The Feels

I am fresh out of stones so I'll throw one post at two birds. Or something like that. I've wanted to review this album for a while and since I had the privilege of catching Sean McConnell open for a band Called NeedToBreath the other night, I decided to tack on a concert review. I will admit I went specifically to see Sean and knew next to nothing about the headliner. My appreciation for Sean McConnell began in 2012 with the release of his album Midland . The Fox Theater in Riverside, California is a nice venue with comfortable seating and ample leg room. One of those places that doesn’t offer a bad seat. Capacity is 1600, but   the space feels much more intimate than that.  There is power in a talented singer/songwriter standing below the lights with only his guitar. McConnell wielded this power well. The emotion and history of every lyric floated straight from the stage into the listening crowd. Despite the sold out show, I suspect very few attendees ha...

We listen to music that brings out our emotions and puts into words how we feel. And we do this at least partly, because we can't always express ourselves. We stare at art that inspires. We read words that teach, transport, and enlighten. We watch movies that make us laugh, cry, hope, and wonder. And the songwriters, artists, authors, actors, producers, screenwriters that give us these treasures are very all very gifted and talented when it comes to tapping into our emotions.They combine great intelligence, hard work, talent, and a heightened sense of em pathy to pour their souls out. And while taste is subjective, all of us have our favorite singers, songwriters, authors, painters, sculptors, poets, actors, etc ... that we believe speak for a generation or a culture. We pay money to feel alive, or included, or to simply feel we are not all alone in this crazy, screwed up world. We admire, love, and long to hear and see these artists because frankly, the...