where did June go?

i look down this morning to find that June has left us in the midst, and my hope is that i find a way to remember some of the cool lessons it taught me. i've really kind of been a student this past month in the face of desparation and i'm hopeful that i can take away some very valuable information to help me overcome whatever else lies ahead. to my own admission, at this very moment i don't recall much about June, likely due to the very obstacles i've already documented in this blog. i am however quite confident that once i've had the chance to look back on these trials, i will almost certainly become stronger for it all.
the last few days have been more of the same, with the exception of last night, where i took in my friend DC's first show with his side project called The Estradas. the show was set in an old irish pub on the northeast side of Grand Rapids. i don't recall how to spell the name of the club but i do recall that it was two people's names, which i heard has more to do with family tradition amongst the owners than anything else. i don't know much else about it unfortunately.
the night began with The Estradas' set. the band played about six songs from their upcoming record, which is in pre-production at the moment. i've been around since the early inception of the creative ideas that later became songs so it was cool to hear the music materialize. maybe it's best to direct you to the band's myspace page rather than describe the sound. the songs they have on that site are old scratch tracks from early demos but it might at least give you some sense of what they sound like so follow this link:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=30934549
the band was really pleased to have their first live gig behind them and they appeared to get a warm reception so i wouldn't be surprised to see them playing out more very soon. it's just great to see some close friends step away from their usual roles in music and create completely different material than what we're used to hearing from each of them. the lead singer has spent several years behind the drum kit and he exchanges that for front man duties in The Estradas. DC generally plays guitar and either lead or backing vocals but with this band he is the madness taking place on the skins. the parts written for this band are easily some of the most challenging drum pieces i've witness in a long time.
next to take stage was a local act called Love's Lost Heroes. they are usually a four piece but their drummer had another gig so they played with bass, guitar, and vocals. their sound is very bluegrass, folk, often compared to a rootsier Wilco. they have female fronted vocals and her voice was amazing, very sharp and precise. at times the sound was brassy but that most likely has more to do with the mix than the actual performers themselves. the cool surprise of the night is their bassist played an upright bass for the gig. now, few people around here understand my deep appreciation for the upright bass because they realize how many years i spent supporting local jazz trios, where the upright version has become a staple. since the Rhythm Kitchen closed years ago i have struggled to find a cool club that hosts local jazz but the time will come.
anyway, i was pleasantly surprised by their upright bass. i later learned that the lead vocalist and bassist were brother and sister, which made the music take on that family connection and give it a little deeper meaning. i'm not sure why that is but i seem to really like when family decides to do music together, it's hard to describe.
this was my first time seeing Love's Lost Heroes and i was happy with what i heard. it's very different for this area, which is comforting because there is a fair share of monotony amongst the scene. this band had a fresh sound and i would be curious to see what they sound like with their drummer. i really favored the more stripped down approach and my hope would be that the percussion doesn't make the songs sound too filled in or busy. drums usually accentuate and provide a key role to the rhythm but sometimes drummers do too much so hopefully their drummer is more subtle. maybe i'll found out sometime here real soon. if so, i'll report on my findings.
the last band to play was Jake Stevens and the Strangers. Jake is actually the older brother of the lead in The Estradas, and i also have known Jake for equally as long as the other guys. JSatS rocked the house, period. it was refreshing to see them play out since it had been awhile that i've been able to catch a show. they've been playing some pretty cool clubs around town but obviously i haven't been in a position to attend. i really wouldn't have been able to go last night if it hadn't been for the continued patience and support of JB and CB. i love that couple!
the band launched into mostly older material from Jake's independent release but mixed it up with some fresh new songs. i really like the direction the band has taken over the years, to include more instrumentation and artistic expression. the band has recently tested a string section and some really cool keyboard arrangements that add to the already exciting songs. before i forget, the band also has a myspace page and can be found here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=6156412
you can find some of the newer material on their site but i believe it's long before they re-recorded some of the parts. either way, i really dig it. i'm real proud of my friends and how far they've come. Jake has always been VERY particular about his music and it's great to see him performing with a band finally. he used to write and play all the parts because he couldn't feel good about other people's interpretations of his material. well, that no longer appears to be the case now because the band around him really adds to what he created. in fact, some of the solo guitar work makes an amazing difference!
last night was incredible and carried a wide variety of emotions when watching everyone perform so well. i felt really blessed to have the opportunity.
no night like this would have been complete without a twilight run to Denny's for some Moons Over My Hammy. you simply cannot go wrong with this menu choice!
JB and CB, myself, and MW met for an evening meal amongst the rest of the alcohol influenced regulars at the restaurant. fortunately our hostess found a booth set in the far corner away from all the noise so we didn't have to listen to stories about broken promises, pick-up lines, hook-ups, let downs, climaxes... you get the point.
it was almost 3am before i was dropped off and i'm definitely paying the price at the moment. it was a great series of sacrifices though and i don't regret one minute. the only thing i wish i could have done was get up for church this morning. i didn't arrange a ride with anyone and by the time i had the opportunity to try the service(s) were nearly finished. i'll make up for it one way or another, i'm sure.

myspace is streaming johnny cash's final album in its entirety until tuesday. i'm really impressed by the growth of the man in black and to some degree it brings a sense of mysticism to hear his last recordings before he passed. i've found myself leaving this album on stream while i'm doing other things on the computer today.
i need to be sure to walk around the house periodically today and not spend too much time sitting in one place. the doctor encouraged me to become slowly more active to promote better healing with my vital organ, the good ol' left kidney.

perhaps i'll have something more to write about later today...