, when I shyly raised my hand and asked, “Would you consider a request?” He politely said that yes, he would, and I asked for “Bearing Witness.”

When he agreed to the request, I experienced a kind of emotional rush that I often associate with music, but don’t experience very frequently because it is so intense. I think a lot about how our reactions seem often like memories of reactions; when I hear of a tragedy, I immediately relate and sympathize, but I don’t constantly feel that pain. Sometimes I feel it and sometimes I just know that it’s there. Last night I really felt it. I actually had to work really hard to stop myself from crying during “Bearing Witness,” which ended up being the last song of the night.

As soon as the set ended, I clumsily told David that I’ve extracted more valuable wisdom just from “Bearing Witness” than I have from anything else for months, if not years. And it’s just true. If I was ever the kind of person to get a verse tattooed on my body somewhere, it would probably be this one,

Though it may alienate your family
and blur the lines of your identity
Let go of what you know and honor what exists
Son, that’s what bearing witness is
Daughter, that’s what bearing witness is

More specifically, I would get Let go of what you know and honor what exists but I think it’s nice to read it in context of the verse. This one line really has been my mantra for a long time. Whenever I have been angry or confused, or felt lost or hopeless, I’ve repeated this piece of advice to myself, and I’ve usually been able to come back to a place of clarity and peace. I’m reminded of a Jewish spirituality book that I like to read, in which the author discusses forgiveness. Forgiveness is none of the following: acceptance, denial, revenge. It’s just letting go.

Whether it’s religion or our “heteronormative society” or our other terrible societies it’s crazy to think of how many presumptions we all have. However enlightened and positive I feel I am, I feel that every day when I get dressed in the morning, I also put on and carry around so many convictions about how I’m positive the world should be. And I let it get in the way of living. I probably wouldn’t be able to count the number of times each day I let my convictions, “what I know,” disrupt what would be a more congruent lifestyle; but my fingers are so tightly molded around the things I’m sure of that I don’t have the strength to open my fists and let go. And that’s what this song is to me. I can’t express enough gratitude toward David Bazan for writing this song, and for taking my request last night, especially when he was only going to play one more song.

Throughout the night there was a lot of interesting dialogue between David and the audience. I resonate really deeply with David Bazan’s attitude toward the music industry. I want to spend my money on his concerts and merchandise because it feels so sincere, because I can see what I’m supporting and not doubt that it’s something I believe in. The host asked about the short length of time it took David to record Strange Negotiations, and also about the short gap between the announcement and release of the record. David replied that much of the motivation for the small amount of time between the announcement and release is making sure the fans, and the people who are really supporting the music, are a priority. He brought up such a good point: why should a handful of elite music journalists get to listen to the record months before the fans, the people who really care about and are supporting the music? (I’m not implying that these groups are mutually exclusive, but am broadly summarizing a scenario.) You might recall David Bazan asking for donations (or rather, investments) a la I Helped Bazan Make a Record last fall—and I agree with the man, the people who care so much they’ll give an artist an advance on his record are the people who are going to bring more fans in than any kind of publicity stunt.

David’s set made me feel extremely excited for the release of Strange Negotiations next month, and for his full-band tour this summer. But even so, and even though it’s been a while, I’m still beyond excited about Curse Your Branches.

One of the anecdotes that I recalled from the night was David discussing his views toward “bad people” and how they relate to reality. He said that he used to sort of shrug off others’ flaws under a blanket, “we’re all bad,” kind of logic. But then, he said, he realized, you know what? That’s just not accurate. For example, George W. Bush is directly responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people. And he, David Bazan, just isn’t. One of my first reactions is YES. I’m reminded of the paradox that arises when faced with others who believe, as Bazan might say, crazy batshit things. But there’s some kind of line between tolerating all viewpoints and giving people freedom to express themselves and between tolerating intolerance. And these are the lines between what we know and what exists, and the tricky bit is how difficult it is to locate exactly where these lines are.

I think everyone in America should own a copy of Curse Your Branches. I’ve been deeply hurt and have lost a lot to the ignorance and evil and fear that manifests itself as evangelical, fundamentalist Christianity. And for me there are days when this album, and David Bazan’s story, are the only things that can break through that and remind me that there’s a real world out there, too.

So if it starts to get you down
Just pretend
That you don’t make your living
From selling advertising
Tracking trends, corralling demographics,
And maximizing traffic

I once attended a gathering of Seventh-Day Adventists, and heard a sermon in which the speaker asked everyone in the audience to pray for a “gain” of at least 6,000 more souls that year. (Note: I’m not trying to single out SDA, I am simply including the detail.) And it’s just like…damn. I remember glancing around the audience to see many people nodding along with the figure, and I had to wonder if there was some kind of reward program for whoever brought in the most souls.

“Bearing Witness” is such a meaningful song to me because there is both so much good and so much evil contained in the very idea of bearing witness. I grew up in a somewhat Jewish, somewhat secular environment, and was never exposed to the idea of bearing witness until late in high school. I’m guessing that as popular as the concept is, there are still tons of people like me who never heard of it. I think this kind of thing is the worst of it: if you’re a Christian, when you meet another person, you should feel responsible to bear witness about the good news of Jesus Christ to that person, and if you don’t, and that person never knows Jesus, their unsaved soul is on your shoulders because “you might be the only Christian they ever meet.” This concept was entirely flabbergasting to me because I had never understood religion as a place which contained so much guilt.

What I think is difficult is the idea of bearing witness isn’t altogether evil; in fact, I think I am always striving to do a better job of “bearing witness” to the things I believe in. But doing it right is much deeper than trying to convince someone else that they need to start thinking the way you do about things. I feel an innate responsibility to do justice and live up to what I love, the things and the people in my life, because my idea is that if I am as filled with joy as I claim to be by these things, it’s my responsibility to do something with it that will help another person in a meaningful way. And that is what bearing witness can be.

If we rounded up people in 2011 to brand as modern day “prophets,” I would nominate David Bazan, because the world would be a better place if more people took in the messages and lessons in his music, and I say this whether these people are Christians “caught up in their own false image of God” (Martin Buber) or the opposite or anywhere in between. He has some of the best and clearest writing in music today, and one of the most organic and sincere business models in the industry.

David Bazan is embarking on a rather thorough US Summer Tour this June, and I think you’d all be crazy not to come out. Here are the dates:

06/01 Wed – Salt Lake City UT – Kilby Court
06/02 Thu – Denver CO – Hi Dive
06/03 Fri – Kansas City MO – Record Bar
06/04 Sat – Council Bluffs IA – Westfair Amphitheater – w/ Bright Eyes
06/06 Mon – St Paul MN – Turf Club
06/08 Wed – Chicago IL – Lincoln Hall
06/10 Fri – St Louis MO – Old Rock House
06/11 Sat – Columbus OH – The Basement
06/12 Sun – Akron OH – Musica
06/13 Mon – Pontiac MI – Pike Room
06/14 Tue – Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
06/15 Wed – Ottawa ON – Maverick’s
06/17 Fri – Ithaca NY – The Haunt
06/18 Sat – Hamden CT – The Space
06/19 Sun – Cambridge MA – TT the Bears
06/22 Wed – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom
06/23 Thu – Philadelphia PA – Johnny Brenda’s
06/24 Fri – Washington DC – Black Cat
06/25 Sat – Chapel Hill NC – Local 506 – w/ Centro-matic
06/27 Mon – Orlando FL – The Social
06/28 Tue – Atlanta GA – The Earl
06/29 Wed – Birmingham AL – The Bottletree
06/30 Thu – New Orleans LA – One Eyed Jacks
07/01 Fri – Baton Rouge LA – Spanish Moon
07/02 Sat – Houston TX – Fitzgerald’s
07/03 Sun – Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
07/05 Tue – Austin TX – ACL Satellite Sets
07/07 Thu – Phoenix AZ – Sail Inn
07/08 Fri – San Diego CA – Casbah
07/09 Sat – Long Beach CA – Alex’s Bar
07/10 Sun – Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
07/12 Tue – Visalia CA – Cellar Door
07/13 Wed – San Francisco CA – The Independent
07/15 Fri – Portland OR – Mississippi Studios
–
David Bazan Website
David Bazan Facebook
David Bazan Twitter
David Bazan Last.fm

Those who have been fortunate to catch Kevin on the road this past winter will likely be familiar with this song. I am lucky to have seen it performed a few times, once during a soundcheck at The Space in Hamden, CT, which was just as lulling as the delivery on the new Nervous Engines video.

I am pretty instantly sold by “Between the Concrete and Clouds” because it features a variety of some of my favorite songwriting techniques: a time-line/parallelism, forward puns (Casper, you holy ghost), and an “evolving chorus” (I just made that term up). When I view this song in the context of some of KD’s earlier material, it gets my heart a little. Something that I have noticed in a lot of seasoned songwriters’ catalogs is this kind of transition that occurs in perspectives of their narratives. If you listen to earlier Kevin Devine, stuff like “Noose Dressed Like a Necklace” or “Me and My Friends,” it feels more confessional, it feels like the speaker is asking for guidance more than providing it—at least directly. With “Between the Concrete and Clouds,” I really hear Kevin Devine making the shift to the other side of the things. He’s still asking questions, but there’s something more seasoned about it than a lot of the material he’s put out before. I always find Kevin Devine songs inspiring, but here I feel like the inspiration is coming from something more separate from myself, from a place I haven’t seen yet, when quite often I find inspiration in being assured that someone else feels like this too so it must be okay somehow—stuff that comes from places I’ve been to before.

God in the wood, the words, the coffee pot
It wasn’t adding up
At war with yourself, afraid of everyone
You said, “Enough’s enough.”

The writing is also more structured than a lot of Devine’s other songs. He performs the chorus something like four times and without counting, I’d say most KD songs don’t even have one chorus. Kevin has indicated that this album is more compact (I am taking liberty with this wording) than his previous releases, and I can already hear that on this song. Without looking (read: listening) I’m also trying to recall some landmark KD tracks that are in minor keys, and I can’t think of a ton. I think it’s often harder to make the minor work (because the major works so well) and it’s not a surprise that Kevin is able to nail it (what helps make it work is a lot of interesting chord choices that are not in the key, and the chorus uses typical major chords, and the contrast makes both the chorus and the verses feel fresher).

Now every single time that you open your mouth
Give yourself a breath while you’re working it out
The answer’s in between all the concrete and clouds
It’s anywhere you want
Yeah, it’s next to you now

Each derivation of the chorus becomes a little more hopeful, and at the end the approach is pedagogical, and I’m inspired because someone who I know has been in my shoes, or near them, at least, is telling me I can take a breath.

“Luxembourg” more closely follows KD’s stylistic norm: lyrics that could be poetry and verse after verse after verse, but somehow just as captivating as a song with more than one chord progression.

I have weaknesses like all my brothers do
An objectifying eye and hands that follow suit
Some ugly allergy to the true love on my plate
Wrong wiring, connections I can’t make

I feel like there’s more packed into every verse of this song than there is on most records; the lyrical craft in this song is simply phenomenal. I’ve personally found that it is a struggle to experience as opposed to collect experience. To me, the speaker of this song is someone who’s become too caught up in the collecting; stocking life’s staples, things like love, up on a shelf or mantle to display because we know they’re supposed to be important somehow.

She seemed satisfied in the corner of the frame
Until she turned to me, said “I need to walk away
Speak no argument, you’re nowhere close to sure;
I’m sorry, but, I don’t have time for sorry anymore.”

Objectification remains a theme throughout the whole song. It’s always interesting to note how artists use similar images in different ways; I’m reminded of another Devine song with a reference to a picture: We could be a snapshot, framed and hung like a portrait / What if that’s true and I’m the only one who knows it? from “Tap Dance.” I guess I’ll go even more poetry on you guys—like the picture he covets, the speaker too is frozen in his life, unable to really move with the love that is moving on.

I felt I was in debt
Each night spent in your bed
A dream I let drop dead
And never had again

Almost immediately “11.17.10″ reminds me of Brand New, something in the way of the demos for “Sowing Season.” I think it’s the power chords at the beginning, and the way this track builds from the muffled guitar and whisper to the full chords and exclamations. Out of the three, this is the one I’m most excited to hear (and see) the full-band version of. And structurally, this falls somewhere in between the first two; the running verses like in “Luxembourg,” but (based on these performances) there’s a greater dynamic range and so a lot more contrast throughout this song.

Sour grapes when the joke goes bad
Same smirk, same bullshit laugh
It’s the egg on my face when I can’t go back
I didn’t plan for that

This last verse contains some of my favorite imagery in the song. That might be because when I read into it literally I really relate; I’m frequently facing that empty silence of going too far when I really didn’t mean to and not knowing how to take it back. Also, it’s because this is just good writing.

So I think whatever he planned for, everyone who’s paying attention is more than excited for Kevin Devine’s sixth full-length release.

What can you do now? While you’re waiting, you should order Part of the Whole and Luxembourg while you still can. AND GO TO THE SHOWS.

libraries are the best

It’s been a long time since I’ve been so quickly captured by new music. It’s also been a long time since I’ve wanted to describe something as ‘ohmygodyes’ or ‘INEEDTHISNOW’ but the debut album from Hannah & Maggie starts all those clocks over again.

It isn’t hard to throw around a bunch of descriptors: acoustic, folk, songwritey, harmony, melodic, beautiful, so on and so on. Fine Being Here is all of those. It’s packed with friendly hammer-ons and chords in the C position, walking bass lines, brushed snare hits, and some of the best harmony that I’m sure many of us have heard in a long time. But what makes this record something that I want to listen to on repeat (for hours) is something even less tangible: chemistry. And if I had to pick one word to describe this music, it would be inviting. The harmony and guitars sound improvised but not messy; everything feels natural. When I’m listening, I can easily imagine another voice here or another small melody there, but not because the music is empty, because it’s so welcoming. Like being assured that there is more than enough to go around when you’re not sure if you’re a burden in a situation.

The record clocks in at a short 35 minutes and stays strong the whole way through. It’s hard for me to know which tracks to discuss because they are all so strong. When a song really puts me in a daze, I like to pull up the lyrics and listen and read along and then make about 20 facebook statuses and like, sign into AIM and put it on my away message via high school, and I want to do that with all of these songs. You know? Some records make you really want to violate that one-track-per-artist rule (is that a rule?) for mixes. You know?

In a world where it seems like everyone is constantly focusing on getting to “that next step” (like college, and probably after college) it’s refreshing to hear the title track, “Fine Being Here.” The chorus goes,

Seems like everyone’s waiting for something better to start
But we’re fine being here, yeah we’re happy right where we are
If it was up to me I don’t think I’d ever move on
But it’s out of our hands so let’s try our best to hold on

and a lot of the writing on the CD is like this. If you single out any line, it feels sort of like a cliche–abstract writing without a lot of images. But doing that doesn’t give you the right picture. There’s such a flow to this writing and singing that I can imagine each line tumbling naturally in place after the next, and suddenly I stop thinking of the writing as “a little colloquial” and start thinking of the verses as a lot like home. And that’s what this record is. It’s a place you can come to when you’re not quite sure how things are going to turn out and rest your head and hear a voice that tells you that whatever’s going on, it can be okay.

“The Land & The Sea” shifts away from the kind of language in “Fine Being Here” and it might be my favorite on the CD. They mention whiskey, wine, and Rome…ALL IN ONE SONG. “She’s in my blood and in my bones / She feels brand new and just like home” is haunting and stands out as one of the best couplets on the album. The spirit of the song is overall hopeful and in the heart of being fine being here, but it’s got a heartbreaking melancholy to it that just sort of makes you stare off into space for minutes, trying to figure out how something can be so heartbreaking and joyful all at the same time. A lot of the songs on this album will probably break your heart, but it’s pretty hard to love something and not let it break your heart a little bit.

And although we may find that these miles are unkind
There are roads left to Rome and we will take our sweet, sweet time
Sticking pins in the map, drinking whiskey, drinking wine
If you stay with me I will make it worth your time

Before I go into an uncontrolled spree (as I like to do) and write four paragraphs about every song, I want to mention “Not the One” and “Lessons in Gravity.” The first is an account of what it feels like to lose yourself in a relationship, seeing things unravel when they’re still sort of raveled and not knowing how to stop it, and not knowing if that’s okay. And “Lessons in Gravity” is just so gorgeous. Plus, I love any song that mentions laundry. Another thing I love about this album is the smooth transitions between verses and choruses. Sometimes it’s nice not to have an epically huge dynamic change between the two; letting them just flow together allows for the music to really breathe.

And I wear my hair short now
but I still sing the songs I wrote with a ponytail
to prove that I know how

The album ends with the abrupt, under-two-minutes “Syncopate, Syncopate” where both sing, “And I think we’re gonna make it after all,” and yes, I think they are, too. So you guys, get this record. Everyone. I’ve listened to Fine Being Here about twenty times in the past week, and I don’t want to be the only one.

Hannah & Maggie Website
Hannah & Maggie Facebook
Hannah & Maggie YouTube
Hannah & Maggie MySpace
Hannah & Maggie Last.FM
Hannah & Maggie Tumblah
…you can pretty much find them everywhere.

Nope.

It’s The Sun Parade.

The self-titled debut kicks off with the current single, “Need You By My Side,” and it’s a perfect folk-pop tune if there ever was one. Over a lively rhythmic pulse of drums and acoustic guitar, Chris Jennings sings, Could you please be my constant / ‘Cause I have fifteen thoughts at a time and whether it’s a nod to LOST or algebra or both (or neither), it’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days at a time.

“Waiting for Life to Drastically Change” has the jangly kind of rhythm to it that makes songs like Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” so memorable, and it’s the kind of tune you can imagine yourself rocking back and forth to, maybe off on a boat somewhere. “Leaving the Nation” introduces some pretty prominent electric guitar, and is about as punky as this EP gets. He even starts out by singing about pretty girls. And of course I love it, because I love anything that’s pumped up enough to make me feel like I’m part of some kind of revolution or mass rebellion, without actually having to leave my bedroom.

The EP slows down with the apreggiated ballad, “Nobody’s Gonna Love You.” This track is an excellent showcase of Jennings’s vocal abilities. It’s darker, more stripped down, more minor-y than the tracks before and it works especially well placed after the charged “Leaving the Nation.” I think the simple pairing of the vocals and guitar are especially effective here; it’s wonderful to be able to really listen to how the support works, back and forth, between both instruments.

“Talking to Myself,” the penultimate track, pops back in with group harmony, and it’s carried by a crunchy combination of piano and electric guitar. Like the other tracks on the EP, this song offers something from the Parade we haven’t seen before, but doesn’t stray far enough from the spirit and core of the music to make it feel out of place.

The EP is closes out with “No Expectations,” the longest track, clocking in at 6:52. “No Expectations” builds like no other song on the EP does, and it’s as if it’s included to make sure that as skilled as these guys are at crafting quick, catchy, and lovely folk-pop songs, they’ve also got more things on their minds. The electric guitar in this track has a sonic quality, that meshes well with the hits of the acoustic guitar, and Jennings explores the higher end of his range at greater length than before. There’s a quiet (and wonderful) explosion into group vocals and guitars before the song fades out again the EP comes to a finish.

Overall, The Sun Parade is a charming, friendly debut from a band that I’m sure many people are eager to hear more of. To me, it’s refreshing to hear some new music that keeps songwriting so closely at its heart. The songs are thoroughly explored, but not overdone, and that’s important. It’d be nice to have a full-length from these guys, but at least with an EP, you can circle back around to track one before you know it.

The Sun Parade is local to Northampton, Massachusetts (crazy, so am I!) and you can find them here:
The Sun Parade Facebook
The Sun Parade MySpace
The Sun Parade Website/BandCamp

This semester I started by drafting a rough outline of how I’d like to spend my time outside of classes–which I currently have a lot of, only having class three days a week. It didn’t go well. If I scheduled a practice session for myself from 9-12, I felt guilty if I didn’t make it to the music building until 9:20, and then again if I got hungry or tired at 11 or 11:30. I spent a few more weeks telling myself the exact schedule was just a guideline I could go by to inspire myself. Then I let go. A couple years ago I made this graph and still it’s accurate to the lengths I go to to try to control my life:

By attempting to meticulously outline all my activities and goals, I appear to have guaranteed myself success: just look at the calendar a month from now and obviously I’ll be that much closer to all my goals. In this kind of thinking, I’m lying to myself about how much I can take on at once. I go too far with planning and time management that I lose sight of the fact that the point isn’t to reach some set of “goals,” however concrete or abstract they happen to be. To me, the point of having goals is to change my daily habits to a point where I’m consistently living in alignment with becoming the person I want to be.

My attitude significantly shifted when I started focusing on the idea of managing my energy instead of my time. Inside looking out, it makes total sense. For the past five days, I’ve been sick in bed. I’ve had TONS OF TIME. In the past week I’ve been to two full classes (those of you who know me, I seem to be saying that a lot lately) and I’ve not done much else. Oh, I finished The L Word and downed (if this is the right verb) about 100 cough drops, but I haven’t accomplished anything. I’ve had plenty of time, but simply no energy. Obviously this is an extreme example, but I think the idea holds even in more balanced situations.

Last semester, I took on way more than I could handle academically. What made me think I could handle 24 credits in a single semester was the mere fact that I appeared to have plenty of time to do that if I wanted to. That fact remains true. Hiding in the details is the snag that I simply don’t have the energy to take this many classes. This semester I’m taking 18 credits, which is still more than a full load, and I’m no less busy than I was last semester.

One of the difficulties in this realization is letting go of things that seem like such great ideas. For example, going to the gym every morning at 6:30 sounds wonderful, especially to me. I love the mornings, and I love the idea of being an early riser. I love the idea of starting my day out with a run so I can feel energized and refreshed. But the thing is, as much as I love this idea, it just hasn’t worked out this way. For whatever reason, getting up at 6:30 to run just isn’t compatible with my current lifestyle. It very likely might be the winter, or the fact that I’m in college, but whatever it is, the reality just doesn’t match the theory. Whenever I do end up exercising this early in the morning, I feel uncomfortable and sleepy when I start out, and then later in the morning I feel exhausted. When I sleep well, I have plenty of energy in the morning (often I feel the best) and I get the most out of exercising in the afternoon because the rush fights against midday tiredness. And that’s okay. (There’s always the shower dilemma, as in, if I shower when I wake up in the morning and then I exercise in the middle of the day, do I need to shower again? I say, hell no. But then, I remember to wear deodorant about twice a month, so feel free take that comment for what it’s worth.)

Now, I’m taking each day and doing what I can with it. And somehow, I’m getting much more done than I was.

I’ve been looking forward to this album so much that I waited a week and a half after its release to listen to it. Steven Page has been my favorite songwriter for over a decade, and his departure from Barenaked Ladies shook my world two Februaries ago. Steve’s music was the cornerstone of my growing up, and when he left the band, it was tough for me to have one of the biggest constants in my life reckoned with. But the guys have moved on, and so has Steve, and maybe with the help of this album, so can I.

The album kicks off with the energetic “A New Shore.” I hope there’s a real kick in there somewhere, because I can picture Steve doing that on stage during this song. He doesn’t waste any time getting started here—I hear Steve singing before iTunes even registers that the second is a song over, and we’re into the first chorus less than twenty seconds in. Every review that goes into enough depth comments on how “A New Shore” is directly about Page’s new career as a solo artist. That’s taking it pretty literally, and it’s also probably not a bad way to think about it, but the great thing about this track is that it can apply to all of us.

When I first saw “Entourage” was going to be on this album, a part of me wondered why, because it’s such an old song, and there’s already an official recording of it on Lilac6, though Steve doesn’t sing lead on it. The way it’s redone on this album is a little shocking if you’re familiar with the Duffy version. This is the track on the album where the jazzy vibe works best. I think this is the song on the album that best answers the question, “Why is Steve wearing a suit in all the artwork?”

“All The Young Monogamists” is Page’s greatest accomplishment on this album; I see this song as the clear showcase of Page One. I distinctly remember hearing Steve debut this song during one of the songwriter’s panels on Ships & Dip V, and it stuck with me even though I usually don’t remember songs I’ve heard only once. Over the past decades, Page has carved himself a unique lyrical niche, and the qualities of that are really evident in this song—that he can insert the word monogamists into his lyrical vocabulary and have it sound natural is a victory in and of itself. Between Page’s deep and smooth vocal delivery, the strings, and the lack of percussion, this track sounds like it could have come off of The Magnetic Fields’ i; recall the opening track, “I Die,” and I think you’ll see what I mean.

“All The Young Monogamists” is a love song that boldly exposes the inadequacies of what a love song is usually about: a romanticization of something that will surely pass—people telling lies, “they can feel inside of them that this is not enough.” But because Page says a lot more than, “I love you,” in this song, his profession of love is honest and something that I, as a listener of this story, actually believe. The speaker and his addressee, both having been “around the block,” know what disaster might be in store if they commit to each other, and their commitment, despite their histories, speaks with greater trust, faith, and love than if they’d both been perfect lovers in the past. One of my favorite images comes in the middle of the song, when Page sings, “and some of them will sleep around, just like you and me.” “Sleep around” is such a common phrase in regular conversation, and it’s as crude as I think I’ve heard Page write, but then maybe that’s the point, that love can be crude, and the crudeness doesn’t stop it from being love.

My biggest complaint is that all the variation in style results in some disconnect on the record. The shift from “Monogamists” to the upbeat “She’s Trying to Save Me” feels okay, and the return to prominent acoustic guitars is natural in “Over Joy.” But after that song, we’re thrown from the 80′s feeling “If You Love Me,” to the show-tune “Leave Her Alone” (the first time I’ve heard Steve swear in a song) and the beat-driven “Queen of America” before we land in what feels like home, the album’s closer “The Chorus Girl.” All these songs are great on their own, and the diversity is refreshing, but it’s definitely a roller coaster. I find my home in the more introspective, acoustic guitar based tracks, but I also feel happier than anything to hear Steve having such fun singing an upbeat track like “Leave Her Alone.”

“Over Joy” is another highlight on this CD. It’s not much different from the demo Steve released on his Myspace a few years back, but it didn’t need to be. The guitar on this track is so rhythmically present that I had to turn the volume up to check that there were actually drums; the drums seem to follow the guitar on this track, and not the other way around. Whether you’re a lonely high school kid, like I was when I first heard “Over Joy,” or past that point, this song will speak to you that you’re not alone, that you haven’t been alone even when it’s seemed like it.

I’ve been familiar with Steven Page as a writer and a musician for years, and when I found out he’d be making solo records, I never thought that he had anything to prove. I think if there’s anything any of us need to prove, it’s us fans who were so devoted to BNL getting over the split—at least that’s what is true for me. Pick up Page One guys. It’s an amazing record from an amazing man, and you won’t regret it.

I was scared and annoyed at myself for feeling tired, because I really didn’t want to not enjoy the show because I was grouchy and needed a nap. There was something about the entire night that kept me in a good, energetic mood, and I’m sure it was a combination of everything: the people I was with, the venue, and all the band members.

I deeply enjoyed Hardello even though the sound was muffled and it was just a guy singing with an electric guitar. There was something about his singing that just felt honest, however vague that description sounds. And Gobotron was just fun. They seemed like they could have played together forever if they weren’t just opening.

Do any of you guys know The Odds? I’m gonna admit that Robert McDowell and Murray Atkinson (second from the left, obviously) are probably different people, but I’m just gonna include this picture anyway:

Canadian band The Odds: Pat Steward, Murray Atkinson, Craig Northey, Doug Elliott

And here’s a photo I found on the Bad Books website:

Notice how Robert McDowell is second to left in this shot, too. Just throwing that out there.

Before Bad Books, Andy Hull came out and performed songs from Right Away Great Captain! I think in between his songs, he covered “Foregone Conclusions” by Pedro the Lion, which I really loved hearing. After the show Andy admitted to me that he feels slightly unsure of his Captain material, and I was really flattered to hear him say that he thought I was really enjoying it (I stood directly in front of him for the entire night) and that that thought gave him inspiration to continue the set. Whether I really gave him any inspiration or not, it’s true that I really did enjoy his material. I’m not very familiar with RAGC (is that an accepted acronym?) and I want to say that his set was a “pleasant surprise,” but I think “pleasant” is very obviously not the right word. Andy’s set felt like having just walked into a heated building in the middle of winter, all bundled up, that suffocating feeling, and then having someone open the window. Stark and harshly refreshing, but still unsettling in some way. That’s just what songs do to you sometimes.

Kevin and Andy suited up.

The concert moved on at a pretty steady pace, partly due to the fact that they didn’t have to change drumsets or equipment at all. Bad Books hit the stage around 11:30, Kevin and Andy both donning handsome suits. The setlist reads:

Highway of death
Baby Shoes
Holding down the laughter
How this all ends
you wouldn’t have
the plan
Please move
Mesa, AZ
Begged
TX
———
Easy Mark & Old Maid
Just Stay
Now that you’re home
Cotton Crush
-Mirror-

And it’s printed on the back of what looks like some kind of mewithoutYou merchandise sheet, in case anyone is wondering.

“Highway of death” isn’t an actual song, for people who aren’t familiar with the current jokes of the set. They opened with “Baby Shoes.” Looking at the list now, it looks like a short set, but it didn’t feel short. The show also didn’t drag. It was full to the brim of moments; when I’ve tried to recount the show to my friends so far, I’ve found that I’m able to talk for over an hour about everything that happened.

During the opening acts, there were some sound problems (guitars too loud, vocals too soft), but they were worked out by the time Bad Books took the stage. The performance was stellar, but you can hear that just as well on the album. We know they’re all good musicians already. What I loved most was how the band interacted and supported each other on stage. There was more harmony last night than I’ve heard at Manchester and Kevin shows I’ve attended, and I think harmony is the most intimate of all musical interactions.

Several times, it seemed like they were never going to get around to starting the next song because they were too caught up in banter and jamming. Before “Mesa,” Kevin was chatting and guitarist Robert McDowell cut it off and sang the first line, in a really charming manner of friendly teasing. In between everything, we got to hear “Thanklin Franklin,” Kevin play the first few lines of Sugar Ray’s “Every Morning,” and Andy Hull do his song about 50 cent.

Throughout the whole set, everyone was talking to each other, jamming, making up songs. There was this open, friendly, laid-back atmosphere that I haven’t seen in many bands. I’ve seen it in Barenaked Ladies for years—they’re very well known for improvising raps at every show and things—but a lot of bands don’t let themselves loosen up as much on stage. Being too stiff and serious on stage is an unfortunate place a lot of performers fall into, but not Bad Books. And that extra interaction is what, more than a good performance, makes everyone remember the night. I felt like the Bad Books concert was an experience we were all having together—band and audience. I want to tell my friends Andy said this and Kevin said that and then Chris Freeman made this joke and some guy in the audience…and so on and so on.

One of my favorite moments was the last song of the main set, Hull’s ballad “Texas.” The construction of the show was so perfectly orchestrated that by the time this song was up, I didn’t even realize that half the band had left. Hull performed “Texas” with a guitar, KD on drums and backing vocals, and Chris Freeman doing some singing as well. This was such a beautiful performance because, to me, it so perfectly encapsulated what the foundation of Bad Books is: the partnership between Kevin and Andy, and the support that exists from each one to the other.

Kevin on the drums. I am sorry for my blurry pictures guys!

When Kevin was going over the drums, he paused and made a try bringing his microphone over, but decided against it because he didn’t want to interrupt what was going on, and just sat at the kit, and sang anyway. The tech, Nate I think, wasn’t sure what Kevin was looking for and had trouble getting eye contact with him. I think I caused some confusion in the front row because I kept on silently motioning to Nate, “Kevin wants the microphone,” and no one could figure out why I was waving my arms and mouthing words during Andy’s quiet intro. But the tech figured it out, and at first Kevin shrugged about it, not wanting to risk any disruption or inconvenience I think, but he got the mic anyway. And I was very glad for it. We knew it wasn’t really the end, but it was such a meaningful way for the band to say goodbye, if even for a few moments.

Toward the end of the set, Andy had leaned down to give me a guitar pick and it fell on the ground because I didn’t notice what he was doing. I become super enthused and excited and said, “It’s okay, it’s okay!” And Andy replied, “No no, I’ll get you another one!” He did, and then he thanked me for enjoying the show so much and said he would give me a setlist. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to snag setlists from crew members after concerts, but I don’t think I ever take them because I figure that if I was going to collect setlists, I would’ve already started. There’s some flawed logic, maybe courtesy of my in-progress math major. But a band-member personally offering to give me the setlist during the show? That’s something that hasn’t happened to me before, and I was honestly on cloud nine for the rest of the show, and I’ll keep this setlist safe forever. Right after they left the stage, Andy tore up the setlist, handed it to me, and we thanked each other.

Then they all came back. Sandwiched in the encore were two Kevin songs and one Manchester tune. I think this is the time during the show when the crowd was most united. Before that it was like we all ran into each other at a grocery store and had a great conversation, but knew we had met before somewhere and couldn’t yet remember where. And then during “Just Stay,” we figured it out, oh oh, I know all you guys because we have all been touched by Kevin’s music, Manchester Orchestra’s, both, and we are all here coming together to support and enjoy their new, joint endeavor. “Now That You’re Home” and “Cotton Crush” had so much energy that part of me hopes there’s a huge joint tour sometime where the six perform an array of KD, MO, and BB songs as one band.

There was so much banter before “You’re a Mirror I Can’t Avoid” that I thought they were gonna maybe cut the song from the show due to time restrictions. But we got it. It really is something to see Kevin bounce from rapping (man can rap) to singing this acoustic track, where every lyric is so carefully thought out, but he does the transition well.

After the show, I was lucky to talk with both Andy and Kevin (though at separate times). Andy told me that the next Manchester record features 10 “really heavy” songs, and that it’s a concept record, where he’s pleading both with God and his wife but he’s not always sure which one. Kevin says he’s got about six songs floating around for his new release, but he still doesn’t know exactly where any of them are going to go. And neither know exactly what’s coming next as far as touring goes, but Hull is definitely sure there will be more Bad Books records, and Kevin too feels confident that we’ll hear from them again, somehow, in some way. I know whatever happens, I’ll be happy to be there.

We ended up not leaving the venue until almost 2:30 am. Earlier in the night, we had mistakenly put “Brookline Ave” and not “Brookline Street” into the GPS, and parked our car in a parking garage. I’m not really sure why, since I knew we weren’t at the right place. Wanting to accept things in a group dynamic, I guess. We assumed our car was going to get locked in since the garage had said it would close an hour after the show at House of Blues…which I’m sure was earlier than 2 in the morning. Walking out of the venue, my friend Derek mentioned that we still had to figure out our situation of getting home, and Kevin and his brother said, “Your…situation??” We explained, and it reminded me of something similar that happened to my friend Rachel and me and I said, “Well, I locked myself inside of a mountain once.” Kevin said, “You WHAT?” Then I explained that we’d been hiking past dark and the gates of the parking lot were locked at sunset, and the consensus after that was, “Oh, that’s more reasonable.” The conclusion here is that it’s less reasonable to get locked inside of a mountain than a parking lot, I think. We ended up not getting locked in at all, but I think we cut it pretty close, ’cause the attendant near chased us out of the lot when we got back.

Also guys, I gave Kevin a couple of my shirts in Brooklyn and he says that he likes them, so if you ever spot him wearing one, send me a picture. And feel free to get one yourself (um, if you want).

After a long night of openers, Kevin finally hit the stage around 10:45. God this is so late for me! The night before the show, I tried to stay up late to practice for the drive back from Brooklyn, and I was dead at 11:30. The GDB gave me the rush of adrenaline I needed to stay awake through the set.

I was lucky enough to stand _right in front of Brian Bonz_ for the entire night. The set was great, and overall the show was great too, but I think there were a couple kinks in the sound that could have been better. The lead guitar was just too loud last night. It felt like the lead guitar was louder than the rest of everyone combined. I think there was one song where no one really played it (“You’ll Only End Up Joining Them”) and the sound was much more solid.

I know I sound like I’m being picky, but I think it’s really important for bands to have good sound live. And the way the sound was last night, I can imagine that if I didn’t know any of Kevin’s songs already, I wouldn’t have been able to really hear them. If something is off in the sound, it can stop the real spirit of the music from coming through in the performance. Since I knew all the songs, I could still hear what was going on, and it was still amazing, but just being brutally honest, I experienced a small amount of dread every time the songs got to the big parts because it was just a little overwhelming.

Big kudos to the Goddamn Band for selecting a great setlist. I’ve oft been in situations where I’ve been able to read the setlist from where I was in the audience, and this happened last night. Sometimes I do well choosing not to read the set, and sometimes I pick to read it. Last night I read the set before the show (too much excitement? too much anticipation after so much waiting?) so none of the songs were a surprise to me.

Setlist
Trouble
You’re My Incentive
Carnival
Another Bag of Bones
You’ll Only End Up Joining Them
The Shift Change Splits the Streets
Big Bad Man
Fever Moon
Murphy’s Song
Noose Dressed Like a Necklace
Hand of God
Just Stay
Burning City Smoking
Yr Husband
I Could Be With Anyone
Cotton Crush
Ballgame
She Stayed As Steam

Encore
You Are The Daybreak
Whistling Dixie
Brother’s Blood

For me, highlights included “You’ll Only End Up Joining Them,” “The Shift Change Splits the Streets,” “Big Bad Man,” and “Burning City Smoking.” Unless I have the wrong version or I’m hallucinating, I think “Burning City Smoking” was performed a half-step higher than it’s recorded; the recording is in Bb, and I remember Kevin having a capo on 2, meaning he was playing in B. Unless his guitar is tuned down a half step! I didn’t think about this deeply enough during the set to conclude for sure. There really are a lot of options here. I took note of this because I like to play this song with a capo on 3, using different chord shapes.

To me, “Shift Change” is a song that doesn’t particularly stand out on the album, but last night’s performance made it really stick out for me. I wish I had a recording of it I could refer back to right now, but Kevin delivered an especially smooth vocal performance here and the dynamics were pretty spot-on. My favorite unexpected part of the night was Brian Bonz’s harmonies. The only improvement Bonz’s vocals could use is more of them. Also mad props to Bonz for beat-boxing the intro to “I Could Be With Anyone.”

“Ballgame” was performed in a more built-up, ambient style than the acoustic arrangement I think most of us are used to, and Kevin brought on a trumpet player for a chunk of songs in the middle, which was a great addition. If you’re going to do a full-band show, do a full-band show, and that’s what we got last night. I think “Fever Moon” benefited the most from the brass. There’s something so mystifying about that song; when it’s playing, I’m not always sure that I want to be listening, but I can never, ever shut it off before it ends.

I feel a lot of resonance with the choice to end the night with “Brother’s Blood.” I can’t help but feel extremely happy for Kevin right now, and that’s why it was so important to me to be at the show last night. There are so many things about last night’s show that made it special and that no one there will ever be able to forget: a hometown show not only in the city, but in Brooklyn; the first headlining show in 18 months; part of CMJ; the last show in support of Brother’s Blood; his last show in New York this year; the day of the official Bad Books release… Wow. Brother’s Blood has been such an important record to me, and I feel intensely happy to have been there for its last hurrah. And I feel so excited and thrilled to look ahead toward what the future holds: Bad Books, Kevin’s sixth album, and who knows what else.

It was clear that they were crunched for time (“Whistling Dixie” was cut from the encore) and as a consequence of this, there also wasn’t much on-stage banter. But Kevin did take the time to humbly and sincerely thank the audience for choosing to attend this event from amongst everything else going on at CMJ, after which Brian Bonz chimed in and announced, “We true friends.” We true friends indeed.

Law & Order: SVU
I’m sure this sounds really weird, and I promise I’m not a creep or a psychopath or anything, but SVU is a feel-good show for me. I feel like it’s something I can take refuge in, the same way battle scenes and siege scenes (think Helm’s Deep) make me feel safe. I’m not quite sure why, but years ago I started referring to the main detectives on this show as My Friends and I really do think of them as such. If you check out the SVU last.fm page you’ll see that I really am serious about it. I think I’ve written this in a comic once, but here it is again. When I try to explain why this show makes me feel good, I say it’s because these detectives are confronted with the worst crimes and, more often than not, they can make things right in just 42 minutes, and so that must mean there’s hope for my problems, too. Plus, I think I have a celebrity crush on Olivia Benson.

The Office (US)
Everyone watches this show and I’m so glad I do too! I think that doing something everyone else does can be a really good vehicle for making friends and participating in every day conversations, so people can think I’m similar to them and will be more likely to like me. Also, I actually do think the show is very funny. I think it’s still funny. I know how Michael feels about wanting to have friends and I know how Dwight feels about wanting to conquer the world. I’ve long thought Jim is a little annoying, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too, right?

Dexter
After watching Weeds this past summer, I feel like I’m a fan of Showtime shows. I really appreciate how intricate and well-made the opening credits are on both Dexter and Weeds. In order, I think my favorite seasons are 4, 2, 1, 3. Even though it’s my favorite of the series, I felt like there were major plot inconsistencies in the fourth season (mainly, the entire series they make such a point about having Dexter always always always always pick up his phone, even in the most inconvenient and impractical times, and the one time he doesn’t the consequence is this huge tragedy???). But I enjoyed the premiere of season 5, and I’m a fan of Julia Stiles so I’m looking forward to seeing how this season turns out.

I’m not even sure why I like Dexter. I think there’s good storytelling, and good question-asking. Good question-asking is an important part of good storytelling. At first I thought it would be really difficult for me to empathize with Dexter because he’s a serial killer, but Michael C. Hall makes it possible (perhaps the writers have something to do with that too). I really like that Dexter always wears a button-up thermal shirt whenever he kills somebody. Not because he’s killing someone, but because those are my favorite long-sleeve shirts to wear. I have about ten of them. I love the buttons.

Weeds
Oh man! I think Weeds might be my favorite show of the bunch. I watched the first 5 seasons in one fell swoop at the end of the summer and loved it. I wish they still had “Little Boxes” in opening sequence. It was always a treat to hear who was covering “Little Boxes” during the second and third seasons. What makes this show great? Nancy fuckin’ Botwin. Actually I feel that my affection toward her has been waning with the current season, but I’m hoping that will change because I really love loving her. I think the show peaked at season 3, but I have hope that it can get back up there. Or, I want to have that hope. I think it’s a trend in cable channel TV shows to feature a lot of swearing, vulgarity, nudity, sex, etc. just because they can and it gets to be a little old/too much in this show, but that’s my biggest gripe with the series. What also makes this show great is all the other characters. Props to the writers of this show for having such a good balance of comedy/drama, and character development/plot.

How I Met Your Mother
I’m nowhere near caught up with this show (so don’t tell me anything!) and I like that. I think I’m a couple episodes into season 3. I always watch this show with my best friend Rachel, and we managed to get through the first two seasons over the past several months. It’s just not often that we decide to watch TV shows together because we are usually busy doing other best friend things. When we do watch this show, it’s often paired with chocolate cake. I think all the characters in this show are really charming, and I love seeing Neil Patrick Harris because, to me, he is that awesome singer from the Proposition 8 musical and I love that. And I like Ted. I know a lot of people that really don’t like him, and the other night I was reflecting that I think there’s something inherently unlikable about many main characters that’s part of their nature being a main character. But I still like Ted! I think he’s a nice guy. Sometimes me and my friends try and match ourselves up with HIMYM characters, and I really don’t know who I am. My favorite thing about this show is it always makes me laugh.

LOST
Oh God, Lost, there’s so much to say about Lost. When I interviewed her, my sister spoke of Lost, “Well these people on an island just like, get lost.  And they don’t know where they are.  And they can’t find themselves or whatever.” And I guess that’s right. I really liked the series finale, but at the same time, so many freaking unexplained plot holes. I think it just depends what you expect out of it. At first I was expecting some grand revelation in the fashion of Harry Potter, during which every single little action would be given clear and perfect meaning. But once I figured out that Lost just wasn’t gonna give me that, I was able to enjoy the show more. It’s sort of the same thing with Charile Kaufman films. I find that when I watch them, the first time around I spend the entire time waiting for the movie to start, instead of just realizing, oh, this is just what the movie is like, this is it. This show did have great characters, and I applaud the creators for developing so many of them. My favorite? Ben Linus, obviously. I think my sister’s favorite is Hurley.

The O.C.
I have such a soft spot for The OC! This is the kind of show that I would love to re-watch with someone and just laugh with. I think there’s good dialogue in this show, even if it’s unrealistic. But here are some of my least favorite things about this series. The lighting. It’s really obvious throughout the series that they never took the time to shoot scenes during the times of day when the occur. In fact, I think they really tried to do a bad job at this. I don’t expect to be able to perfectly measure the time with a sundial on my screen (or something) but it’s pretty obvious that it’s actually late afternoon when they have a scene before school that they filmed at 4:30 pm. The other thing that is bad about this show is the story is always fueled by really annoying secondary characters. There is always at least one non-main character causing drama, and I think these characters are always a huge pain to watch. The show would’ve been a lot better if the writers had just focused the story on the main characters. Also, I never watched all the episodes of season 4, but by that point it didn’t matter to me much. But I was (and am) a really big fan of Ryan/Taylor. I thought they were a great match. And I hated that guy Summer met at Brown and that goddamn stupid bunnies episode.

Dawson’s Creek
I don’t even really like this show a lot, but I used to stay home in middle school and watch it a lot. I think I couldn’t watch many episodes of this show without getting bored, but I wanted to comment that Joey/Pacey is one of my favorite television couples and I love watching their scenes.

Arthur
I figure I should also throw in Arthur to this list. Arthur is always playing at my house. I promise you. At any given time, if you walk into my house, it’s extremely likely that one or both of my mother and sister will be watching Arthur on the couch. Or neither. It’s just always on. DW is my favorite, of course.

So yup, that’s my TV life. I also love Boy Meets World. And I was thinking of starting Bones if I ever decide I have time in my life for another show. I’m really enjoying never watching these shows when they air (the ones that have new episodes) and then using catching up as pleasant breaks between activities.

Being a student really lends itself to being used to switching between lifestyles that largely contrast each other. During the summer, I was spending about 30 hours a week babysitting, and the rest of my time rock-climbing indoors, visiting friends, and hanging around the house with my family. Now I’m back at Smith, fighting to find the right balance between classes, friends, personal time, music, and just about everything else in between. Let me tell you about some of those things:

ENG 228 – Children’s Literature (4 cr.)
TTh 9:00 − 10:20
Two mornings a week, I go to a lecture about children’s literature. I’ve really been looking forward to taking this class for a long time, and I think it’s a shame that Children’s Literature isn’t more widely studied as a significant part of literature. The course is very popular with over seventy students. It’s unfortunate that the size prohibits the class from being a discussion-based environment, but it’s also great to see that so many people are interested in these books. Children’s literature is a lot of fun, but I think the genre goes well beyond fun. I’m familiar with most of the books we’re reading, but I’m really excited to hear a professor’s perspective on the genre. I have a long-term goal of learning Biblical Hebrew and being able to read the Old Testament as it was written, and studying overlap between OT stories and cornerstone tales of children’s literature, which I think together form some of the most important basis and inspiration for every story we know. Mostly I want to learn everything about what stories are. I decided not to continue studying Hebrew this semester, and so I feel like I’m still chipping away at this goal, even if it’s baby chips.

MTH 238 – Topics in Number Theory (4 cr.)
MWF 10:00 − 10:50
I’m really excited about this math class! I guess it fulfills a major requirement, but I never think about requirements, I just think about fun. I feel like it’ll take a few weeks to really get off the ground with this class, because there are so many topics in intro number theory that you just pick up and learn about on the side of other mathematics. So far class has been a more formal review of a bunch of stuff I already know. Last spring, I took MTH 255 – Graph Theory which was largely proof-based. I feel pretty sure that I could have handled the material in Number Theory a year ago, but I’d have been less confident writing proofs, which is the core of the classwork. My teacher for this one is pretty much in charge of the bell tower at Smith College, which is a really powerful attribute.

MTH 243 – Introduction to Analysis (4 cr.)
MWF 1:10 − 2:30
Whoa! Analysis! I’m really surprised that I ended up taking this class. I didn’t register for this until the middle of the 2nd week of classes. This semester I had a goal of taking a lighter courseload than previous semesters, and I just really failed in sticking to that because I’m taking more credits this semester than any other. This class is structured very differently from your standard mathematics course with something called the Cohen Method. We’re split into groups of 3 or 4, and every week we’re given a set of definitions to read, and then a set of problems to solve. As a group, we have to solve the problems, write our solutions up formally (using Latex) and then give an oral presentation on our paper to the class. Every group solves different kinds of problems, so the idea is you’ll learn all the material by working out solutions with your group, and being taught other groups’ findings by their presentations and papers. One of the things that makes having a hefty course-load doable is having classes that are structured differently. A class like this is more of a commitment than a standard lecture course, because your performance influences how the rest of your group fares in the class. But at the same time, I think it’d be more difficult to manage three math courses at the same time if they were all run in the same way.

But anyway, at first I wasn’t going to do this course because I just thought it would be too much, but I got sucked in by a couple classmates raving about how great the class is. What’s special about it is that this semester, the class is being taught by the Cohen himself, Professor David Cohen, who is officially retired from Smith College. I’m also eyeing Complex Analysis for the spring. Complex Analysis has a couple either/or prerequisites, one of which I already have, but I figure it can’t be a bad idea to have both of them. Adding this course also pretty much ensured that I’ll finish the requirements for a math major next semester, which will feel pretty cool. It will be like having a fake degree.

MTH 246 – Probability (4 cr.)
MWF 11:00 − 12:10
I feel like I’ll really get a lot out of this class. In general, I’m ambivalent to the question, “But how does this help in real life?” when being asked about mathematics. I feel like it’s often paired with a cutting undertone that theoretical/abstract math is impractical and therefore unimportant (sometimes the question is innocent, but sometimes it also sounds like an attack). But folks, just because you don’t understand something, doesn’t mean it’s not important! Of course my belief is that even if advanced math didn’t have any immediate application to “real life” it would still be meaningful if people experienced joy in doing it. So I don’t see that it matters much. But for some reason, I feel like all the applications to everyday problems in this class will be a lot of fun. Maybe it’s the elegance of difficult problems stated so simply, and maybe it’s just something this branch of mathematics more readily lends itself to.

MUS 233 – Composition (4 cr.)
TTh 10:30 − 11:50
In this class I…compose music. So far, we are working on composing melodies for solo instruments. As a guitarist, I have a little trouble thinking just melodically, and so I’ve been spending more playing time working on soloing in different keys. I also think at the piano sometimes. I feel slightly handicapped in this class even though I’ve written a lot of music in the past—I feel self-conscious, at least, because I don’t have any real formal background in music, as in, I can’t play any orchestra instruments. The class is geared toward “classical” composition, and I like to write pop songs. I really think that there’s not much of a difference—a good melody is a good melody regardless of what environment you put it in—so this handicap is just one of perception, and therefore can be thought around.

MUS 914Y – Guitar lessons (2 cr.)
Th 6:10 − 7:00
This is my second semester of guitar lessons at Smith. I study classical guitar with Philip de Fremery, with his own wikipedia article. Pretty neat. Philip is an amazing guitarist and I’m blown away by his playing. But I struggle with these lessons sometimes. I’ve been playing guitar for 6+ years, and I can learn some difficult pieces pretty quickly, but I don’t ultimately see myself as a classical guitarist, so when I pick up guitar, practicing classical pieces isn’t the first thing I want to do. I’m really glad for the lessons I’ve taken at Smith, but there’s a chance I might not continue these next semester. Musically, I’m more invested in focusing on learning piano, and…

MUS 914Y – Drum lessons (2 cr.)
Th 7:00 − 7:50
One of the few things I dislike about Smith so far is their drum policy. Smith has a drumset in the basement of the music building, Sage Hall, but the only people who are allowed to use it are jazz ensemble drummers, and people who take drum lessons for credit. The rules seem silly to me, so I tried to see if I could get access a couple times a week without taking lessons (I don’t want to join jazz band right now) but they’re pretty strict about the rules. I debated a lot with myself whether or not to take these lessons. I’m doing a lot this semester, and adding these lessons put me at 24 credits, which is the most you’re allowed to take without getting special signatures. I’m a fan of overloading, but not of being busy, and I want to be really careful with commitments I add to my schedule. I finally decided to take these drum lessons because several times a week (often daily) I find myself really, really itching to play drums. I end up banging out beats in the middle of class for minutes at a time before I realize that to everyone else, I’m making a really incomprehensible ruckus because they simply don’t get that I’m playing “Heartbreaker” by Led Zeppelin. The lesson is 50 minutes a week, and besides that I’ll just have to practice drums sometimes. They actually gave me a key to the drum room, so I bet I could sleep there if I was quiet about it (I feel like that will never happen). I haven’t actually had any lessons yet, but I’m thinking they will be a lot of fun because the woman teaching them seems to be a really well established drummer.

Working at the Rock Wall
Th 4:00 − 6:00, F 3:00 − 6:00
Oh my god guys! I am really, really happy to be a wall monitor this year. Smith has a really awesome climbing wall that I will tell you about later on with more depth. We have 9 top rope stations, and free gear, and a really positive climbing community. Last year I went to the wall a lot, and I spent all my free time this summer at the climbing gym. Next February, the folks who own the gym I go to in Worcester are opening up a bigger gym three miles down the road from me, where I’m also going to work. Working at climbing walls rocks! My work-study job is to talk to people really enthusiastically about rock-climbing, which is something I do all day every day, so now I get paid for some of those hours. It’s for precisely five hours each week, which is less than I’ve worked in the past while in school. I’m trading off a little extra pocket money for enough time to take all these credits, and I think it’s worth it. (And I’ll likely spend more time working next semester when the new climbing gym opens up in Hadley. Locals, pay attention to this.)

So yeah, that’s…my life? In between all this, I’m trying to keep up with everything else. Or, I mean I’m trying not to get too lost in it all. More later. You don’t get too lost either.