War of my Life

Sometimes its hard liking what you like. Especially in a city that in its outset seeks to conserve individuality. And with that individuality is that of a pure esthetic that shies from the popular. The indiscreet is valuable; the popular is shitty.

I was seventeen and just staying up all night because I had no other responsibility to keep me anchored to any sort of normal schedule. I had a normal routine of watching two channels, where one channel was my reserve, where the second channel lived on my jump button. My second channel was VH1; and I think it was still Insomniac Music Theater. Whatever it was, I was watching through videos, as sparse as they were, and John Mayer came on. After his video for "No Such Thing" finished, I went upstairs, downloaded some of his tracks, and then spent the next few weeks dedicating my time and ears to his music.

I remember driving before my college class to go to Wal-Mart and pick up Heavier Things. I had read how different the album would be. How strong, different, how electric it would be. I sat in the parking lot, as I should have been in class, and I leaned my seat back and just listened.

I had moved to New York, and I was there about a month or less, when Continuum was due to come out. I took a bus out to a mall nearby in Queens and found the album. I got home, with nothing else to do but be alone, I put on the album. I listened for awhile.

I saw John yesterday. I just picked up the new Battle Studies. I'm not sure if I like the album. I'm not frantic over it. But I went to a show last night. It was really fun; honestly, it was cathartic. I went into the show not expecting to enjoy it, expecting for a free show to contain a short set and tracks from the new barely heard album. However, my reason, my impetus for going was to celebrate the fact that in three months I'd be 26 and it will be 9 years that I've been a fan of John Mayer. I was never suggested to listen, nor was I brought up on his music. I was able to discover his music, and I was able to let the music and the artist mean something to me. In all its stages and its forms, from the crooner, to the popstar, and even the rockstar, I was a fan. During the show Mayer played an old song and made the claim that whoever he was in 2001 playing and living the song is not a man or boy he's far away from to this day; I came to the show cause I knew neither was I.

A lot has changed in the last decade; at least for me. It's good to have an anchor in something that still can mean something.

Let a man be lost.


Live Relentlessly,
Peace
Remoy