Devils & Dust

Last night I found myself reminiscing about the concerts I've attended. They are vast and varied. From Marilyn Manson to Yo La Tengo, Motorhead to Feist, Chromeo to Jay-Z, and Flaming Lips to Michael Franti. I worked in a music shop for close to four years, received plenty of free tickets and enjoyed many strange moments, like dressing as KISS to promote their symphony album, telling LL Cool J we didn't have a DVD he was looking for, getting my picture taken with Alice Cooper and hugging Buck 65 (and probably holding on a little longer and tighter than necessary. What can I say, the man is a Canadian dreamboat.) 

There have been many great shows and at the top of the list is the two Toms, Petty and Waits. Two shows I will always remember. Two of the greats. Two men who brought me through some really rough patches in my life. To hear Petty since Wildflowers and Waits tinker away on his piano for Table Top Joe will always be remembered fondly. I am lucky to have witnessed these two men perform. 

But there is one other man who is sits among these two greats. 

Bruce Springsteen. 

Hold on, before you get all uppity about his blue collar persona and rah-rah-America shtick, you have to listen to his other albums. By 'other albums' I mean the ones where his lyrics will blow you away and his melodies will tame your wild heart and remind you everyone has melancholic moments. I fell in love with Nebraska first and it was the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship. Nebraska is an album worthy of that most profound feeling of being forlorn. It is broken promises and lost souls wandering empty nights. It is a higher level of story telling. It's isolation. Loneliness. And rain drops on windows. Songs like Used Cars and Atlantic City paint a picture so vivid you can taste the dust in the air and hear the bugs hitting the windscreen.

By the time Devils & Dust was released in 2005, I was head over heels and no one would be able to convince me that Bruce Springsteen wasn't anything but genius. While I loved everything he did, the best had just fallen into my hands. I must have played D&D on repeat for months. It was inspiring and heart-breaking, and it kind of felt like home. When I got free tickets to the show, I nearly flipped. I wasn't sure what to expect, after all, this was the man who was known for fist pumping and having a bandana in his back pocket. 

It was quite personal for a Colosseum show. They sectioned it off so only a quarter of the seats were sold, if that. And I remember it feeling intimate. He was onstage, just him and his guitar and he told stories. About the songs. His life. Why his son was on tour with him. And for those two hours, I was absorbed. I didn't even think about the people around me. He was captivating. It seems weird, doesn't it? To have this obsession with this musician you always wrote off as silly dad-rock. Except, he's quite deep, and even when he isn't, he's fun. Songs like Fire, Dancing In The Dark, and I'm On Fire are perfect for dancing around the house in your underwear. 

So, there's my odd little crush. I love Bruce Springsteen. And his Devils & Dust tour was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. No theatrics. No flashes. No bangs. No band. Just him and his guitar. Utter perfection. 

 

You Can't Start A Fire Without A Spark

Bruce Springsteen clearly has a lot to teach us. Okay, he might have been talking about love when he sung that line from Dancing In The Dark, but it's a pretty apt observation. You certainly can't start a fire without a spark. Not only is it applicable to love and life and adventures and happiness and new starts, but it coincides with writing.

At this very moment, I've sat down to write a short story, just to get into the habit of writing again, and I need the spark. I can't start without it. If I do, I will remain uninspired and the words will dry up, dwindle, and fade away, then I will have another beginning without a middle and end. The creative juices shall not floweth until I get a flicker. A bit of heat. Some sort of combustion would be nice. Something that will turn into an all out inferno.

It's hard to know when it will come. What will feed the fire. If the spark will fizzle due to lack of oxygen, much like every spark I've had in the last couple months. The best is when you do get the spark and a decent flame going, you're putting kindling on it, stoking it, blowing, and it catches! Oh, it's a glorious feeling to watch the fire build, then you need to put something bigger on it, so it can heat the whole house and not just the living room. This is where it turns into a real challenge. What if the bones aren't dry enough? What if it starts raining doubt and uncertainty? Sometimes a huge gust of negative wind will sweep through and threaten to extinguish the fire of creativity.

Sometimes it does, and you feel so angry that you spent all that time trying to build the fire. You're frustrated because you didn't get to put it out yourself. There are times you kick at the depressing ashes. Other times, you crouch back down and blow on the coals, hoping against all odds you can revive it. The joy that comes when you succeed is exhilarating, nothing compares, but so many times it simply burns out. You promise to come back to it later in the day. Days turn to months. Months to years. Every now and then, you revisit it.

All of this glorious work and frustration and excitement doesn't happen if not for one little thing.

A spark.

So, we wait.

Crushing Hard

Do you remember when people used to say they were 'crushing hard' on someone? I do. It always made me laugh, like were there people out there crushing soft? Does it make the crush that much more intense if you add the 'hard' in there? If you weren't crushing hard, did it not count? Was just a regular old crush not good enough?

Yes, these are the things that go through my head.

Speaking of crushes, these are my top seven celebrity crushes. Celebrity because I'm never going to tell you who my poor or working class crushes are. Celebrity seems safer. Harmless. Fun.

And here we go:

1. Emma Stone - Not just because she has that adorable little lisp but because I have never seen her in the tabloids flashing her gash. There's something about the smattering of freckles on her nose. The lip-sing off she had with Jimmy Fallon. Easy-A. Her part in Crazy Stupid Love. And the red hair. I've always liked girls with red hair. Not really boys, though. Strange how girls with red hair come across as spitfires and boys a little creepy. That being said, some women with red hair actually exude a very standoffish vibe, but for the most part, I really appreciate a tinge of ginge. Some of you may not know that this is actually who I always saw playing Eleanor in my first novel Seeking Eleanor. Now you know.

2. Andy Samberg - They say women like funny men. This is true, but more so if the funny men are attractive. Actually, the irony with this is that a man can be fairly average looking and if you add a great sense of humour to them, they gain two points. Two whole points for the ability to crack jokes! Crazy, right? Also, two points if there is an accent. Andy Samberg has been on my radar for years. No, really. I think I wrote a blog back in 2006 about how I wanted him to marry me. Apparently, he didn't want to.

3. Mindy Kaling - I shant draw the line at funny men. After all, I am an equal opportunity type of gal, and Mindy Kaling is one attractive mama. She's got hips that don't quit and sharp wit to match. Sign me up. While I didn't entirely love her character on The Office, I truly admire the fact that she co-wrote and produced the show, which most people don't know. She also the creative genius behind the Mindy Project, a totally hilarious show I truly appreciate. Oh, and her book is fantastic. Some of her observations on life and love and existing are simply brilliant. Obviously I'm crushing hard on this one.

4. Ryan Gosling - Not my usual cup of tea, but it's Ryan Gosling. 

5. Emma Watson - Clearly, I have an affection for Emmas. This one is too plain and simple, it's Heromine Granger, and everyone loves her. My crush only grew stronger when she cut off her hair and started saying brilliant things about short skirts and femininity. That being said, she's just adorable. Absolutely adorable. Haven't seen a single movie I've disliked her in, then again, I haven't seen Noah yet. Yikes. 

6. Bruce Springsteen - Yesterday. Today. And tomorrow. Forever. It's just been an ongoing thing and I don't see it ending anytime soon. I swear he just gets better with age. 

7. Zac Efron - You can read my thoughts on this cyborg here. Yes, it's a blog from 2009. And, yes, it is still applicable. Although, I do have a few things to add. One - he makes a white t-shirt look good. Two - I watched Neighbours and laughed my arse off. And lastly, I am pretty sure he is James Dean incarnate. 

Terribly beautiful people. Other notables that I simply just ran out of space for: Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Zooey Deschanel, Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, Ian Somerhalder (don`t judge me), Tina Fey, Aziz Ansari, Hugh Dancy, Norman Reedus. Oh hell, I have hard crushes on everyone. 

And who is tickling your fancy these days?