the past didn't go anywhere

Ring Out The Warning Bell - Th...

Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a most excellent show in which the Appleseed Cast performed Low Level Owl Vol. 1 & 2 in it's entirety here in Philly. So good. I'll admit I'm not a fan of all their music. I pretty much stick to the that nearly perfect two disc set and last year's mostly instrumental Sagarmatha. When I heard that the band was coming to town I thought, tempting but I don't really know if I want to sit (or stand) through the rest of their catalog. I vowed only to go if the band could promise to play music from the two albums that I held near and dear. As their date grew closer I read that they had somehow heard my plea and were planning to play Low Level Owl, front to back. Awesome!

I biked to the venue, grabbed a drink at the corner store and descended into the basement of the First Unitarian Church just in time to watch the band stroll on stage and start their set. Perfect. As I listened, my buddy asked me what year the album was first released and I remembered that it was way back in 2001, close to ten years ago. This made me feel old. 2001 really doesn't seem that long ago. Then I start to think about it. A lot was different back then. I moved from my parents house in the suburbs of Baltimore to the city of brotherly love, much to my mother's dismay. I transferred from Howard Community College, essentially an extension of high school, to the much much larger Temple University, right in the heart of treacherous North Philly. I had a girlfriend then, now I have an ex-wife. I worked in retail and held down overnight shifts at WPEN 950 AM, now I'm nearly in my fifth year at Disc Makers, making discs. I drove a red '92 Chevy Cavalier, then a green '96 Pontiac Grand Am, then a silver '06 Scion XB and now a '98 Chevy Lumina. I've lived in six different apartments/houses in four different parts of the city...I think you get the point. A lot can happen in 9 years.

Some things age so well. Some things don't change. Low Level Owl still sounds meticulously crafted today. It still holds it's relevancy, even though it's authors have grown and their sound has changed, as has their lineup. I admired their commitment to a fan favorite and a defining record. I admired how they are acknowledging the past. It doesn't leave us, no matter how much we regret it or wish it away or attempt to deny it. Even if we've come to terms with it, the past still molds us and is a part of what we carry forward. Just listen to the "Golden voice of the Great Southwest" explain it (below). After that, go back to 2001 (using your time travling transporter), spend a couple of hours with the Appleseed Cast and remember.

Bridges - Ani DiFranco, Utah P...