lush melodies and a poet's take

last night we went to see one of my favorite bands, over the rhine, perform at the swedish american music hall, right next to cafe du nord. they have a way of transfixing me- capturing my attention with karin's intoxicating vocals and linford's soulful piano-playing. my friend who ended up coming with me was a newbie to OTR, but i think in the end, their songs, their lyrics, their brash honesty of faith in collision with life is just what her soul needed to hear.

music has such a power to connect and communicate realities and truths that if done by the spoken word would seem too sharp, too pointed. in this, i don't mean poetry- poetry has power enough that during revolutions, the poets can become enemies of the state. we poets have a keen insight into the essence of things and our voices need to be heard, loud and clear- maybe that's an element of what i love about folk music- the telling of the tale in such a way where a truth or value is communicated in the layer beneath the story itself. there is power in people sharing their stories with us and us listening and telling the stories back to them. i would imagine this can provide needed catharsis for the mind that needs to hear that another person gets them or even puts the situation in a different perspective when reiterated back by someone not involved, save their relationship with the liver of the experience.