Blue October Interview

Here's a brief interview with Justin Furstenfeld at Lollapalooza 2007 in Chicago that I found through the Blue October Canada MySpace site. Enjoy:

Stampeding with Blue October

I went to see Blue October at the Calgary Stampede last night. And I'm happy to report that Calgary audiences have redeemed themselves in my eyes. Despite tornado warnings and a brief downpour during several songs of this outdoor concert, the crowd was a good size and definitely more enthusiastic than at Mac Hall earlier this year. And my 19-year-old cousin assured me that I would have no doubt about the crowd's enthusiasm if I'd joined him in the mosh pit… I'll just take his word for that! Mind you, my friend Mandy pointed out that it is Stampede and so there were lots of tourists, including folks from Edmonton (speaking of which, it was great to meet you Donna!) and probably folks from Blue October's own stomping grounds: Texas (we get a lot of Texans coming up for Stampede). Well, if that's what it takes to show Calgary audiences how to appreciate this band, I'll take it!

The concert itself was amazing, even better than at Mac Hall for two reasons: (1) Blue October played some of their older songs, not just songs from Foiled. I mean, Foiled is an awesome album but I was thrilled to hear them play "Independently Happy" (now uploaded into My Music Box in my sidebar) and "Ugly Side"; and (2) The band obviously feeds off the energy of the audience. So the more into it you get, the more into it they get. Win-win!

I was also impressed with how aware the band was about what was going on in the audience. At one point, some big guy in the mosh pit started acting like a jerk and pushing people around. And I gather there was a 13-year-old boy in the midst of the fray. Given that I'd heard of a fight in the mosh pit during an earlier Stampede concert that ended up with someone getting all bloody, I was a little worried. But Justin just said a few calm words directed at the trouble maker, saying that we're all just here for fun and to pick on someone his own size (or something to that effect). Apparently everyone in the mosh pit stopped and stared at this jerk of a guy who then just left. No fists, no blood, simply walked away. Well done, Justin.

To read my review of the Mac Hall concert, where I wax poetic about the artistry of Justin Furstenfeld as a performer and a songwriter, head over to Limes with Orange (my general blog) or the Blue October Canada MySpace blog.

Blue October Calgary Contest

Win a trip to see Blue October in concert on July 15 at the Calgary Stampede!

The grand prize winner will receive two nights accommodation (July 14 & 15), two flights from WestJet, a chance to meet Blue October, two midway rider cards, food vouchers and transportation to and from the Stampede. If I didn't already live in Calgary, I'd be entering. Hell, I'm tempted to enter anyway... who cares about the flights? I just want everything else!

To enter, head over to Access Magazine. The contest started last Monday and closes Saturday, June 30th, 2007. Winners will be drawn Tuesday, July 3rd and contacted by phone. Good luck!

Ugly Side

Originally posted 1.25.2007 on Limes with Orange

I noticed that someone landed on my blog searching for the meaning of the Blue October song "Ugly Side." You can listen to sample from "Argue with a Tree", their live album — this is my favourite version — or stream the full version from "History for Sale" below.

Although on the one hand I think the general meaning is self-evident, I decided to write about it because the specific lyrics might seem a little odd to some people.

Ugly Side lyrics:

I must have sneezed
On knees I freeze
I mean I just choked up
Somehow I slept
I dream, I mean
I dreamt of nothing

Able to breathe
A sweet relief
Now that you're here with me
A northern degree
Dove into me
Now I'm recovering

[Chorus]
I only want you to see
My favorite part of me
And not my ugly side
Not my ugly side

Read more...

Hook up a C.B.
Wave a way
For conversation flow
I'm shoved in your cave,
to wage this rage
Don't let me go

A kick and a scream
is all that seems
To mean a lot thus far
I won't let you on
my stage, my page
You can't know
Yet you have to know

[Chorus]

So calm... and now it's dark
I look for you to light my heart
I'm in between the moon and where you are
I know... I can't be far

The most general interpretation is simply how hard it is to share your those parts of yourself that you don't like with someone that you actually want to share your whole self with. More specifically, I believe it relates to Justin Furstenfeld's history with drugs, his recovery and his ardent desire not to have to share that part of his past and himself with someone he's starting a new relationship with.

As for specific phrases that may or not make grammatical sense… I say don't analyze that stuff too deeply. It's poetry. It elicits an emotional reaction of confusion and melancholy and fear and love. In "Writing Down the Bones", Natalie Goldberg writes:

"The aim is to burn through to first thoughts... to the place where you are writing what your mind actually sees and feels, not what it thinks it should see and feel. It's a great opportunity to capture the oddities of your mind. Explore the rugged edge of thought."

I believe these lyrics are definitely the stuff of "first thoughts." Not to say that I don't have my ideas about what Justin means in certain phrases, but I'm more concerned with what he's feeling and how he makes me feel. So my advice is not to try to deconstruct the song, just feel it.

Introduction to Music Musings

I've decided that because I talk about music sooo much on my personal blog, that I would dedicate a blog strictly to music. Not to say that I won't still mention music on Limes with Orange, but the big long posts with discussions and lyrics will be here instead.

For this inaugural post, I'll just mention that my latest musical obsession, i.e. Blue October, will be playing at the Calgary Stampede on July 15!!! I guess I'll be doing the Stampede thing this year after all. Yeehaw!