(no subject)
Tonight (and this is going to sound odd), I found myself reading an article about Mick Foley (former, possibly still current WWF wrestler famous for injuring himself in gruesome ways) and his "relationship" with Tori Amos.
The short of it is, many moons ago, Mick Foley was on the way to a match with some colleagues. After listening to the typical metal and hard rock business for a while, Foley requested something a little more relaxing. His friend proceeded to play "Winter" by Tori Amos, and he was completely taken with the song. Later on, he found himself waiting around before a barbed wire match in Japan, where they used real barbed wire, and he felt the fear settling in. As opposed to listening to Pantera or Anthrax or something similar to pump him up - he put on "Winter", and all of his fears subsided. The whole article was essentially about his personal relationship with the song. He ended up meeting Tori Amos, donated money to a charity that she co-founded, and volunteers regularly on the charity's website.
In my youth (around the age of 9 or 10), I was actually pretty into the whole wrestling thing. The little boy two houses down (one of my best friends, at the time) was really into it and we would play together, reenact the moves, etc etc, so I'm actually fairly familiar with Mick Foley, and I've seen several of his matches. Granted, it's staged, but injury still runs rampant and that guy did some crazy shit. Jumping from great heights onto piles of thumbtacks - yes, real thumbtacks, barbed wire, trashcans, baseball bats, and so on and so forth. Many, many times I watched him leave the ring bloodied and beaten, and to find out that the song he listened to to prepare for these stunts was "Winter" by Tori Amos! Well, I'm really quite amazed. It just goes to show what a powerful thing music is, and how songs can affect people in a variety of ways, from all ends of the spectrum.
Yesterday, I got off work, picked up a few beers, and went to my brother's house (Chris) with the intention of playing Starcraft II. My computer lacks the hardware required to run it, whereas Chris' can run it on ultra. While submitting my Blizzard resume, I had to fill out a questionnaire that asked not if I played SC2, but how many hours a week I played and what my online ranking was. They also didn't ask if I played World of Warcraft, but if I had a level 80 character, and if I raid. They just automatically assume. Granted, I used to play the original Starcraft quite frequently, and really looked forward to playing the second, but I felt handicapped by the fact that I had yet to touch it. So, not only for my own personal entertainment, but also in an attempt to better educate myself on my employer of choice, I asked Chris if I could come over and play.
I arrived, and he was finishing up practice with the new band (he is now the bassist for reggae-punk group, the Funky Jah Punkys). Before I could make it to the computer, I ended up jamming with his guitarist, Jack. I hopped on the drums and we played for a bit, drinking and hanging out and such. They informed me that they were scheduled to play at Canyon Lake's Lake House that night, and asked me if I wanted to perform. It was more of an open mic deal, so I didn't have to worry about sticking out, considering I wouldn't be the only acoustic act. However, this place is in Elsinore, and Elsinore is bro central, and I couldn't imagine anyone of that caliber liking my work. I was extremely apprehensive, but already a little drunk, so I agreed anyway.
Sure enough, we get there, and it's a small crowd, only twenty or so. I played third, and for my last song I pulled Chris up to do guitar while I sang "House of the Rising Sun". Shockingly, after my set, I was approached by nearly every person there, all of whom complimented me on my performance and proceeded to ask the typical questions: How long have you played? Where else do you play? Do you have a band? And so on and such.
That personal experience and the article I read earlier this evening both have me feeling pretty good about myself and rather optimistic. In truth, I hate the vast majority of the songs I write, and I never trust anyone I know or who knows someone I know when they compliment me. However, there I was, playing for total strangers and completely out of my element, and I received more compliments there as opposed to when I play for friends. As for the article, here you have a professional wrestler, who spends his time getting hit with barbed wire and jumping on thumbtacks, and to get him prepared before a match, he zones out to the piano stylings of Tori fuckin' Amos. I just can't believe it! If I were about to do something that wild and crazy, you could bet that I'd be slamming shots of whiskey and listening to some crazy punk or really raw metal.
It just goes to show that music can touch anyone, even the most unlikely of souls, and it's power knows no bounds. I gave up my dreams of having a music career a long time ago. However, there is nothing I enjoy more than creating and performing, and I'm very glad that I do what I do, be it hobby or not.
The short of it is, many moons ago, Mick Foley was on the way to a match with some colleagues. After listening to the typical metal and hard rock business for a while, Foley requested something a little more relaxing. His friend proceeded to play "Winter" by Tori Amos, and he was completely taken with the song. Later on, he found himself waiting around before a barbed wire match in Japan, where they used real barbed wire, and he felt the fear settling in. As opposed to listening to Pantera or Anthrax or something similar to pump him up - he put on "Winter", and all of his fears subsided. The whole article was essentially about his personal relationship with the song. He ended up meeting Tori Amos, donated money to a charity that she co-founded, and volunteers regularly on the charity's website.
In my youth (around the age of 9 or 10), I was actually pretty into the whole wrestling thing. The little boy two houses down (one of my best friends, at the time) was really into it and we would play together, reenact the moves, etc etc, so I'm actually fairly familiar with Mick Foley, and I've seen several of his matches. Granted, it's staged, but injury still runs rampant and that guy did some crazy shit. Jumping from great heights onto piles of thumbtacks - yes, real thumbtacks, barbed wire, trashcans, baseball bats, and so on and so forth. Many, many times I watched him leave the ring bloodied and beaten, and to find out that the song he listened to to prepare for these stunts was "Winter" by Tori Amos! Well, I'm really quite amazed. It just goes to show what a powerful thing music is, and how songs can affect people in a variety of ways, from all ends of the spectrum.
Yesterday, I got off work, picked up a few beers, and went to my brother's house (Chris) with the intention of playing Starcraft II. My computer lacks the hardware required to run it, whereas Chris' can run it on ultra. While submitting my Blizzard resume, I had to fill out a questionnaire that asked not if I played SC2, but how many hours a week I played and what my online ranking was. They also didn't ask if I played World of Warcraft, but if I had a level 80 character, and if I raid. They just automatically assume. Granted, I used to play the original Starcraft quite frequently, and really looked forward to playing the second, but I felt handicapped by the fact that I had yet to touch it. So, not only for my own personal entertainment, but also in an attempt to better educate myself on my employer of choice, I asked Chris if I could come over and play.
I arrived, and he was finishing up practice with the new band (he is now the bassist for reggae-punk group, the Funky Jah Punkys). Before I could make it to the computer, I ended up jamming with his guitarist, Jack. I hopped on the drums and we played for a bit, drinking and hanging out and such. They informed me that they were scheduled to play at Canyon Lake's Lake House that night, and asked me if I wanted to perform. It was more of an open mic deal, so I didn't have to worry about sticking out, considering I wouldn't be the only acoustic act. However, this place is in Elsinore, and Elsinore is bro central, and I couldn't imagine anyone of that caliber liking my work. I was extremely apprehensive, but already a little drunk, so I agreed anyway.
Sure enough, we get there, and it's a small crowd, only twenty or so. I played third, and for my last song I pulled Chris up to do guitar while I sang "House of the Rising Sun". Shockingly, after my set, I was approached by nearly every person there, all of whom complimented me on my performance and proceeded to ask the typical questions: How long have you played? Where else do you play? Do you have a band? And so on and such.
That personal experience and the article I read earlier this evening both have me feeling pretty good about myself and rather optimistic. In truth, I hate the vast majority of the songs I write, and I never trust anyone I know or who knows someone I know when they compliment me. However, there I was, playing for total strangers and completely out of my element, and I received more compliments there as opposed to when I play for friends. As for the article, here you have a professional wrestler, who spends his time getting hit with barbed wire and jumping on thumbtacks, and to get him prepared before a match, he zones out to the piano stylings of Tori fuckin' Amos. I just can't believe it! If I were about to do something that wild and crazy, you could bet that I'd be slamming shots of whiskey and listening to some crazy punk or really raw metal.
It just goes to show that music can touch anyone, even the most unlikely of souls, and it's power knows no bounds. I gave up my dreams of having a music career a long time ago. However, there is nothing I enjoy more than creating and performing, and I'm very glad that I do what I do, be it hobby or not.