Song of the Day

Is it just me or did The Cult pull a fast one on all of us? How have they managed to accomplish the unthinkably impossible with their song She Sells Sanctuary? It's commmonly acknowledged in the music community amongst the guitarists that The Edge from U2 pretty much has all rights and ownership over a certain sound that he pretty much pioneered and made into the greatest tone the electric guitar has ever and will ever produce.

The problem is, that anytime someone tries to use this tone (a beautiful combination of Chorus & Delay with a touch of Distortion) they get labelled as "U2 Wannabes". The tone is so beautiful and ethereal that it is just perfect for worship music, but we can't use it cause everyone in the audience just chalks the band up as being a bunch of rock star posers.

So how then, did The Cult manage to fly under the radar with their song and challenge The Edge to a battle of Chorus/Delay supremacy? Cause as rabid a fan of U2 as you might be, She Sells Sanctuary can stand up to the best that Bono and the boys can throw down with one of the greatest and most recognizable guitar hooks ever written.

Impressive. Most impressive.

Song of the Day She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult

Be Good Tanya

Monochromatic

Represents the literal

Truth is not concrete

Is everything black and white?

Does truth lay in the difference between the two?

Some say the glass of relativism is empty, that it contains no meaning.

That there is more truth in a black and white photo

Than a photo with color

It's fine. It's all well and good.

But sometimes there's a penguin walking in the middle of the mall on a Wednesday.

And just what can you do with that?

Cut time in the coda...

To my many dear American friends I would like to wish y'alls a very happy "Jake's Birthday/Thanksgiving" (the important bits coming first, followed by the event of far lesser importance).

Today is now known as Thanksjakesbirthdaygiving. The name of this new national holiday in no way implies that I will be partaking in any kind of birthday giving. Unless it's the giving of hugs for that new Rosewood/Cedar Taylor GS that y'all pitched in and got me.

Much love to all my Americana friends below the 49th and those somehow trapped above it. You guys are awesome. Even if some of you do dress your dogs up (which I just typoed as "gods" but I thought I'd change it).

Song of the day is: For The Turnstiles by The Be Good Tanyas.

Main Event 2oo6

I can't think of anything more terrifying as a musician than a room filled with hundreds of jr high and high school kids filled to the brim with cynicism and skepticism. An entire generation and room full of faces that seem to stare at you, daring you to impress them.

But this weekend I was ready for them. Or at least I thought I was until I saw the stage set up for the youth conference we were leading worship at. It wasn't large really... compared to a KISS concert. But faced with a quater million dollars worth of lighting equipment and at least that amount in sound gear, my palms started to sweat slightly and thoughts of "What exactly did I say yes to again?" started creeping into my head.

I felt muddy, a bit adrift, like I found myself in the middle of a Joseph Conrad novel.

But then, as I'm finding is most often the case in worship music, something so incredible and so beyond myself happened...

The room started to fill not just with people, but with a sense of anticipation, of excitement. The book of Isaiah says us that God moves in the hearts of his people. The night, the entire weekend became so much more than lights, sound and a band for me as I stood watching it all from backstage. Worship is about God and Us. There was no more notions of me or of I that night.

Also, it's hard to focus on yourself when singing with a 90 person choir & ensemble...
If anyone reading this ever has the opportunity this year to see the CIRCLE production team perform, do it. They opened with the most intense stomp/african folk song thing I've ever seen. It was such a privelege to be able to worship with them.

It should be noted too that this picture recorded the first time I ever played with Gord. Gord is my new electric guitar and we are already planning many crazy adventures. We're going to go strange and wonderful places Gord and I. I gave Honey the night off as she'd been working hard the last couple of weeks in rehearsals.

I showed Gord how I can play him and store food in my cheeks for the winter. He was stoked on me.

Needless to say, thanks to Gord (but mostly the band and choir) it was a really loud and fun night for everyone.

The next night was our 2.5 hour worship set. I've often told people that I am without question the most spoiled worship leader in Edmonton. There's between 30 and 40 musicians at Ellerslie Road that are amazing people and I count myself lucky to have them as friends and musical partners. I'm completely in love though, with the people I'm on stage with here so I'm going to take this moment to brag about the group of people I've affectionately called "My Band".

Caleb, Tim, Vanessa (Vausmolo), Graeme, Stu, Vanessa and Caleb... you guys are amazing. I love making music with you guys.

That night and Sunday Morning especially, were worship sets I will never forget. Though we do it every year, this year really felt like a step forward thanks to all the work of the people who had worked in my place before me and taught me so much. This church is not perfect by any stretch, but the people here are so accomodating and understanding and loving.The last few months have been such a learning experience for me and the best part of it is that I have really felt like there's been 500 people on that journey with me. That we're all learning what it means to be worshippers together.

I can't begin to describe the feelings here at being able to play behind the cross that hundreds of people had nailed their guilt and shame to. The cross was raised in front of us and the band just dissappeared as people knelt and prayed and communed together. I could only sit and sing

My sin O the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
It is well, it is well with my soul.

These people are the reason I get up in the morning. They have become a driving force that has motivated far more than any salary or benefit ever could. To be able to share art and music together in worship every week has been the biggest blessing I could have ever imagined and continues to be as I'm sure it always will. There's something to be said about going hard every week for 2 months and being dissapointed at having to take a break for a couple of weeks lest exhaustion take over.

Gord, we're going to see some amazing things little buddy.

All the pictures in this post (excluding the top two) were taken by Keagan Brooks. Check out more from Keagan @ www.myspace.com/_keagan

Free Wally

"We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, or fabulous?"

~Nelson Mandela~

I ask anyone who may read this to please write your congressman, mail bomb your local SPCA or drive down to california to hunt down those responsible for this atrocity against animal rights. Because there's nothing funny about cruelty to animals, unless the animal is a clown.

FREE WALLY 2006

Who'da Thought It?

Connery was the perfect Bond for the mod generation, Brosnan was the perfect Bond for the Genexers and, blonde or not, Daniel Craig is the perfect Bond for the new string of films. It took about twenty minutes for Casino Royale to replace Goldeneye as my new top Bond film. Some of the outstanding feautures from my point of view:

• You Know My Name - Best Bond song by a country mile thanks to Chris Cornell
• Aston Martin DBS - My favorite Bond car.
• Eva Green - Could be one of the most beautiful Bond girls ever.
• No cheezy bad guy plots or extravagant death plots.
• Craig has better one liner delivery than any Bond. Period. Let's see Connery do that torture scene better.

Pure Awesome.

Grace.

"We need grace tonight."

It was the prayer that went up in a small rehearsal room behind the stage of the expansive space of the Ellerslie auditorium that was rapidly becoming my home, my safe place, my comfort zone.

"This music, this worship, is not something we can accomplish on our own."

Only three nights previous I stood forty feet away from where I now sat on a small rehearsal stool and played what was, for all intents and purposes, the most fulfilling and culminating event of my musical career, leading worship with an entire auditorium filled to capacity with people who had a heartfelt and intentional love of a beautiful creator God.

"But it is with grateful hearts that we sing simply because of who you are."

Back in the daily grind it seemed to me that my heart wallowed in a state of anti-climactic anticipation for the week to simply be over and my two month long stay on stage could end and give me a reprieve if only for a week.

"Only by your grace though can we stand and lead people in worship"

How often does this happen to us all: that time moves ever forward while the mind throws itself backwards, wishing to exist only in a single moment.

"And though we are imperfect, tonight we choose to set aside all other things and worship you, to prepare our own hearts so that the hearts of all others here Sunday morning may be touched with a realization of who you are and how much you love us."

My mind was ripped from its place of sitting and thrust into the realization that no matter what we have accomplished, we are all of us inadequate. It is in our inadequacy though that our God's love is made perfectly clear. A complete and whole hearted acceptance of those who have spurned, scorned, mocked, raged against, spit at and denied the very being who created them and longingly calls out to them with a love so intense that a french mystic could only describe this God as "ebros d'amour" or, drunk with love.

In the words then of Dianna Krall,

I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet.

I will always want more. There is nothing else. There is no one else...

The song of the day then: Grace - Jeff Buckley.

Song of the Day

Since I'm a nice guy, and also 'cause I've got impeccable taste in music, I've decided to start a "Song of the Day" segment where I'll give you all a really awesome song for your enjoyment. You may then comment on how wonderful it is. Or, if you're one of my 18eh brothers, how much of a little girl I am.

Today's song: Divine Romance by Phil Wickham

Shiggs you'll love it cause it has a definite modern bluegrass feel to it and a real live banjo part! For anyone who really likes it, I'm pretty sure we're going to play it at Ellerslie on our New Years Eve service since I've got an incredible mandolin player and I've reworked the banjo part to match my meager skills.*

*Credit to Shiggy for leaving his banjo in the loft, thus allowing me to learn it during the boring part of my day in between nap time and supper time.

Dear Everyone

I've just learned that I had to approve all y'all's comments in order for them to show up. So after going through literally seven's of comments, they're finally lurking around in here. So you may now go back and bask in the glorious light of your witty banter and cleverness.

I apologize to the myriad of you (6) who've complained about the lack of posting here but I'll refer you to the ground rules laid out by yours truely in the first ever post. If that's not enough for you then I will soon be posting all about the reason I've not been able to keep the six of you entertained these last few weeks. Expect pictures... professional type pictures.

Also, Matt Weddle is the coolest man on earth (after Robbie Williams). Jess, I'm mostly speaking to you here when I say: Best. Beard. Evar. Hey Ya indeed. Best song I've heard in months. It's now my 2nd favorite cover behind Smashing Pumpkins cover of Fleetwood Mac's Landslide.

Much love everyone

If Dogs Could Talk...

They'd sound like Satchel from "Get Fuzzy". Have a laugh.

Fun With Google

Shiggs, I found the place we should go to this summer.

Also, this blog has become more original than worsch... worchest... worstershir... mayonaise on your corn flakes:

Seriously Google should pay me.