I am sorry. I know I promised one more European Breaker’s Point newsletter, and for that matter, a newsletter in general last week. I got busy! I mentioned here that I was going to Florence and Rome, and it turns out there is a lot to do in Florence and Rome, even if half of it is eating. It was an amazing trip to cap an amazing semester in Europe, exceeding all of my expectations. We saw everything there was to see in both cities and packed our days to the brim. From Il Duomo to Uffizi to the Tuscan Hills ( where we went on a morning wine tasting excursion…make sure you eat something before you go) to the Vatican, the Forum, St. Peter’s Basilica, Sant’Angelo Castle, it was amazing to see these state of the art landmarks and take in the culture of the country. I was honed in on culture in general throughout my time in Europe. London is a diverse city and very much a melting pot kind of like New York City, where the culture is shaped by the different backgrounds of the people who live there, while Italy was more homogenous as most people were all born in Italy. That lends itself to a strong tribal culture. I found myself having an inexplicable specific feeling in each of the places that I traveled to. I did not realize how much emotional weight that places positively inflict upon you.
Well, now I am back in glorious Montville, NJ and while that is sarcasm, the spring weather has been beautiful since I have been home. It has been aiding in alleviating post-vacation depression. Now that I have had the vacation that I so desperately wished for in my music, it is time to get back to real life. I still need to figure out an internship for this summer, but it seems like that will be taken care of soon. At least, I really really hope so. I also need to find a way to make some money, because you know, that is important. I have some shows coming up that I will tell you guys more about later as the dates get finalized. I am focusing on making demos now for all the new songs that have come out in the last year or so. This is so I can have an idea of what they will sound like and so I can have a roadmap when it comes to teaching the band when we officially record these tracks. It is also so my band can easily learn the songs for the show. I have a lot of new songs, and it may be an undertaking to have my band learn them all, or at least most of them, so I am trying to make it as easy on them as possible. However, I also think some level of spontaneity is fun. It is good to rehearse and get tight as a band, but I have realized that audiences like something that is happening on stage that feels unique to that show or moment. I plan on learning a lot of covers that we can pull out as we feel like it. I always like closing shows with covers for some reason. I guess it is sort of a Bruce effect because he does that…what else is new? Sigh. But, Mnemonic Advice is coming back in a big way. Stay tuned!
Grateful Eight
* The spring weather! The sun is shining!
* Nasal spray. Ok, so I am super allergic to my dog, and I have seasonal allergies and it has created an armageddon in my respiratory system. I consistently have a stuffy nose, but nasal spray is a miracle drug. Three shots in each nostril and I am breathing from my nose beautifully.
* Eye drops. The armageddon is in my eyes too. Sometimes, I feel like I want to itch my eyes off of my face.
* My guitar collection. I brought my telecaster to London because that is my go-to guitar, but now that I am home, I have been having fun playing my other ones because they deserve love too.
* The Rangers! Hockey playoffs are like no other, and the Rangers are such a fun team to watch with all this young talent. Igoooorrrrrrr. Igoooooorrrr.
* Playing shows. I think about playing shows most of every day. I like to form setlists, and then form B setlists, and then C setlists, and then D setlists and choose from there. It is a fun activity. I put so much thought into my live show. I need my audience to match the feeling I get from live music and the best artists in the business of it.
* Real Iced Coffee; none of this “iced americano” b******t. Give me a cold brew. Please and thank you.
* A large shower. You do not understand, our shower in London was like one of those capsule waterslide things; like when you stand in it and then the floor drops from under you. One of these things:
It is impossible to wash without accidentally knocking into the shower handle, thus making the water temperature hot enough to cook pasta.
This Week’s Rare Mnemonic Advice/Josh Carus Recording: Evelyn
For some reason, the name Evelyn spoke to me. It could be an effect from Jeff Tweedy’s song “Gwendolyn.” It was not an intentional copycat, but chances are it definitely influenced my interest in the name Evelyn. It is a nice little folk ditty. The song is basically about a character that my character in the song grew up with. She used to be beautiful, but the world has kind of dragged her down. She has suffered loss, stress, anxiety, and pressure to do something meaningful with her life. It is sad for my character to see her like this. In seeing her, my character learns that maybe the world has dragged him down just as much, despite not looking like it. I have been interested in the trope of opening your eyes as a vehicle for realization, both self-realization and the realization that maybe the world does not work like you think it does. The trope comes up in a few recent songs that I have written. I tried to have the imagery of what this Evelyn person looks like to tell the story. I have been trying to write with more imagery, that makes the lyrics meaningful but up for interpretation. This recording is from winter break. It features me trying my hand at slide guitar. I have a little work to do there, but it was fun.
“Evelyn”
I thought I saw Evelyn
And I don’t know how long it’s been
Now she’s got hair the color of sand
And a cigarette in her left hand
She used to be so hot and cold
Now rust commands her heart of gold
With picket fence teeth and emerald eyes
And a faded dress as gray as the sky
Evelyn please my darling
Lend me your piece of mind
I know you used to love me
But then you opened up your eyes
Now Evelyn you are so mean
You say it’s ‘cause of things you’ve seen
But things you’ve seen have come and gone
And you just can’t figure out how to move on
Evelyn please my darling
You were the girl of the time
I know you used to love me
But then you opened up your eyes
