The tribulations of anything unseen

In my former life, I was criticized for being open... for being honest. Can you imagine that? In a world devoid of truth... of anything reminiscent of face value... that one could actually, willfully, knowingly disregard someone for being honest? I think it would be the other way around... that I would've been loved and respected for being truthful. It makes me think that sometimes... simply... other people just don't appreciate who you are and what you do. Would you agree?

Ah... So... I've been working all day in my "new" life. One that feels at times lifeless... like the town I grew up in. But it breeds a hunger and an opportunity to once again drive myself to someone I've never been, or something I've never done before. Anyway, it was time to take a break tonight. I took my buddy for a walk (Chico) and ended up at a party down the street. Free alcohol is a good thing. Well, as long as one can handle it. I suppose it's a bit of a medicine for me lately. Numbs the pain as they say. And it brings out the laughter that hides away during the waking hours. At least for me anyway.

So I'll try not to go off on a tangent on this paragraph. Been working... layout, graphic design stuff. Still trying to find my stride in it. There's a lot to know and there's a lot of beautiful work out there. Which is why I bring it up at all... Because visual art, like music, is vast and objective. It takes it's own twists and turns in the brightest of sunny days to the darkest and loneliest of nights. Visual art helps to tell the story... helps to sell the product... helps to bring the message across. It's a new ocean for me to swim in. Unlike music, which I feel confident I've found my proverbial "stride" in, but always want to push beyond my personal boundaries. Yes... I'm lucky enough to find two modes of expression. Anyone should be so lucky with just one. I guess I won the lotto.

I've been missing music lately. I've been missing my band too. Last week I got to pacify myself and my desire to perform. Another successful show at New Haven's own flagship for musical creativity... Cafe Nine... left me blissful and hopeful. It was kinda like sex without the guilt and without any risk of pregnancies. That was quite a stretch for an analogy, eh? So we really hit our stride as a four-piece last week. It was inspirational for me. Makes me want to play even more. Fred and I, and Gerry and Anthony for that matter, were all in agreement that we were firing on all cylinders (that's an old automotive expression, in case you didn't get it). What's more? It was honest. Yes, as I was discussing in the first paragraph, it all comes back to honesty. Got to share the bill with a truly wonderful band, Pete and J. They're from Brooklyn and I am certainly looking forward to sharing another bill with them. It was a truly great pairing. Thanks to all that came out!

By now I'm wondering if you're wondering why I titled this here blog "The tribulations of anything unseen." Well, honestly, I don't know it sounded good. Doesn't it sound like a bestselling book or something? No? Seriously, it's about not knowing what someone else is going through. You may think you know, but you'll never really know. You know? Which brings me to my next point... relating to the whole honesty theme kicking around these words tonight. No one is that completely honest. I'm not. I sure do open up a lot and tell a lot of stories about my life (see Where You Come From - available now at iTunes), but there's quite a bit that I will never reveal. Some of it is to save face, some to protect the innocent. But I digress because once again, I'm going off on a tangent... "The tribulations of anything unseen." You'll never completely know what someone else is going through. So you know what? Just have a heart. Just lend an ear and hear what the other person has to say and project no expectations on what you want to hear. There are things unseen that remain that way for a reason. It's that simple.

Heading to the studio the first week of December. I hope to have the free acoustic EP out for Christmas. Here are some song titles for you to formulate ideas about:

I Can't Wait To Let You Down
The Last One
Vermont
70 Letters
Not Sad To See You Leave

Is Seth heartbroken again? Possibly. Is he pissed off? Definitely. Is he happy that Obama won the presidency? Abso-fucking-lutely!

Thank you for listening. Thank you for spreading the word. Please continue to do so. It's greatly appreciated.

Oh... before you go... short story. I used to submit songs to this website called TAXI. Basically, they steal your money and dangle a hope of shopping your song for licensing to TV shows and movies. Basically, the whole thing is a scam... kinda like Sonicbids, but that's another story. A few times through TAXI, the so-called "experts" had the opinion that I needed to be more resolute in my storytelling... that they couldn't understand what I was singing about...that I needed to be more direct. Well, I just got this email from Derek Sivers and it had this great quote from Keith Richards:

“Lyrics are best when they're mysterious - like listening in to someone else's phone conversation when the telephone wires have crossed. You don't know the history or context. You don't understand the references. So it draws you in even deeper, trying to understand.

If you're too obvious and explain everything in your lyrics, you don't get that mystery. So what I do is this:

Write out everything I'm thinking, everything I want to say, but then cross out every other line, and write the song using only what's left, even though it doesn't make total sense.”

Keith Richards. The Rolling Stones... bitches. Suck it TAXI.

Peace, love, rock & roll...

-Seth