20 october 2008

On Saturday night I went to Chuck Ragan's Revival Tour at the Triple Rock. There was a bit of trouble getting in because the show was 21+, and there were only two photography/video passes for the three of us (my dad, Pedro, and myself). Neither were under my name, so it took a few phone calls to clear up.

I had listened to a few of Chuck Ragan's songs via Youtube and Myspace and didn't dig it right away. However, the performance definitely changed my mind. The energetic mix of folk, punk, southern rock, and a bit of bluegrass simply blew my mind. Reminded me a lot of Murder by Death and William Elliott Whitmore. I enjoyed Tim Barry's set and Ben Nichols (of the band Lucero) absolutely destroyed me...in a great, heartbreaking way. It didn't help that both of them were wasted and almost to the point of crying by the end of their sets--it was extremely emotional but that's what I liked about it. I managed to take a great photo of Ben Nichols and every time I look at it, I am in awe of him. I gave his hand an extra shake at the end of the show.


I've recently met a lot of fantastic individuals and am enjoying getting to know them. I've never been much of a deep-talker, but I'm learning more about myself just by verbalizing my thoughts. Better now than never.

6 october 2008

My grandfather passed away in June. His birthday is tomorrow and I'm celebrating it with the few happy memories I have. He loved me (and all of us) in such a cruel way and for that I hadn't seen him in years; I didn't say goodbye, I didn't go his funeral, I only cried once and it was a day late. It was a choice made out of love and pain, not of pity and guilt like he would have wanted.

Since his death, I've lost 20 pounds and am aiming for another 15. I'm promising him that I won't let a sickness of the body spread to a sickness of the mind (and vice versa). He understands.