The Civil Wars: The musical Rock of Ages for your weary soul.

On Friday, March 25, 2011, seven friends and I loaded up two cars in Jackson, MS and drove 5 hours through the lush green Mississippi and Alabama countryside under a sunny blue sky.  Our destination was Waverly, Alabama the Standard Deluxe, a quaint outdoor venue surrounded by large oak trees featuring a cozy rustic stage.  Our mission was to hear the duo sent from above to bless the ears of us lowly humans with heavenly melodies and honest lyrical beauty.  The mission was a resounding success as The Civil Wars did not disappoint.

Joy Williams and John Paul White make up this 2 part moody folk duo.  It has been said, "I thought music was dead....thank God for you 2!", "AWESOME, BRILLIANT, UNIQUE AND COMPLETELY SPINE TINGLING", "it's like their voices were made for each other...", and "He looks like Johnny Depp!!!!"  All of these seem very accurate.  You will fall in love with them and long for connection to their muse.  Both Joy and John Paul are married but not to each other, yet they have amazing chemistry together on stage in terms of physical presence and interaction as well as of course vocally.  Their songs will sympathize with your soul and minister to your heart.


There was a very large crowd during this particular show I went to.  It was my first and hopefully not my last time to see them live.  According to a tweet by The Civil Wars there were approximately 1100 people at this small outdoor venue.  Since there were so many people, the audio quality was not sufficient for sound volume as it was initially hard to hear in the back.  I believe everyone pressed forward and moved or stood up where they could get a better listen.  Despite the challenges The Civil Wars easily remained absolutely phenomenal.  It made for an intimate and entertaining experience.  Furthermore we were under a very clear and beautiful starry night sky.  Most excitingly the entire crowd witnessed a falling/shooting star streak in the sky right above the stage during one of their songs.  It made for a magical show and feeling of grandeur during their performance.

Even two days later I feel the delight of a musical high.  Scroll down to this previous blog post I wrote about music being for everyone to watch a video of their song "Poison & Wine."  This song is probably their most popular song and rightfully so as it speaks to everyone through the simple yet elegant expression of the dichotomy of love.  As I am not a journalist, I am unable to adequately express how amazing this duo is.  You simply must listen to their music yourself and if at all possible GO to one of their shows.

If I am unable to meet Mrs. Williams and Mr. White so that I may thank them in person for their dedication and contribution as artists to the musical world, then here in the virtual world I will make known my gratitude for their music.  Thank You The Civil Wars! Please keep going.

Entertaining Videos

Enjoy these videos on YouTube.  Just thought I'd share a couple of videos that I like.  They all involve the "Good Neighbor Stuff" trio from YouTube.  If you have any suggestions for posts or something you'd like me to write on, just let me know.  Thanks!  Also check out my blog post, "Music Is For Everyone (except Daniel Reynolds)", on good music suggestions below this one! Here are the vids!

Music Is For Everyone (except Daniel Reynolds)

Are you like me?  Do you love music?  You probably do.  There are few people I know that don't enjoy some sort of music.  There is actually only one person I can think of that doesn't share an affinity for music like the rest of the world.  His name is Daniel Reynolds (DR).

I hold nothing against DR for not particularly having a great passion for music.  It is not that he hates music.  It just doesn't resonate with him in a way that it does others.  In fact I love Daniel Reynolds.  He is a man, imperfect like the rest of us.  I respect and admire him in ways that can only be achieved through being himself...that makes sense doesn't it?  I can have a great appreciation for a man who openly claims he doesn't have a particular affinity for music albeit the majority of mankind loves music in general and would think his stance odd.  Whether that is the case or not, music is not what ultimately is important in life.  If it were I would trust DR to love music. Does music rattle into existence without the will of man? -or- Does man make music? (And I don't mean the rhythms of nature, the "music" of the ocean waves, the chirping of a song bird, etc...though I enjoy these, don't get all hippie on me in this blog post...I'm talking about the kind of music I can download in mp3 format with guitar rifts, bass drum,--violin if you're like me--, and the melodies of the human voice.) In any manner it should be man that is important to music not the other way around. (Though I can imagine someone arguing the opposite, try to look through the lens of straightforwardness for now.)  I am privileged to call Daniel Reynolds my friend.  Music is not a determinant for friendship; of course it can play a part, but it is certainly not a necessity.  This is the end of my digression. 

Finally the reason for this blog post is to share some music with you that I have been enjoying lately.  So whether you are Daniel Reynolds or not, here is some good music!    :)

         Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars                                

Poison & Wine is a musical snapshot about the dichotomy of love - that while it can be the thing that destroys you, it can also be the very same thing that beckons and builds you. JP and I are both married have been for several years now - and we got to talking one day about what a tug and pull our individual relationships can be. The longer you know someone - and the longer you allow someone to know you - the more the light and shadows inside each person become more vivid. This song was our attempt at being as brutally honest about the dangerous and beautiful process of knowing and being known. (-Joy Williams, The Civil Wars)

                Forgot Love by Public Radio                               The Perfect Space by The Avett Brothers

   

               Fighter Pilot by Sanders Bohlke                                          For Emma by Bon Iver

   

I hope you enjoy these videos and this music.  I encourage you to check out these artists and some of their other songs.  These are simply video versions of some of their songs I was able to find.  I really enjoy some other songs by these artists that I did not post...i.e. "The Weight of Us" by Sanders Bohlke.  Also if you search for Sanders Bohlke on Vimeo you can find a "full set at music in the hall" featuring many of his songs; this video and these songs are done very well.  A fun fact is that Sanders Bohlke is a Mississippi musician, which I enjoy because I am a Mississippian.

Listen well,

DB

Merry Christmas

Christmas 2010...pa rum pum pum pummmmm!

Christmas is one of my favorite, if not most favorite, holidays.  It is a magical holiday.  The traditions of decorations, lights, delicious food and drink, family, gift-giving, stockings, trees, etc. are all things I greatly enjoy.  I also enjoy it because it is during the winter, and I love the winter season--winter clothes, cold weather, warm beverages.

I should probably say the greatest part of the holiday for me is the biblical Christmas story...which I guess it is.  Despite my disobedience sometimes, I do love Jesus.  I want to have the same enthusiasm for my faith and the gospel throughout the entire year.  I appreciate Christmas as a warm reminder and auxiliary connection to the first part of Luke 2, but I am apt to pursue God's kingdom at any prodding of the Holy Spirit despite the nearest holiday or season of the year; I am also privileged to do so at anytime.  However, I am not able to enjoy the frills of Christmas at anytime in the same fashion as they are presented and accepted during this merry season.

So...what's my point; I don't know, and I'm not sure I really care to fully clarify one.  Maybe I just love Christmas for all the things Christmas entails--in christianity's traditions of it and then some...maybe sometimes the "then some" especially.

Merry Christmas!

Life can suck.

It's tough. Tough it out.

Get over it. Get through it.

Handle it. Confront it.

It's confusing. Figure it out.

Life can suck.  Get use to it.

North to the Future

Footage from the 2009 Alaska season:

Snow Day

I should have been born mute.

I can never seem to accurately or appropriately translate the words of my heart into the words of my mouth.  It's when I feel I need or maybe just want to speak that there is a barrier between my heart and my mouth.  The problem, I guess, is that I sometimes speak anyway.  It seems talking gets me into situations I never would hope for as does not talking.  I am at an impasse.  I feel doomed in the world of personal conversation whether it should be small talk or meaningful.  I am socially inept in a world that calls me to be social and talkative.

I don't think I have learned or figured out Provers 17.  It seems simple, yet out of my grasp.  Frustrating.

Unrelated:  Fringe is a good show.

Y2K10

It's the year 2010.  Whatever.

It's long been past the time for you to aspire for something new, great, and exciting in your life.  Renew or reinvent your goals.  Reignite your passions.  I demand it.  Then let me know about it.

Also, as always you should check my other sites for new works, acts of boredom, videos of stupidity, etc.  Visit www.youtube.com/dgbarger and www.youtube.com/theminivandiaries or www.minivandiary.blogspot.com.  You can also look me up on facebook or twitter @dgbarger.  I'm awesome.  Sometimes.

seriously, check it out:


Later

Philippians 1:20

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.