Looks Like I Need You

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

17 This is my command: Love each other.



Rough week. Some friends haven't been very good friends. Really trying hard to not let my attitude be affected by other people's actions. My good friends, though, are showing who they are by being good friends. Saw Harold & Maude, enjoyed it a lot. Watched the sunset from the Greek Orthodox Church. Listening to Matthew Walter's old, old band Syren Siren. Maybe life is too short to put up with people being a dick to you. Maybe. I don't know.

ROYGBIV

I write songs for YOU. In the past year I've realized that popular bands have to go on the rode all the time and eat crummy food and use rest stop restrooms and be away from home and it doesn't appeal to me whatsoever. I've decided that I just want to write songs that my friends will enjoy and maybe move them a bit. And I also don't want you to have wait for an album to come out to hear what I've been writing. I have you to thank for most of what I am. You all supported me and encouraged me when the songs absolutely sucked. Now they just kinda suck, so thanks!

So for the few of you that actually read this blog, I'll be giving listens to demo songs as they come. I really like recording demos because it's basically just me playing around and messing with sounds... so they come out really lo-fi and chaotic and I like it. Hope you like it, too.

Here's one that I wrote and recorded a few months ago. Enjoy, and hopefully there will be more to come sooner than later.


ROYGBIV

We're All Alright

Yesterday was a day that doesn't happen very often. It was one of the days where you feel completely full; emotionally, physically, spiritually.

We went to the art museum and were very classy. Then we had Chipotle which classy doesn't even begin to describe. Then we went and got really delicious mint cookies and cream shakes. And we saw Mike and he really brightened my day.

And then we went and saw Where the Wild Things Are. It made me cry. But it was one of those things where it's so beautiful and it makes you so happy that you cry. It wasn't a sad cry. Anyway, it was a pretty good movie. And it was super duper nice outside.

Then I was driving to Andy's and "Moment of Surrender" was on and the sun was setting over Dayton and it was a really colorful purple and orange sunset and I almost started happy crying again. Then I got to Andy's and we ate. And Tom was cracking me up as usual. Something really funny happened, that I won't go into detail about, but basically we were all hysterical. I was laughing so hard that I was literally crying. Not-sad crying, mind you.

Crying is an amazing thing. Somehow it makes you feel really amazing and different afterwards. Yesterday was one of those days where you can't explain the feeling, but it's a good one.




Weird. 27+ Months and I haven't changed a bit.

Lips Made By Strativarius

"Good-bye you mad fools, I'm off to my tent to have a martini with a lizard"

Yu Too

I have only ever had two major life goals. The first was to see U2 in concert. The second was to make a bigger list of goals.

My dad and I drove down to Raleigh, NC to see them play live and it was.... unfulfilling. 1, it was a stadium show – there were like 90,000+ people there. 2, it was really loud – the sound was indistinguishable at times. 3, we were realllly far away – you could see that they were on stage, but that was about it – most of the time I was forced to watch the screen.

Now, before you call me ungrateful I must clarify something. I’ve been listening to U2 since I was four years old. My dad had a tape with U2 and Talking Heads on it and I loved it, and I think I thought they were black and was so surprised when I saw a picture of them. There was a time, before I had a job, when I would come home after school every day and do my homework while watching a U2 DVD. At any rate, U2 have been a huge deal to me for most of my life.

I don’t know quite how to explain it. It certainly was not a very spiritual experience at all. It just felt really showy and impersonal. I guess my expectations were WAY too high. There were a couple cool moments though, like when they went from “One” to “Amazing Grace” and then into “Where The Streets Have No Name”. And a few clips with Aung San Suu Kyi and Desmond Tutu were very moving.

I’m glad I went. It’s best to have your dreams crushed when you’re young so you can move on with life. I’ve seen them and now I can be content with knowing that the DVDs are better than seeing them live… they’re even better than the real thing.

OCTOBER

October and the trees are stripped bare
Of all they wear.
What do I care?

October and kingdoms rise
And kingdoms fall
But you go on
And on.