A year ago last January, I had the distinct pleasure of stumbling in to a life changing week aboard “The Rock Boat - Niner,” a 5 day music cruise with over 30 bands and singers performing round the clock. The event was amazing, but the highlight, musically, was not simply the performances, but also the accessibility the artists offered. From dining with the fans, to special events handpicked by the singers, to simply being in the crowd at another performers show, the musicians were everywhere. And it was on TRB Niner that I discovered Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, who immediately became one of my favorite bands.

Inspired by the reality of such unfettered access to the artists, I returned this year as part fan, part journalist. Due to the open and easygoing nature of the cruise, I was able to arrange interviews with many of the amazing musicians who took the stage on The Rock Boat X, chief among them being Stephen Kellogg himself. Edited only to eliminate major interruptions, what you will hear in two parts below is my full conversation with Stephen. I am grateful he shared his time, his passion, and his true thoughts with me, and I truly do hope we get to continue the conversation again soon.

“Nobody  told you that nothing plays out like it seems; twenty years now, running scared of all of your dreams; Is it everything you thought it would be?”

Green River Ordinance  - “On Your Own” from the album “Out Of My Hands”

Every time I question life, and art, and my strength to pursue what I truly want and love, I end up struggling.  Sometimes I feel like my inspiration - so often derived from the words of others in the form of lyrics - is hollow, inasmuch as I claim to be inspired by so many songs and singers, yet still fail to move forward and act accordingly. And then there are nights when I simply know that, no matter my pace or progress, I’m headed to good things.

On The Rock Boat back in January, I stumbled in to the very tail end of a set by GRO, and was blown away by the back and forth energy between the band and the the crowd. After a few up tempo songs, lead singer Josh Jenkins called the crowd closer, and, as the entire quintet unplugged and came to the edge of the stage, he led the crowd in an unplugged version of this song. It was during these 4 minutes that I became a fan of Green River Ordinance, and also decided that I desperately wanted to know more about the song, and it’s author. What followed after the set was a brief conversation about that song and what it means to Josh, and that in turn led to a full blown interview with both Josh and bassist Geoff Ice the next day. (The interview will be posted in full shortly on this very site.)

My point is this. GRO came to NY tonight to play at the Mercury Lounge up the block from me. As good as they are musically, what continues to blow me away is how genuine and giving they all are, to their fans as a whole, and myself in particular. Their recent success and exposure, via VH1 and the AT&T Olympic soundtrack, is earned and well deserved. But at their core, they are 5 high school buddies from Texas, still excited to make a living playing music. The line above, just one of many about vulnerability Josh and the boys have written, takes on new life when held up next to this line, from the back of their current CD: “As a band we always try to be honest, and never want to pretend like we have it all figured out. We doubt, we run, we learn, we love, we trust, we make mistakes.”

Not a lyric, but lyrical in it’s own right, and brilliantly honest and aware. Running scared of my dreams is pointless, because that is a certain path to unhappiness. So I draw inspiration in knowing that even those who succeed question the path. Questioning is good. Time to actively seek answers.

Sometimes, the worst of circumstances can bring out the best in all of us. In New York City on Monday night, the power of giving was on full display, as local musicians and music lovers came together for a five-hour fundraising concert. The show, organized by the charity NYsings.org, will donate all proceeds to Doctors Without Borders and other medical relief organizations working to build new hospitals in Haiti. Hosted graciously by City Winery on Varick St. in Lower Manhattan, “NY Sings for Haiti“ was the brainchild of noted music photographer Ric Agudelo and singer/songwriter Alex Berger, who also performed during the show. After seeing the devastation in Haiti on TV, the two were inspired to act and get others involved. Gathering twenty singers, and more than sixty of New York’s finest musicians in total, the show was a success from every angle - from the performances and the venue, to the money raised, to the LiveStream webcast, which will play in a loop at livestream.com/nysingsforhaiti, for those who missed it. (Fundraising will continue as well. See below for details.)

“Every single person we’ve contacted has bent over backwards to make this possible, to make this an incredibly memorable night of music,” said Mr. Berger. “I think tonight is a perfect example of what the New York independent music scene is right now. This is a very special, very unique scene of artists right now.” The sheer number of artists who participated and the level of talent present were testaments to the organizers excellent work in building the lineup and to the commitment of all involved. Performer Chris Kuffner summed up the thoughts of those who were on stage perfectly, saying, ”I feel blessed and lucky to be able to give back in the best way that I possibly can, which is to make music.“ Charity co-founder Agudelo was thinking broader, even as he organized this event, saying that in the future, when large scale relief efforts might be called for, NYsings.org would be there. “Anything that would need funding, we can get it all together and make it happen.”

Throughout, the concert showcased creativity and musical talent at their very best, from Martin Rivas’ inspiring opening, with a myriad of guest vocalists during his rousing two song set, to The Paper Raincoat, a brilliantly inventive trio closing the night with an a cappella hand clap based marvel of a song. The “house band” was an ever-changing unit of versatile musicians, spearheaded by Musical Director Tony Maceli on upright and electric bass, plus trumpet, and aided by Mr. Kuffner on both bass and guitar. Kevin Rice and Adam Christgau handled much of the percussion duties. From horns to strings, vocals to piano, the stage was abuzz all night, with a flurry of talent coming and going. Even the unannounced artists seemed to flash by, a song here, a guest appearance there, to the crowd’s delight.

Joey Ryan, Greg Holden, and Amber Rubarth, fresh off their collective Rockwood Music Hall residency (but each on the evening’s bill separately), were among the highlights of the evening, along with stellar performances by Will Knox and Nate Campany. Harper Blynn  and reel by reel were delightful jolts, raising the energy of the crowd with their tight full band sets. A debut performance by The Wellspring was very well received, and Alex Berger dazzled within the powerful lineup he helped create. Among the singer/songwriters, Rosi Golan stood out early on, not just for the power and presence she brings from her tiny frame, but for her song “I Don’t Wanna Wait,” in which she sings, “Moment that I wait, or I hesitate, is the moment that I waste; I can see it all passing me by.” Thankfully, this evening heeded that warning, and the chance to help has not yet passed.

Some of the singers who were not on the evening’s official bill stood out as well. The Bongos played a solid set, and the song “Let Me Be Your Friend” by Sara Jean Kelly was lovely.  Paula Valstein offered up “Do You Know,” a number that silenced the room and drew the audience in immediately. The lyric she sang, “No one knows what the future holds; take a chance on me,“ was stirring and powerful. Ed Romanoff also performed just one number. As beautiful as his song “Love Again” sounded, it was equaled by the poetic introduction he gave, offering it as, “a prayer; a song about hope and faith and heart; about all the people we’re here to support.” Given how hard it can be to be to introduce a song at a benefit show without sounding trite, his words spoke volumes about the idea of the night and the true sentiment within the room.

Welcome to my site - new readers and Rock Boaters alike. I know many of you were promised tons of awesome audio interviews, video of live local music, and concert reviews, and all of these are on their way shortly. I am working with my design team and fellow music loving co-conspirators (contributors?) on the exact way to offer you all - my fellow rock revelers, my lyric loving faithful - the best we here at “Before the lights come up” can give. Please browse through my blog posts of the past weeks, and check back often, as I will be leaking some great stuff before the official relaunch happens. And most importantly… please offer feedback and comments when content does come out - this site is about all of us - so from guest posts, to discussion topics, I want this to be an interactive music experience for us all. I aim to be the lead singer of this site, so to speak, but you all are my band - it doesn’t happen, and sure isn’t as much fun, without you involved.

For now, you can see some videos over at my YouTube page - SamTeichman926, and I promise to have some new stuff up by the weekend, Rock Boat and NYC stuff alike, video, audio, and written content. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me.

“… did you ever think that maybe if you’re not happy, it’s because of you?”

Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers - 4th of July (Click for downloadable audio to hear track)

This lyric, and this song, have a way of recurring in my head every time I get frustrated, with life, but more with myself. The line comes from Stephen, who wrote this song extremely autobiographically, and here is talking to us about his struggles with making it in the music industry, and specifically about dealing with the frustration therein, and within life as a whole. His message, in the song, and especially in this line, is fairly uncomplicated. Own up to your choices, and your struggles, and the totality of your life - YOUR LIFE -  and then go forward acknowledging all of it - the good, the bad, the success, and especially the failures. YOUR failures.

Those of my very closest friends, the ones who truly know me inside and out, have been hearing me b**ch a lot lately- way too much, admittedly - about how miserable I am, about certain realities in my life. I’ve already apologized individually to them for the torture of my incessant misery, but this a public mea culpa. Stephen’s words ring truer and truer to me by the day. I’m 30 years old. I’m my own man. I’ve committed to my own path in my life. I need to take responsibility for my lack of accomplishment, even more than I need to bask in the good that I do. The burden of responsibility in my life is on no one but me. My friends, and anyone else reading this, you are all part of my world. But it is not on you all to pat me on the back, or encourage me, or push me along - and certainly not your job to hear me whine about how things aren’t working out. That is solely mine and mine alone.

If I am not happy, (which needs to not be the case as frequently as it has been lately), it is indeed because of me, and me alone. No man is an island, and nothing I do can be accomplished without others to support me and be there in my life. But for me to truly be great, at my chosen craft, and life in general - I need to be happy - with myself, by myself, for myself - and for no one else. The minute that thought becomes reality is the minute great things will happen.

(This entry is the first of it’s kind titled as such - I used to call them “Lyric of the Day”, but that was ill fated. My words, like any art, should come when appropriate, and not forced on a schedule. While I hope to post more frequently going forward than I have recently, there is no more clock on my postings. My life shall unfold how it does, and I hope you all continue to experience it with me, via my lyrical musings, be they daily, twice daily, weekly, or as infrequently as I share them with you.

If you, my dear readers, would be so kind as to let me know you’re out there, it would be of great help. Every person who puts themselves out in the world - via written word, music, other creative art, or anything else they  offer of themselves in to the public realm - seeks reassurance and confirmation that their work is being noted and appreciated. I’d rather hear negative feedback than none at all. I’m sure many of you can relate. The comments only go public if you want them to. Let me know when you leave your thoughts, if you prefer them to stay between us. But I have heard from many of you that you noted my absence on here. I won’t publicize my return. Let’s see who notices…)

“If you want to be somebody else, if you’re tired of losing battles with yourself, if you want to be somebody else, change your mind, change your mind.”

Sister Hazel - “Change Your Mind” from the album “Fortress”

So after I went and wrote a post about not taking another break from posting, I proceeded to do just that, letting this exact post marinate in my head since Tuesday. Each night I’d get home late and swear to put this up, but then I’d get busy with dinner or work or nonsense, and pass out before putting it up. Epic fail, Sam. This writing thing, even with encouragement and positive results (the Central Park Conservancy using my essay, for one) is so easy to do in theory, and yet so so so hard in reality. Every artist and creative type out there, be it visual, verbal, musical, or written knows exactly what I mean, I hope.

Ken Block, the lead singer and writer of this song, introduces it in concert almost the same way every time: “This is a song about perspective. It’s not your life, it’s how you choose to LOOK at your life.” I’m not sure I can add much more regarding the lyric itself. I’ve been up and down all week, buoyed by some great things currently going on in my life, and some major upcoming events are keeping me upbeat. But despite some positive momentum, I feel like I’m still dragging. Perhaps I’m expecting more of myself, and struggling to reach my new level of goals. Perhaps I know that achievement itself is not something to rest on, but rather needs to be used as a springboard to more, and this stresses me. Maybe I just know I can be doing more, and that frustrates me. Any way you slice it, I’m tired of losing battles with myself, and need to heed Ken’s words. Hopefully you don’t need this encouragement like I do lately. But it’s there if you do….

“I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never going to keep me down… We’ll be singing, when we’re winning we’ll be singing… I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never going to keep me down.”

Chumbawumba - “Tubthumping (I Get Knocked Down)” - from the album “Tubthumper”

The following is by no means an excuse, but rather an explanation. I got derailed by some technology issues last week, then allowed my brief hiatus of not posting to snowball for much longer than I am happy with. No apology will suffice, so this is merely explanation. Again - no excuses. So for all the people who actually read this page regularly (and many of you have told me as such - Ashley L, Michael I, Abby W, Martin R, Sarah V, Mike L, to name a few - you know who you are), I do apologize. I’ve been lucky enough to have you care and read my thoughts on life via music thus far, and I didn’t deliver. This will hopefully not happen again .

So this song occurred to me, not for it’s depth, or its ridiculously catchy nature, but rather for its blatantly on point refrain. The words say exactly how I feel, about life, and - right now specifically - about my desire to make this site something amazing. The posts thus far have been quite regular, and I liked the feeling of posting daily. I fell off the horse last week, but this post marks my getting back in the saddle. As the line says, and I now offer this publicly as a reminder to myself - “No, you’re never gonna keep me down”. The lesson, of course, is this: Be it your own doing, or life in general, things you control, or otherwise - never stop getting back up and fighting on. It’s that easy… believe it, do it, done.

“Let your soul shine, it’s better than sunshine, it’s better than moonshine, damn sure better than rain; Lord now people don’t mind, we all get this way sometimes, gotta let your soul shine, shine till the break of day.”

Allman Brothers Band - “Soulshine” from the album “Where It All Begins”

This is a quick bonus post, because this song is just too gorgeous not to share, and I just heard it this afternoon. On my last long run before the Marathon in two weeks, I hit shuffle on my iPod, and attacked Central Park, the cause I’m raising money for this year. Surrounded by NYC’s backyard, this incomparably gorgeous landscape, this haven of mine, this song popped on. The version I have is a cover by Phil Lesh and Friends from 10 years ago, and is so beautifully done - drawn out and melodic and soulful, over 9 minutes of mellow joy and beauty. I don’t feel the need to offer a message or meaning - this chorus is one that speaks for itself, quite loudly. Dig the song up, and relax, and let it flow over you. And let your soul shine….

“Say everything you’ve always wanted, be not afraid of you really are, cause in the end we’ve got each other, and that’s at least one thing worth living for…”

Chad Vaccarino/Ian Axel - “This is the New Year” unreleased

Before I worked last night, I had the pleasure of hearing Chad play a set. Chad writes with Ian Axel, who I introduced to you last night. Chad also writes and plays with Mike Campbell, another musician who was a joy to watch play and emote on stage. Chad and Mike had this fascinating physical interplay, and I will tell you all about what body language adds to music, to me at least, another time. Suffice it to say, artists can say so much more than just theirs words do, by energy and emotion and physicality on stage.

So this song, which Ian and Chad did together - was one of the most powerful of the night. It feels to me as if these two mean this song both outwardly, and in. The raw passion with which they offer up these lyrics, and themselves in the process, shook me. It is about acceptance of self, and confidence, and hope, and love between friends. It is about trusting your talent, and your thoughts, and your life. Knowing Ian and Chad personally, this song haunts me in it’s beauty, and it inspires me with it’s sheer vulnerability. I wish I had a recording to share with you.. it would change your week.

“Take your headphones off little girl, listen to the sounds of the world, put your heart in to it, it’s all intuitive; paint a picture black and white, write a book about the meaning of life, you got to use what you’ve been given to change the world you’re living in.”

Ian Axel - “Afterglow” from the album “Im On To You”

I wish I could recall the exact number of times I played this song after acquiring this EP in July. It was dozens - literally dozens of times - on repeat, hours in a row, for the better part of a week. This lyric reminds me why I love life. I’ve been down lately, and today kind of sucked. But as it winds down, some positive edges to the forefront. Spending a few minutes talking about life and music with this song’s creator this afternoon certainly helps that reality.

This song, and the EP it’s from, is uplifting and beautifully honest music, that speaks to the heart, and touches your soul. A large part of the positivity this song fills me with - and that I am currently drawing from - comes from an email I received late last night, regarding this site, and it’s impact on fellow music lovers. The email was from one fan in particular, but the message was crystal clear. It made me think that this was “what I’ve been given” - my love of music, and how I am able to relate it to the world I live in, and hopefully, you all relate to that. If you do, I’ve used it “to change the world I’m living in”. The email, the chat with Ian, the realization that life is pretty damn good overall, despite out of my control setbacks and other nonsense, makes me content again, happy even.

I’m walking out my door now to hear friends of mine sing songs, which they hope will make me smile, and laugh, and think, and sing along - they sing in the hopes that my world will be better, will be altered, will be happier, by their creations and sounds. I get paid to be part of this world. My efforts help drive theirs forward, and this is beyond comprehension, in a good way. It is beautiful, and for this, I must simply sit back, and bask in the Afterglow… Everyone be quiet for a minute, and just listen to the music in your head, and in your heart. Then go do something with that energy. It’s that easy…