Dear Friends,
My heart is so heavy. I don’t have a lot to say this morning except the sun has risen. It’s a new day. It’s Monday. My heart is so heavy.
I’ve been asking the universe to provide for my family every day. I guess that’s my way of talking to God. I’m not trying to fool anyone, that’s for sure. I’ll talk to anyone or anything that is greater than me right now.
Open your heart to those you love. Remember that nothing, except love and energy, is constant. Those things can neither be created nor destroyed. They simply are and while they change forms over time or activity, they cannot be destroyed.
I love you, Doug, and I am grateful for everything you have taught me and all the time and care you gave to me. I am a better man because of knowing you. Thank you for all you have done for my children and my wife.
*****
What now, I ask. Dear Universe, what are your plans for the rest of today. Let my children travel safely to see their grandfather. Let them get to Portland and be of comfort to their mother and each other.
Dear Universe…I beg this of you. I’ll hold down the fort and take care of things here in Phoenix.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
*****
I got to interview Vaden Todd Lewis of Toadies a couple of times in 2014 and 2015. The second was to talk about their amazing record, Heretics, which came out that year. As I’ve previously mentioned, I was reluctant to fall for the Toadies for stupid reasons, but when I heard Heretics, I couldn’t help myself. It made me a true fan.
It helps that Lewis is a great dude. I also really enjoyed working with their PR person, Erika. All together, they are a class act, and it was fun as heck to work with them.
Heretics is a really cool record. It’s mostly acoustic and reimagines a bunch of the bands best songs. It also has a couple that are not available anywhere else like the first track, “In the Belly of a Whale.”
I must have played that song a thousand times in 2015. I was working way over in Chandler and had a long drive to work and back and Heretics kept me company for many of those drives. “In the Belly of a Whale” is a haunting, beautiful song. Lewis’ lyrics make it even greater.
“Rattler’s Revival” off of Play.Rock.Music is also really good. It’s got some nifty electric guitars on it but is still mainly acoustic, I think. It’s perfect, however it is, and it gives me a few chills when I listen to it nice and loud.
It’s followed up by a really nice cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” At first, I wasn’t entirely sure of whether or not I liked it, but it totally grew on me. I think the way Lewis sang it kind of threw me at first, but again, it really grew on me.
“Possum Kingdom” always sounds great, but the new arrangement is fucking killer. Talk about another haunting song…it’s even more haunting when played acoustically. There is a nice little bit of tasteful electric guitar on it that sounds a bit like an organ. I dig it.
I really admire how these guys decided to go back and take a different look at their songs. I wish more bands would do something similar. I know that after a while, I get sick of playing some of my own songs, so I can imagine it gets tiresome when you are playing some songs, even to adoring crowds, night after night.
Other standouts on Heretics are “Backslider,” “Doll Skin,” and “Jigsaw Girl.” There isn’t a weak song on the whole record, true, but I prefer the songs I’ve mentioned to the other few that I haven’t mentioned. “Dollskin” is particularly great.
I’m so glad that my wonderful wife, Rhondi, was patient with me for the first six or seven years of our marriage when I shrugged off the Toadies. I think she was pretty happy that I joined the fold. I wish they would decide to make a new record or come back around again and play a show.
If you never got a chance to see Toadies live, you missed out. Before Rhondi and I met, my friend, Eric, and former bandmate, used to ask me to go see them whenever they would come to town, but I always declined.
That was super dumb of me.
Listen to Heretics and join the team like I did.
*****
See you tomorrow.
peace.
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