Plant Your Own Flowers

I still remember my first break up when I was 18. I sat on the floor sorting cards at the Hallmark store where I was working, sobbing to Whitney Houston's "I'll Always Love You."  What an overdramatic slobbery mess I was!  My dear friend Mandy gave me this poem and it became my mantra to get over my heart ache. 

I recently pulled the poem up for a friend who is facing a heartbreak and read it again with fresh eyes. While I have always thought of it as "The Break Up Poem", I think it really should just be required reading for women in general.  This poem in many ways defines who I am; I plant my own garden.  Life throws you a lot of hits and you need to be able to navigate your way through all that crap and come out on the other side.  Relationships come and go, grow and change, whether that is a friendship or romantic relationship, how you handle that inevitability speaks volumes about your character. So whether you are facing a loss of love, a death of a loved one or are just a girl finding her way, read this poem and see it not as sad, but as strong, hopeful and happy.  Then plant your own garden and live.

Comes The Dawn - Author Unknown*

After awhile you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul.

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company isn't security. 
And you begin to understand that kisses aren't contracts
And presents are promises. 

Concert Review: Capital Cities and GoldFields

If you are a frequent reader of this blog the name Capital Cities may be familiar to you as they were on my best of 2012 list for their song Safe and Sound.  Then they came out with Kangaroo Court and I knew I had become a major fan.  I got tickets to the show but wasn't sure if I was going to go.  It was on a Friday night and I am usually exhausted on Fridays, but bailing on a concert because I was tired made me feel old and yet the thought of going seemed like so much effort.  I was explaining my dilemma to a friend who encouraged me to go, even though he had no idea who were were going to see.  I knew he was right, rallied, and off we went. 

The opening act was Australian band Gold Fields, fronted by Mark Fuller, the most adorable lead singer possibly ever.  Their song Dark Again is pretty solid and after seeing the frenetic energy that the drummer had as well as the general attitude from the guys, I am hooked.  Seriously. ADORABLE.  Put him in my pocket adorable.  (I probably am old enough to be his grandmother.)

Then Capital Cities came out...all wearing white jackets a la Grease.  They started the show with a bizarrely awesome cover of Sinead o'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" and I was in love.  There were choreographed moves, tongue and cheek lyrics and they taught us a dance and got the whole crowd to (try) to do a simple side step move. We were relatively close to the stage and the people we were standing near were all into it too, adding to the overall feeling of pure joy.  One of my favorite songs was Farrah Fawcett Hair. Listen to the lyrics and I hope you will chuckle too.  It's Good Shit. 

The entire band just looked like they were having a great time dancing and playing on stage.  When they played Safe and Sound they encouraged us all to jump up and down and we did...it is hard to be there and NOT bounce along. They delivered a pretty long set including a cover of Staying Alive and Celebrate by Madonna.  But for me the part that made the biggest impression was when they put Safe and Sound on a automatic play and all the band members jumped into the crowd and danced and jumped along with us.  It was such silly and pure fun, a bunch of adults in a socially acceptable form of playing.

I can't remember the last time that I left a concert feeling so light and airy and happy and was thrilled that my friend also liked the band.  So many times I am alone in the music that I love, so it was great to see him smile and say he got why I liked them so much. The music is great, but the sense of happiness they inject into the crowd is even better.

If you get the chance to see them, PLEASE go.  I guarantee you will walk out with a smile on your face.  I know it when I hear it and Capital Cities is certainly Good Shit.

April Music

I can always tell when I am busy at work because my music list is short. It's not that there isn't new music, it is just that I am too busy to pay attention.  There are only a few on here, so it is eaiser for you to enjoy!

Late Night by the Foals
Recovery by Frank Turner
Don't Swallow the Cap by The Nationals - THis is the third single off their album Trouble Will Find Me Out and I have loved each one as much as the last. Sweater Weather is such a sexy song to me and this is a slightly happier song.  Really digging this band that first made Amy's Audibles in 2010 with Bloodbuzz Ohio.
Get Lucky by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams