Live from Seattle, Letters From Traffic

Good evening, minions!  Tonight, we're gonna talk about music and kick ass.  And I'm all out of ass.

So music being an important aspect of my little existence (and the cornerstone of more than one subculture), it is likely not surprising that I get out to the odd concert when I can.  Sadly, with recent trends in the music industry, it's not as often as I would like.  But we're not here to talk about that!  We're here to talk about Letters From Traffic.

So I only brought my phone.  Sorry.

Saturday night I headed over to Chop Suey in Capitol Hill to see the Band In Seattle concert.  It was my first time in that particular venue, and I will say that it has character.  I am also tempted to say they overcharged for the Malibu & OJ I had, but I also just got back from Colorado, and so I need to readjust to Washington State drinking prices.  But I digress.

In one of the stalls, ladies room, Chop Suey.

I must admit straight out that this is not the type of music I usually go to see.  These days the music I frequent is typically a little more synthesized.  That said, rock can be deeply satisfying.  We were running a little late, so we got there in time to catch the last couple songs of the Nicholas Russel Band's set.  They were pretty good.  I understand they boast a brilliant guitarist who is only 13 years old, but the songs I caught didn't really emphasize that.  The crowd was a little thin when we first arrived (it would more than double before we left), but it was far from empty, and they enjoyed a nice round of applause as they finished their set.

Next up was Gunn and the Damage Done.  Or as I dubbed them, Four Guys Off the Street.  Because that's what they looked like when they took the stage.  Seriously, maybe my standards are off or something, but baseball hat =/= appropriate front man ensemble.  In their defense, they knew their way around their instruments, and played well together.  Competent musicians, certainly, but they didn't really groove with me.  My favorite part of their set was their drummer.  I liked his enthusiasm and energy (even if I suspected he was a little drunk).

And then we had the reason I was there!  I knew of Letters From Traffic because I know their front man, Scott Concinnity.  I actually had the privilege of performing with him once a few years ago - he stepped up for me when my accompaniment left me high and dry.  Sadly, I did not get the chance to work with him again.  All that said, I had never seen his band, and so when it was brought to my attention that they had a show (and a CD release party, no less), I was all for it.  I have not met the other band members, but I have the internet at my fingers, so I can also tell you that they have Dennis Hart on guitar; Chris Couvillion on trumpet and flugel horn; Alex Gee on slide trombone; Bradford King on tenor & alto sax and vocals; Matthew Miller on drums; and Jacob Doss on bass guitar and vocals.

First impressions are important, and I will admit that one of the things I really liked about Letters From Traffic was they looked good taking the stage.  They didn't look like they'd just rolled out of bed five minutes ago, which I appreciate.  I mean, come on, I've seen bands go casual, and that's fine, but only if it looks intentional.  You can't look like you grabbed whatever wasn't stained off the floor. They were also comfortable in it - they had presence.  No awkward posturing or milling uncertainty.

LFT's brand of rock is soulful, bluesy, and animated.  What do I mean by that?  Well, they move with their music, and you will too.  You will doubtless argue that all bands move with their music, and you'll also be completely missing the point.  There are seven men in LFT, and they are into their music in a way I wish more bands were.  Scott took the mic with an impassioned fervor, his soul ringing in his voice.  Dennis and Jacob bent to their guitars like lovers.  Alex, Bradford, and Chris sent brilliant, brassy notes out into the audience and it was ecstatic.  I couldn't see Matt, but I like to believe he was pouring his heart into those drums.  My hips swayed, my feet tapped, my back arched, and for a moment I felt as if the ardor they brought to the stage washed over the rest of us.  Out of all the performances I have ever been to in my just-shy-of 35 years, I have only felt that way two other times.

As previously mentioned, Saturday was also when LFT released their new CD, Icarus Iterations.  I picked up a copy (like you do).  So far, I think my favorite song is Dirty.  Nothing can make you love a band like seeing them live, and I think I love Letters From Traffic now.  They're not my usual cup of tea, but there is definitely a place in my heart (and my hips, apparently) for their sound.

Two more bands followed LFT - The Dolly Rottens and The Bend - but I have to confess I didn't stick around for them.  The Dolly Rottens had taken longer than I liked getting on stage, and having already seen the band I went there to see, I allowed myself to be fickle and went in search of tea and comfortable places to sit.  Which led to leaving the bar, you see.  Anyway, I missed it, but I'm sure they had their own moments of magnificence.  Or not.  The world may never know.

Adventures of the Gray Goth: 2014

We are four days into the new year as I begin this rambling, and I can almost guarantee that we will be five days in by the time I post it.  Not because I will be burning the midnight oil to write it - quite the opposite in fact.  It has been a long day, I am exhausted, and I still have much to do before I can sleep.  Nothing serious, just the small yet necessary things that accumulate during the hours of the day, building in the corners like particularly obstinate dust bunnies.  Things like digging my bed out from beneath the pile of laundry and notions which I kept leaving on it.  Trivial tasks, but not lacking in significance.

I feel a bit odd, my minions.  2013 was a pretty good year for me, overall.  It was not perfect, but nothing is.  However, a lot of good things happened.  It was the first year in our new house, and while that brought its own challenges it also made those challenges worth it.  I love having a home that's mine.  I love feeling like what I do to it matters.  I love being able to paint the walls any color I damn well please.  In addition to the house, Beasty got a promotion this past June that saw him in a less mind-numbing line of work that paid better, so that was also quite good.  Still the same company, but what can you do.

2013 was also a rewarding year as a mother.  We got the not-so-wee demon into Track & Field, and then later Cross Country, and it was very good for him.  It was work, but worth it.  The still-a-bit-wee demon got to see a specialist, and so got the assistance she needed for school, and is now doing so much better than she did last year.  Her first quarter report card almost made me cry, I was so heartened by her progress.

The point I'm making is that I wasn't in a hurry to shove the old year out the door like I have been in the past.  Granted, it's been a few years since I muttered the infamous phrase of "I'm so glad 20-- is over," but 2013 in particular saw many good things.

I think part of my problem is that the last week of 2013 brought news that colors the coming year.  You will have to forgive me, but I'm going to be aggravatingly vague about what the news was.  It is not my story to share.  Like most people, though, I am a character in others' stories, and so the news affects me.  Let us just say that it took a bit of the shine off the new year before it even began.

And so I sit, a bit pensive, very thoughtful, and I consider the year stretching out before me.  It's a bit tarnished, but if the Steampunk fashion movement has taught us anything it is that tarnish can enhance a surface to make it something grander than it was before.  On that note, let's look at resolutions:

The Empress's Resolutions for 2014:

1.  Be a better friend.
I think this is going to be a resolution for the rest of my life.  There is always room for improvement.

2.  Be more intentional about my career.
I've been sitting in a holding pattern that has largely consisted of waiting for life to be more stable.  Now, I haven't just waited - I am in school, and I am the mother of two children, one of whom is autistic.  I'm reasonably busy.  But if I'm going to call myself a writer, I need to start acting like it's my job.  Which means schedules, and due dates, and submitting my work to whomever is accepting as well as a number of people who aren't.

3.  Keep working on being less estranged from my family.
You may also recall this resolution from last year.  I put a bit of work into it, but not as much as I should have.  Time to get back in the saddle and all that.

4. Exercise, dammit!
This isn't even about weight loss.  I mean, yes, I need to lose weight, but this is just about how sitting on your rump all day isn't good for you.  I'm not talking about PX90 or Cross Fit or whatever other suicidal fad is out on the market.  I'm talking about taking walks, buying a bike, taking a class, and just getting myself out of this chair a few days a week.

Happy New Year, my minions.