TWOsday #2.

There’s just something about music, right? It’s a safety in numbers thing. Someone thought it, wrote it, and you relate. and you’re not alone. You’re okay and you’re safe. So today’s two are two creators of music that I love.

#1. John Mayer.

I will never, ever forget the day I first heard John Mayer. It was 6th period my junior year of high school and my favorite teacher gave us a writing assignment and told us to write quietly. She then put on some sort of magic CD because I sloppily finished the assignment, went to the CD player and held the CD case in my hands, looking at the lyrics and feeling like a new person.

That summer I worked at camp for the first time and with my first paycheck I went and bought Room for Squares. A few years later with my camp money I bought an ipod mini and the first album I put on it was RFS.

But I really love John Mayer. He has this crazy way of writing exactly what I was feeling last Tuesday but couldn’t get out of my heart.

and you know what else about John Mayer? I never listen to him casually. I can’t pop in “Heavier Things” as background music, because before I know it I’m laying on the floor close to tears, releasing all of my built up emotions. Good and bad.

There’s one lyric of his that has never left me, and it’s caused me more heartache and grief than any of my unrequited loves. It’s from Tracing, which I believe is one of his best songs. Here it is:

and if you wanna know the moment I knew that I was still alone
I found I’d never learned your number, I only stored it in my phone
and you’d think by now I’d know the shape of calling home

Let that sink in and try to recover, because I haven’t.

There’s absolutely no way I could put into words how much I appreciate John Mayer and his music. Say what you want about him as a person, I don’t really care.. because his music has helped me experience life with more depth, awareness, feeling, and passion. At any given moment in my life, there’s either a John Mayer lyric or a Madeleine L’Engle quote to help me feel less alone, and I like that.

#2. The BGP

Okay, so not everybody in the picture is in the BGP but I was happy because that short little guy is my friend Ernie standing next to Tony Lucca in the glasses and the two of them are sandwiched by the BGP. This is how the BGP came to my life, like little tiny angels descending from Heaven. 🙂

My friend was in a band and they were going to play in Seattle, where I lived. They were playing with the BGP and got me in touch with Brandon to get some flyers to pass out and help promote. Brandon left them for me at the Q Cafe {my now all-time fave place in Seattle} for me to pick up. The night of the show, I didn’t even stick around for much of the BGP. Maybe two songs, then I peaced out.

But that was not the end. I saw them again when they played with another band I followed, and I realized just how great they were. Really fun, really good and I decided that I officially liked them.

That was five years ago. and I just love them even more.

In August, I went to see their CD release show, something that’s been a long time in the making. and I am not even gonna lie, I cried. Little drops of joy and pride and excitement for them. then I cried because I was moving and they weren’t coming with me and what if I didn’t get to see them for a year? I just love them and think they are just the best. Trust me on this. Plus, they are the creators of my favorite t-shirt. Which I spilled a hot pocket on almost immediately after writing that post, but I washed it in the sink and we’re ready to go again!