Bruce and Company

In the wee hours of yesterday morning,I headed out into the streets of Manhattan to meet up with two minister friends to share a morning of rock legend, Bruce Springsteen's, music. He was the special concert guest for the Today show.Below is a photo diary of the morning and a link to a video interview of Annie Rawlings,Social Justice Presbyter for New York City and Pastor Vickie of Ridgewood Presbyterian Church.

The Weekend Inspiration:Virginia Tech Benefit- Mountain High Reflections (Edited 9.12.07),(9.17.07)

...And Anatomy of A "Community Healing"


John Mayer performing before the estimated audience of 50,000


Me seated among the 50,000 or so students and families,making friends and witnessing their enjoyment of the show, while anticipating the next "human wave". BTW,this was also the seating area earmarked for "media"--The Red Zone. I was scanning the crowd intermittently for sightings of others sporting "media" tags to see what they were up to. More on that in a future blog. Hmmm...


Robbie McIntosh(Mayer band member),Leroi Moore (DMB) and John Mayer performing "Gravity" finale


Night view of concert and arena ambiance. The work is almost done...It was a beautiful sight.I was fortunate to have experienced it first hand.

Pre-Concert Interviews,etc...


Me outside Lane Stadium a little after 2:00p.m. waiting to interview students.Boy,was it hot out there. No shade, no water...no tent...(ouch!)



Keith Logan, a senior at Virginia Tech and one of the student volunteers arriving early--about 2:45p.m.-- to help set up concessions for the concert. He was my first interview and worth the wait... Catch his interview here(coming soon).


Another student I interviewed. He wanted to give a big "shout out" to the Dave Matthews Band with a giant thank you note.He expressed to me his excitement about meeting both John Mayer and Dave Matthews in one day. He and his friends (partially pictured) were almost too thrilled to talk.

____________

Virginia Tech is a school which sits high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains.


Aerial view of Virginia Tech campus nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Never having traveled these parts before,I had no idea the Virginia Tech campus was so highly elevated or as geographers might say,above sea level, until I was actually en route in the Smart bus. Click here and link to a Heavier Octaves podcast for more on that,the concert and my day spent there at the school.

I attended the Concert for Virginia Tech as I had hoped, in both the capacity of music fan/minister ("Chaplain of Pop") and "citizen journalist", a fancy term for blogger. It is a trend that is growing by leaps and bounds in so many areas of publication,including newscasting with some spillover of sorts into the burgeoning field of broadcast and videotaping of live concerts a la "Synchronicity Live" and MTV's "You R Here".I'm happy I saw it coming... Whether it gave me the jump is another question... More on that later,much later--one week at least.

Either way,I was happy to be there to experience a vibe and usher in an era,so to speak, of which I have been a forecaster for several years--music and love tangibly employed as healing forces of the world,and by all appearances at Thursday's event, an increasingly practical notion. A concept which can be applied in an even broader community context, expanding beyond the hospital bedside or therapist's couch.

At least my ministry is driven by that possibility. As a frequenter of Mayer concerts as well as radio station host and podcaster,I've developed/"sculpted" play lists which offer the music of the artists that have inspired me by their "gift" or what I have observed to be a special connection with the people. And, I, in turn,from a fan perspective, have been inspired to spread and celebrate their music, as well as encourage and promote in whatever constructive way possible, from a fan standpoint, benevolent activities flowing therefrom.John Mayer has been at the top of the list for over four years.

The Concert for Virginia Tech was a heartwarming experience and by all accounts a tremendous success. Truly an event which elevated consciousness in more ways than one, heightening my perspective not only physically based on Virginia Tech's location in a mountainous region,but spiritually as well. I think there were others there that admitted the same and will continue to do so in the days ahead. Some expressed the sentiment by dancing,singing,clapping their hands,shouting out "Let's Go Hokies"chants in unison and forming "human waves" throughout the stadium stands.After performing "Belief" and as a segue into his second song "No Such Thing", John Mayer said "The world should be like this all the time.I'm gonna remember this."

And, rapper Nas had earlier chimed in about the vibe with his performance of "One Mic", "...all I need is one mic", a song conveying the power and harmony of people coming together in peace and on one accord(more). I believe his ensuing controversy with Bill O'Reilly served as the inspiration for that. Despite that, unity and harmony was the spirit which predominated Thursday night with music serving as the bonding agent. It was definitely a rejuvenating and uplifting feel good party and the crowd appeared to savor every second of it. I certainly did.

While Dave Matthews and Phil Vassar are Virginians, all hailing from that domain,John Mayer,Dave Matthews Band,Nas and Phil Vassar,all gave brilliant performances. Last night you would not have been able to distinguish those native to that community from those who were not,including myself. Even though,I have to admit,the cap I was wearing was embroidered with the pure Yankee, east coast location,"Martha's Vineyard". My bad. Hokies still showed me some love.

All of the artists blended in well with the V-Tech community, becoming a big part of it as each in their own unique way enriched the upbeat and resilient "Hokie spirit" which permeated the atmosphere all during the concert and in the buzz around campus days, minutes and seconds before.

Before each performance Dave Matthews introduced every artist with simplicity and what some might describe as a shot of his unique brand of Virginian charm. All shared their compassion,love and talent through the dynamic synergy of their music and physical presence at the stadium and sightings around campus prior to that. Both John Mayer and Nas donned their versions of a "Hokies United" Virginia Tech Tee shirt during the concert.Nas' was accentuated by a little bling. John's was sported with his customary flare for the tee style.

Rumor had it that he was lodging on campus at the community's own Virginia Tech Inn during his stay in the area,hanging out and chatting it up with students.This is what I heard from a group of students outside the Lane stadium during Dave Matthews' sound check.They had recently spotted John at the Inn and outside the stadium.He was no doubt making his usual down to earth "people's musician" rounds.

Mayer ended his concert by playing his bluesy/gospel-esque "Gravity" as a prayer to the Virginia Tech community.He prefaced the song with "this is our prayer for you". It was very moving. I was deeply touched,as I'm sure was the Hokie community(more). Dave Matthews' band member and sax player,Leroi Moore joined John and his band on stage in a sultry and slick horn solo as well as accompaniment throughout "Gravity". The performance of this song with John's guitar and vocals along with his band's back up and Leroi's sax was in my opinion one of the highlights of the concert.Well,almost.John did come back on stage to join Dave Matthews and his band in the performance of #41. Two members of the Roots band also joined the stage.It was good that John and DMB finally got the chance to "jam" together in peace and musical harmony after all the rumored rivalry over the years.This was the perfect setting for their collaboration "jam".The fans loved it.

I'm still partial to "Why Georgia",which is a sentimental favorite. It's the song where it all began for me. It's also one which John admitted in the first article written about him in Performing Songwriter Magazine had a Southern Baptist flavor. The Atlanta influence,no doubt.It was well received by this crowd as well. John's sax player Bob Reynolds is no slouch either.He out did himself as well on his playing during "Vultures".

Here are links to video clips taken from the concert highlighting each artists performance. Click here for a link to highlights of John's performance.

Also, the link to an interview I conducted with Keith Logan one of the Virginia Tech students pictured above(coming soon). A video clip of Leroi Moore's performance with John Mayer on "Gravity" can be found here.

Now back to the preparation of Sunday's sermon. I do have a speaking engagement in a church no less. I'm pondering a reflection about this experience with some scriptural back up... That shouldn't be too difficult.

Peace,

Cynthia (Revcoolc)

Special thanks to Virginia Tech media staff Chris Clough and his assistant Cecelia Hovis who did everything to make the media credentialing process efficient and seamless. They were both very friendly and accommodating as well. Also,thanks to Mark Owczarski

Related Blog and "Media Pool" Articles:

Good Love Is On the Way:Some Virginia Tech Inspiration and Encouragement

"A Noteworthy Event"

"All We Need Is One Mic"

What About Nas? God's Son and "I Can"

Limited Number of Virginia Tech Concert Tickets Are Being Made Available to the Public For Purchase

(Photo Source and more...)

BLACKSBURG, Va., August 26, 2007 -- A limited number of tickets available to the general public will go on sale Tuesday, August 28 at 10 a.m. for the September 6 "A Concert for Virginia Tech" via MusicToday.com.

As you probably already know,the concert will feature performances by Dave Matthews Band,John Mayer,Nas and Phil Vassar. All musicians are waiving their fees for the concert,which will be a celebration of the strength and resiliency of the Hoakie spirit as the community recovers from the April 16 shooting tragedy which claimed the lives of 33 of its members.

I was happy to learn that a limited number of tickets are being offered to the general public.I'm sure there are a lot of music fans who will be happy to participate in this celebration and have the opportunity to see some of their favorite recording artists in concert "live" as well.

It should be a great celebration.

Peace,

Cynthia

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Move Over Trashy Marketing Ploys, "Wholesome" is "Now" the Winning Way...

(More...)

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Ask any 8-year-old what they did last weekend, and their response most likely consisted of three words: "High School Musical." The sequel to the Disney Channel's surprise made-for-TV hit smashed basic-cable.

It would appear that "wholesome" may be gaining as a trend to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry...

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Music Medicine Cometh Installment II-A Dose of John Mayer

Having served as a volunteer for Musicians On Call as a hospital chaplain, Sotheby's benefit hostess and hospital tour guide, as well as for years preceding that as a minister and spiritual director very much aware of the uplifting and therapeutic aspects of music,I am pleased to share this take on John's music with you.Virginia Tech is in for a big treat.

That John Mayer has a rare talent as a musician,no one can deny.The five time Grammy Award winner is tremendously gifted guitar player,recently selected for a Rolling Stone magazine cover as one of three modern day "guitar gods".Mayer was dubbed,Slow-Hand Jr.,in deference to one of his guitar idols and mentors,Eric Clapton,as well as his collaborations with blues greats B.B. King, Buddy Guy,also idols and for his skilled Jomi Hendrix covers, Rolling Stone's selection for the greatest guitar player of all times. He has in addition to working with Blues greats collaborated with r&b,hip-hop,rock,country and jazz icons such as Herbie Hancock, John Scofield,Alicia Keys,Kanye West,Common,Just Blaze,etc.

There is another aspect of John's musical appeal that has gone unexpressed and unheralded. Maybe that fact is just as well.However,I'd like to shed a little light on it from the standpoint of a fan who has benefited and derived a lot of pleasure from his music for number of years.And,in light of the upcoming concert September 6,2007 at Virginia Tech to celebrate life,the resiliency of a community and "lift the spirits" of the university's students,staff and faculty so they can get the 2007-2008 school year off to a good start,there couldn't be a more appropriate time.

There is something uplifting and enormously inspiring about many of John's songs and his music in general. I and other fans have throughout the years communicated this by providing feedback to him at concerts,as well as on some of his message boards around the internet and on several other blogs.

John Mayer has had a connection with the healing aspects of music in his early days starting out as a volunteer musician for the non-profit organization,Musician's On Call,as well as the manner in which he has touched and cultivated the love and hearts of fans since the late 90's.

The following are some past internet postings which shed light on this aspect of his music,including an excerpt of a post I wrote on the MSM message board over three years ago in response to a mini concert/visit he paid some children at a hospital in St. Louis when he played there on his "Heavier Things" concert tour that year. In addition, I also include below an excerpt from a recent posting on my Creativessel Inspirations blog followed by a play list of hand picked songs that make up a soothing "Dose of John Mayer."

There is definitely healing in the music. When you have such an awesome gift like John to touch others hearts and souls with love through the medium of music, its a powerful thing. Many of the children's lives will never be the same, as a result. I venture to say that many of our lives are forever altered by music and other intangibles on a daily basis. I am happy to see an artist with John's tremendous range of talent spend time- quality time- spreading his compassion and genuine concern for others in such a way. Simply put, it is just beautiful.

But this quality about John has always been evident. If you really listen intently to his music, and notice the concern he, on general principle(we call that "on GP"), demonstrates for others, the John that showed up at the hospital today always comes through loud and clear. He just exudes that certain quality.

I was previously aware of John's participation in Musician's on Call, which I think is an invaluable health outreach program, and I communicated that to the organization's founder a while ago.

Thanks for the link and mention though. It was helpful. As one who strongly believes in the healing power of music and the value of giving back to the community...you have the goods John and you deliver. It was even more endearing that you went over without a lot of fanfare, just as regular people...".

Here is an excerpt from a blog written on my Creativessel blog a few months back,entitled "Painting the John Mayer Canvas..." ,which provides a little insight into how his music has impacted me:

"When I first listened to the Room for Squares CD at Borders,I stood there for a while with "Why Georgia" on repeat, frozen in a space and time with which I was very familiar,but one that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I was gradually coming to grips in stages with why tears of joy filled my eyes and rolled slowly and effortlessly down my cheeks. I had experienced the healing and clearing properties of music before in the church as someone sang a gospel hymn or got happy singing a solo in the choir. Often that person was me.

I've also been touched so deeply by a song that every emotion that I may have repressed in the past has been given vent by the sound of a flute,a guitar chord, a voice's vibratto or tone,etc. As I listened to him singing the refrain "I wonder sometimes about the outcome of a still verdictless life. Am I livin' it right? Am I livin' it right? Am I livin it right? Why? Why? Georgia Why? In my case Georgia happened to be Detroit. I asked myself, Why? Why? Detroit Why?

Listening to him singing that song, a certainty came over me and I knew in my heart without a doubt that I had to shift my creative focus. I needed to get back on track artistically. I also knew with certainty that I would someday meet the "voice" that was resonating so with my spirit and the artist with the "fire in his eyes". When? I was not sure. But, I felt for whatever reason, it might be sooner than I expected. Two things for sure,I would be making a bee line for information on the internet about upcoming concerts he would be performing in the area and I would continue to ask myself if I needed to change the direction my life was headed,make a bold move,follow my heart and "leave the sh_t behind."