Mercy Now...

Saturday night found me and my husband at the old town school of folk music - for any one who hasn't been there for a concert - stop reading this now and buy some tix to something/anything! it it such a wonderful space - so intimate and great acoustics. I saw my first Josh Rouse concert there and fell hard for his blue eyes and amazing voice. Anyway - don't get me started about Josh (no we're not close, yet I feel we should be on a first name basis). We went to see Cowboy Junkies - random as I haven't really listened to them since my college years during some melancholy heartbreak moment. Flashback to sitting on my futon bed on the floor, singing along with the lyrics, in between ridiculous, heaving sobs, not even enough dignity to wipe my snotty nose, while the music reinforced the inhumanity of the world. By the way, wasn't college such a great gig? Ok, ok, where was I? Ah yes, the concert...I was pleased to go, but nowhere near a josh rouse excitement (ok, I'm not that addicted to him, though I did manage to spend/waste an hour watching his videos on youtube the other day). 

So, with a full belly thanks to the Daily Bar and Grill, and a yummy beer in hand, we sat down for the opening act - and this is where I was blown away. Mary Gauthier has to be one of the most amazing folk writers ever (never mind that I don't know many folk song writers). I was sitting listening to her, laughing and tearing - I know, crazy! Some of her words just affected me so much - she had such an honest voice. One song, Mercy Now, reminded me of how we all need to give each other love and mercy...yes, we all mess up...and in her words, even our country, our parents, our leaders. I know it's a hard one to grasp because I, and, I'm sure you, can think of people who you just don't feel deserve any mercy. Yet, what can we do? 

So, of course, being me...I just had to buy a cd of hers...signed, thank you very much! And of course I was over the top - like I have to make sure Mary knows how amazing she is. Why am I such a goof? If she had t-shirts, hats, even a guitar pick, I would have bought them all (no, I actually haven't bought anything of Josh's yet - amazing, I know!). 

What's my point? Well, it's good to get off my butt and go hear music - especially some soulful, folky, tragic stuff from time to time. And...to remember that we could all use a little mercy now.