Recently a friend who owns a wine shop described her wines as, “This is my God!” It wasn’t the statement that struck me but the fact that I knew down to my core exactly what she meant. All the wines she chooses to carry are non-corporate and sustainable. She honors the earth by passionately carrying the family brands that love and respect our land. The un-snooty joy of flavor and craft bubbles up every time she speaks. She loves her wines, her choices, her contribution to having a high environmental standard and most of all – sharing it all with you! Without a doubt it is her passion and calling, the expression of her true self is lived and shared through her careful selections. Her life, her love, her god.
My god is dance. I’ve danced since I was 2 years old but it wasn’t until I was almost 17 that my place of dance became my church. When I’m dancing and the right beat drops and switches my mind off and soul on – it’s the deepest, purest release of feeling and bliss that I know. It feels like my feet no longer touch the ground and I’m in a swirling vortex of energy. So light, I feel like a bubble floating and softly bouncing down on the beat. I can’t help but smile, it feels like my chest is cracked open and a screaming release of ”A hhhhhhh hh” energy breaks free. (for a visual think Care Bear ‘heart power’ lol) Surrounding those moments the rest of the dance is like therapy. Some people can talk about their feelings, I’m not so good at that … but you can watch me dance til I cry. So, what happens when I stop dancing for too long? Well, that’s simple – I’m miserable! I start feeling confused, disconnected and wonder why nothing is touching my spirit so deep as I need it to in order to justify daily life.
So, then there’s the last two nights. Let’s just say miserable had crept in and the search for ‘why’ has been underway. Here’s the thing when you’re miserable it’s kinda hard to want to do or see anything or anyone. I’m sorta anti-social as is so it’s got to be something pretty damn special to get me out. Two nights ago the Asheville Twestival was going on from 5pm-11pm. Well, at 5pm I wasn’t going … I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone and the thought of local jam or bluegrass music did not sound appetizing. With the complete look of ‘No fucking way, I’m not going’ on my face -
Babe says: “but the music might be good, LISTEN”
… he plays the first two acts online, yeah – still a no for me … he plays the third group … 5 seconds in -
me: “I’ll go do my hair”!
Babe knows my ultimate weakness is music, I will hurdle high mountains to hear great break-beats that me me dance and if I have the opportunity to hear truly great music I can not say no! No matter how truly miserable I am.
Q. What is great music? A. The Enemy Lovers!
They’re local and I’d be willing to bet you ain’t never heard them. If you had you would have been there with us the last two nights! When I listened at home for 5 seconds it had the southern smooth soulful bluesy sound of Amos Lee. After their first song on stage Babe turns to me and says, “Fuck, they’re better then U2!” Yes, they’re better then anyone I’ve ever heard. Every single song they sing sounds like it could already be at the top of the charts, but there’s a problem with this feeling. Yah see Babe and I are watching this amazing show with less then 40 people, half of whom didn’t seem phased by the truly extraordinary talent on stage. Babe and I on the other hand needed all the self restraint possible to keep our jaws off the ground. My vocabulary was stunned after every song, my comments were limited to: ‘Oh MY God’, ‘Jeez’, ‘Wow.’ At the end of the show they announce they are ‘playing again tomorrow at Stella Blue’.
Babe and I: ”Huh, we should go to that”
…. which is a strange thought since neither one of us has ever seen the same act two nights in a row. We’re perfectionist when it comes to sound though, and the system at Twestival was def sub-par. We both wanted to hear it again at it’s best.
Last night we fully expected Stella Blues to be packed and took the light twestival crowd for the Enemy Lovers as a fluke. there was a bigger crowd at Stella’s but not packed, a Friday night and maybe at max 200 people. We’re both in complete shock and dis-belief that – I don’t know, everyone in Asheville isn’t there with us! Sound and crowd does make a difference. The first night was amazing, last night was one of the best shows … nope, wait I’m lying … last night was the best show I’ve ever seen. It moves above Tool and Kings of Leon to my ‘BEST’ because I have never seen someone sing so honestly with such, what I can only describe as raw emotion … and boat loads of talent!
When I saw Kings of Leon it’s hard not to take into account the family ‘connect’ that can do a spooky fantastic thing with artist. The Enemy Lovers is 2 brothers, a cousin and a friend … it’s that same ‘connect’ on stage that is brilliant to watch. There was this song towards the end of the set where it looked and felt like the brothers we’re flying. Where a note had struck lift off and the wave of time carried you away. A moment that you feel and know and witness and don’t want to end. Except it has too, cause if your like me you might forget to breathe when you’re carried away. Just the act of witnessing someone fly will clear the fog from your eyes, the weight from your mind and let your spirit lift and your heart skip a beat.
