Over the last year, I’ve been fortunate to be in some really great places at very apt times. There have been times where I’ve physically felt that I was in the exact place I was supposed to be in at the exact time I was supposed to be there. It may have something to do with the fact that I deliberately set myself up for moments such as those, or it just may be the universe working in my favor. One may never know…

Over the last year or so, I’ve started to consciously make decisions to do things that make me happy. Not just put a smile on my face for a couple of hours and then send me back to my melancholy ways, but to seriously make me smile in the depths of my soul.  (Having your soul smile is an extraordinary thing for those of you that may not have been able to experience this yet.) Of all of the things that I have done this year that have made me happy, the one constant thing that sticks out in my mind is the amount of live music that I have seen this year. Now that I sit and think about it, it truly boggles my mind that I’ve been able to see as much live music as I have. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that music has a special place in my little heart. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember, but this year it was finally time for me to experience it firsthand. It started with Zo’s album release party at U Street Music Hall last summer, then to the Summer Spirit Festival, and then died down over the winter and early spring months. It was at Zo’s album release that I realized that there was no better way to experience a show but to be at the stage while someone is performing. The vibe that the performer gives off based on the vibe that the audience is giving him/her? Man, listen. It’s one of the most profound things I’ve ever seen. Starting with Eric Roberson and Vivian Green in April at Ram’s Head Live, I vowed that I would spare no expense in getting to see the music live that I have wanted to see for a very long time. That is how I have seen two Foreign Exchange shows, another Eric Roberson show, the Rebirth Brass Band, Sade and John Legend, Jill Scott/Anthony Hamilton/Mint Condition/Doug E. Fresh/DJ Jazzy Jeff, my friend Johnny Graham and his group, The Groove, and most recently, Zo and Sy Smith. I’ve been to some amazing venues, with both my friends and with my mom, and have gotten to experience songs that have grown to become the soundtrack of my life live. How many people can say that they’ve had the opportunity to do that? I’ve been blessed to be able to attend so many shows, and file the memories I have in the corner of my mind. This is a trend that may have started this year, but will definitely continue for years to come. There are too many artists out here that I love to not go out and support their music, especially when they make their way to the DC area. There is something about the vibe in a room when an artist is performing, no matter if it’s the back room of a restaurant, or an arena the size of the Verizon Center…if the person on stage is truly in love with what they do, and has fun with it, they will command your attention, and not let it drop until the house lights come back on. That, my dear friends, is what I live for. To you, I ask, what artists have you seen live, and how did their show leave you feeling once you left? I can tell you where I am right now after having seen Zo and Sy Smith perform last night…I’m on Cloud 10. Too good to be on Cloud 9…;-)

Until next time, folks…