Holiday Extravaganza

When I first saw the Polyphonic Spree a few years ago, I decided that I wouldn't miss them when they played in town if I could help it. I have made it to four or five of the six or eight shows they have done since that first time, but I have never seen them put on as good of show as they did Sunday afternoon. After a year off they returned to the Lakewood Theater for their 7th Annual Holiday Extravaganza.

I had made it to the 6th one two years ago at Nokia Theater. This year, they scaled back the extracurricular things like Tap Dancing Grannies and an Animal show, but they made up for it with the energy that was in the small theater. I honestly don't know how they made it through the second show that from what I read was as good if not better than the first.

I'm not a big fan of Christmas music in general, but even I got into the Christmas set. Their rendition of the Little Drummer Boy may be my favorite version of any Christmas song, and Happy Xmas (The War is Over) was great. If that set would have been all the concert we got that night, it would have been worth going, but they still had a rock set to go.

The rock set started out with the band behind a huge red sheet. The harp intro started and slowly Tim DeLaughter started cutting into the sheet. As the hole grew into the shape of a heart until he cut through it completely, they layed into Running Away with a fury and didn't let up for the next hour and a half. The Fragile Army songs really have evolved since the first time I saw them played in March. The set flowed seamlessly with songs from all three albums along with a few great covers highlighted by Live and Let Die.

Lots of balloons and streamers and jumping around on stage. They were just flat out great. After a bit of a let down when I saw them in March, they really made up for it. I don't think you can see the band without having fun.

Not That Again

A year and four days ago, I started a month long posting spree. I'm not going to try that again. I started it in an attempt to get some things out of my system. Things weren't going the greatest at the time, and I was hoping that the posting would help me think through some things. I posted every day, but I think the main lasting change that came out of the spree was a lot of boring posts. I'll go back and read a few of them, but I'd gather that my outlook hasn't changed as much as I would have hoped. I still try to do way too much on my own. I may even be more prone to that now than I was a year ago.

I am finally doing a little bit better of a job of getting more people involved. I've started going to a gathering called Celebrate Recovery at my church. It is an interesting sort of thing. 12 steps and a serenity prayer and all that jazz. I've never done a drug in my life. I'm not a drinker. I can't stand to gamble. All of the things that are usually associated with the need to recover are not problems that are real to me. Many of the people there are dealing with things that really put my issues into perspective.

What I am liking about it so far is that the shot of perspective is balanced with a realization that everyone has problems that they struggle with. There is no need to rate problems as bigger or smaller; just the knowledge that we can't do things on our own. The need for God's intervention is the common thread. While I can't relate to everyone's stuggles directly, I can rejoice in the healing that He provides.

It is still a really weird thing to be a part of. I have stood back for a couple of years saying that I know this would be good for me, but I don't care to be involved. It is a bit of a struggle to go after a long day of work, especially when there are "better" things to do. Past that, it is a struggle to actually speak out and let down my guard. God is bringing me around to the idea of it though.

Playlist:
Doug Burr - On Promenade
Over the Rhine - Live from Nowhere Vol 1
The Submarines - Declare a New State!
Northern Room - Only Seconds EP
James Blackshaw - The Cloud of Unknowing
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
The Normals - Coming to Life
Rafter - Music for Total Chickens
U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Aaron Sprinkle - Bareface
A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
Pedro the Lion - It's Hard to Find a Friend
Patty Griffin - 1000 Kisses
The Innocence Mission - Birds of My Neighborhood
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
namelessnumberheadman - Wires Reply