New music, new obsession: Fastball.

June 29, 2017.

  I said this at some point this year: this is the year of music. Last year was the year of spending money in order to conquer that fear. Seeing my original favorites Colin (happy birthday!) and Vertical Horizon - and now some recent newly-found bands - multiple times in the same year is a reality. I've seen Colin twice (back-to-back shows) so far and have two more shows lined up.

... you could show me a whole new world. We could stay up all night 'cause you never know what could happen.

Maryland and Virginia. Can you spot me in the top left photo?

  As crazy as it may seem, I saw Vertical Horizon on tour with Fastball and Everclear twice and with Blues Traveler once, all within eight days, in three different states. Though I recommend attending multiple shows in a single year, be ready for the withdraw and a yearning to attend more; I could easily take a month off and follow a band throughout the country. Not only is it a great way to meet fans and make new friends, the sceneries are breathtaking. The United States is beautiful. Making the last-minute decision to go to Maryland and Virginia on my own was the most spontaneous, adventurous thing I have ever done. It was worth the lack of sleep and 13 or so hours of driving.




  My most recent discovery - and now obsession - is Fastball. Holy. Cow. I knew of the hits Over My Head, The Way and You're an Ocean, but I didn't dig deeper until after I became mesmerized at June 2's show. Fastball fits the "pool music" playlist I have in my head, a collection of songs I listened to while at to the pool as a kid in the late 90s, early-to-mid 2000s. I'm kicking my teenage-self in the butt for not being wiser and following more than just Vertical Horizon (also a bit of Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas) from that time frame.

  I've been listening to the new album, "Step Into Light", on a near-daily basis. My current favorite tunes are Best Friend, I Will Never Let You Down, Love Comes in Waves, and Secret Agent Love, but the album as a whole is catchy and great. I also spent a day in the office playing Fastball's complete discography, and there wasn't a song I wanted to skip. When I saw the trio of bands in Virginia, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to thank Fastball for participating in the tour and for coming out to say hi after the set. I usually say all the wrongs things, but I hope they know I meant well and do truly adore them!

I'll break free. I'll glow in the dark. I'll learn how to fly. I'll find my way around the obstacles.

  There's a video I found today, and something Miles Zuniga said when introducing We're On Our Way really stuck out to me (starting at 6:20, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't watch the video in its entirety). In simplest terms, one should not only wallow in misery and self-pity - bitch and complain - when in a tough situation; one should acknowledge the issue and seek positivity and attempt to get out of said situation. The fact he says this very thoughtful, positive thing helps reiterate to me why I'm fond of and attracted to the musicians I follow. Check it out:

This is really important: I think that songs are like affirmations, and if you sing something over and over, you're inviting it into your life. I think you've got to be careful with what you're singing. Even a guy like Bob Marley, who's singing about really hard things, [has] a positive thing at the end of it. I think that's the trick. You can acknowledge how hard life is, but you really want the affirmation to be a positive one rather than everything sucks... If your life really is in the gutter, you don't want to be saying, 'everything sucks.' You need to be looking up.

  This is why there's so much more value in just listening to music. Learning more about the musicians helps me understand where they come from and their perspectives. I appreciate the effort they put into writing, collaborating, producing, touring... As one who doesn't have any musical talent or skill, I envy and am grateful that those who are skilled in songwriting and playing an instrument - many times multiple instruments such as Tony Scalzo does - share their work.

  In the meantime, I'll be seeing a few shows this Independence Day weekend - Gin Blossoms and Rick Springfield! - and waiting until I'm able to see Fastball for my third time, which will be at the end of July. It'll come soon enough!