Quality Not Quantity

This was printed in the Buffalo News, February, 2007, which ultimately got me to stay in Buffalo.

Leave Your Mark

So I got my wig split today; haircut, for the lay-person. As part of the routine, I had the longest hair of my life shampoo'ed prior to meeting the scissors. As I rested my head, speaking to the two-month-old hair washer/stylist, I found out that she had just finished beauty school, was "trying to build her cleintele" and subsiquently scrubbing a ton of locks in the process.

This revelation made me think about assistant basketball coaches, junior financial advisors, the bassist in a band, and every bussboy/waiter/server in any restaurant across the world. They all had the same idea, regardless of the industry.

I could do it better myself.

That though has crossed the mind of every associate producer of TV commercials and movies, every account exec. at an advertising agency, every clothing designer. They could get the better shot, write a better tagline, or stitch the hottest fashion.

Same as that bartender with the idea for the "it" new lounge or the coach with a better box set to attack a 1-3-1 defense.

The premise is simple, the execution much grander. we all have exquisite dreams of being or own boss, executing our own plans and bringing a little of ourself to this world. It takes mas cahones and a leap of faith to stretch our boundaries and do our own thing, but maybe not as much as we think. We can apply a little of each of us to all that we do. There is no need to remain stagnant, albiet wearing bold stripes to work (haha), or whatever it is you do to stand out. It doesn't have to be newsworthy, or turn into a Fortune 500 company, but always LEAVE. YOUR. MARK.

If you have an idea and are passionate about it, take a risk. If you want a raise, tell your boss you deserve it, or that your competitor says you deserve it. Fly to Chicago on a whim without an interview, things like this make you realize have options, and a pulse.

Pain equals growth, and pain can mean anything; constantly being in the background playing bass in your band, washing mounds of dishes, being a glorified secretary for your accounts, etc. But, eventually you will take all of the experience you accumulated and set yourself free, or use the interpretation in your everyday role, and there is nobility in either decision.

Because you cannot build your clientele without washing a ton of hair first. Hypothetically speaking.

Dave Matthews Band

I know, I know, how 2001, right? "DMB, that was so college, I haven't gone to a show in years," is probably what you are saying.

To be honest, I haven't though about/listened to/planned a weekend in a field heavily intoxicated with the jamband from Charlotteville much since I resided in Allegany county several years ago either, but with this marvelous addition of MTV HD to our cable, a surprised yet giddy feeling came over me last night when I saw their Storytellers would be on HD in 15 minutes.

High Definition is like a toy used out of necessity. Even with the rash of shows now broadcast in 720p and above, there is still a lack of quality HD programming, and with the beauty of picture perfect photography on a 46" TV, you sometimes watch anything HD just becuase. Even if it is something like National Geographic's Top Ten Gardens in the US, or even women's basketball. HD just makes it all better. Well, almost anything better, I still refrain from some things, like the WNBA, "We Got Next!" But I digress.

So the picture is gorgeous, and I tuned into an hour of the completely incomprehensible lead singer who humbly still fronts the band that I discovered at a high school prom party and helped me through the range of emotions any college student feels. While they became everyone's favority band, and turned a large number of people off, thier shows were always an event, some mailed-in efforts, some producing vivid days that still stand out in my mind. It was not a concert, it was a celebration, a reason to drive to a summer reunion with friends and sit in a field and jam along with five uber-talented musicians who just put you at ease.

The diference between DMB shows and others is that while college kids listen to all kinds of music, and attend concerts from several genres, Rap, Classic Rock, Indie bands; you could always see other shows, rap shows with a cloud of pot lingering in the arena and potential fights, Rock concerts spanning generations with parents introducing thier kids to their revelations and the Indie shows, bringing out those looking for the cool new bands, before they become the cool new "popular" bands. But Dave shows, while cliched with fratboys in muscle shirts, sorority girls in tank tops, and hippies galore hocking anything Lillywhite you can think of; it was always a chill party, everytime, with damn good music.

Say what you want about how they have changed, but DMB produced several meaningful songs to me and probaly thousands of others that I still enjoy, even though I forgot about them for awhile. But songs like #41, Crash, and the newer song I heard last night, Dream Girl, are powerful songs, and hearing the band tell stories and just play reminds me of running into an old friend I haven't seen in a long time. Visions of driving to Toronto, the Skud and obscure horse tracks like Vernon Downs come to mind. As I hear some of the drivel played on the radio now, its cool to go back and listen to what I grew up with, not just DMB but old Tribe Called Quest and grous like that.

I don't think I am going to bust out the tie-died shirt anytime soon and join the Warehouse, but I can definately listen to Warehouse and appreciate it as much in 2007 as in 2001.