Bottom Line

Heads up!!!! There is a great clip with Lyle Lovett, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and the big band at the bottom!!!!!!

Well I had every intention (and pictures to back it up) to tell you about every day and every great thing that happened in Telluride. But, the week got away from me and life got a hold of me. I need to be living it, not writing about it. I will say some things about Telluride. Telluride reminded me of why I love the mountains, why I loved living in Wyoming and Idaho. It was cold at night, freezing cold, and beautiful during the day. The best were those cold running streams and creeks around town park. I treated them like hot tubs. Just got in there and sat, Andrea was laughing at me cause I was the only one that was all about staying in there. Aside from the fantastic mountain time, there was the music. My god, there was just some fantastic music. Now, as I said before, there were great nationally renowned musicians and bands, but there were bands I just discovered for the first time there at Telluride.

Here is the list:

1) Imelda May - wonderful Rockabilly singer from Dublin, got up there and killed it. Was it bluegrass, no. Did she fill town park with feeling and spirit, yes. She was amazing.

2) Cadillac Sky - the lead singer reminded me of the lead singer from the Band (Levon Helm). They were rocking with mandolins, violins, and guitars (and standup bass and drums). They were on early, but they sang and performed like they were the headlining act. I bought some of their music off iTunes when I got home. I won't lie, I loved them live more, but the songs I selected were good.

3) Carolina Chocolate Drops - three extremely musically educated black musicians from North Carolina doing traditional bluegrass and Appalachian music. They focus on songs performed and written by African American bluegrass musicians. They played some fantastic songs, did a great cover of both Jackson (Johnny Cash) and Hit 'em Up Style (Jill Scott).

4) Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros - mind blowing. I was not expecting them at all. Got a text from Stephanya to make sure I watched them (cool, I was already there by the chili pepper happily waiting for the goods). I remember being at Sasquatch Music Festival some years ago now. I was nearly passed out (from allergy meds). I was laying on the ground, curled up under a blanket watching Arcade Fire from way up on the hill. They were so amazing that I managed to rouse myself to take in the spectacle. While not as theatrical as Arcade Fire, this band covers that ground with the music. The songs are so moving and lovely. Once again I was rocking and rolling.

Honorable Mentions: Brandi Carlile (everyone else knew about her, I did not. She was awesome. It was like watching a mid-90s female rocker. There just are not enough women out there killing it). Mumford and Sons. Punch Brothers.

Mostly, this weekend was another reminder of how important it was for me to start living again. Really living. I really feel like I put my life on hold for law school. All of you know how much I hated law school. But, if it was not for law school I do not know I would have ever started playing guitar. I certainly would never have met my bandmates. So thank you law school for that (AND FOR ALL MY FRIENDS IN BOULDER). But, somewhere between driving out west years ago to live in Idaho and applying for law school, I forgot why I went out there in the first place. I went out there to be close to life, to the basics.

After I got back from Telluride, I felt good about my decision to come down here to Austin. Its not the country, it is not the mountains, but it is a place where a lot of people are just following their dreams and living their lives. I also got some sad news that some friends from Idaho died recently. They were young dreamers and I would have counted them among the kind of people really living. It was a reminder of the fact that, many times over, I have been given a second chance at life. I don't want to waste those chances or good fortunes anymore. I want to be out there living and drinking it all up. Get back to living, get back to doing the things I love, that is what I took from my trip to Telluride.

And, despite these professions that I need to get back to living, law school had grabbed me with its old, dead hand and is pulling me back in the name of the bar. Booo.