Just under a year ago we lived in Atlanta, worked a lot, made art and good friends, engaged in long lazy conversations with friends on porches, and scraped together our nickels so we could go see troublemakin rock-n-roll rumpshakin music on friday and saturday nights at the earl and the echo and the star bar. We're now in a new town, happily setting up our new life, working a lot, making art and good friends, and every once in a while going out to see live music. Glad we saw The Forty Fives and The Sadies last night.

Last night we were happily among the other seedy characters in a teeny bar listening to one of Atlanta's finest troublemakers. They sounded good (loud, tight, frenetic, and honest) and standing there listening and reminiscing reminded me of a pockteful of simple truths:

Life's too short to worry about what other people think as you live your life. Make the art, the music, the strange things you wanna make.

Playing music, painting pictures, writing small bits of nonsense are all about connecting to other people. So certainly you want to work your hardest to make the best you can.

Loud is good.

The tall people will stand in front. The girl who smells like salami (really) will be next to you all night. There will be discomfort but if the music is real it is really wonderful to hear it live.

If you were born to be a rock star you will crisscross the country playing dive bars for a couple of bucks and listening to a lot of people say you rock or you suck but you will be honored and excited to be on that stage. Even as it wears thin, you'll keep it up and more than your inner circle of friends will be glad you did.

Passion in the process is contagious.

Just about what I thought but mostly I just loved the rock and roll...

Take care,
Rachael