Deep Thoughts

Right now is a really special time for those my age who are living the post-graduate life. Maybe we've got a salary-paying job with benefits,  finally enjoying the fruit of our labor with a little extra cash flow. Probably putting a lot of that into student loans. I write a lot about millennials and society's opinions on us and here is one of my favorites: "Your generation wants to go to work to make a difference." - some old guy.  Yep, that's us. The generation of compassionate giving-a-fuck. I think that our generation, for starters is more accepting of others, thanks to the internet showing us that there are tons of awesome people in this world and we need not be afraid of them. I also think that we witnessed the loss of material wealth in 2008 when the economy crumbled. A lot of people my age experienced impermanence of material goods first-hand. Some had to move into smaller homes, switch schools or stop taking dance classes. A lot of the things w

I just want to get really real for a minute. And I'll start by saying I love the path that I am on and I have chosen it for eternity. Becoming a Tibetan Buddhist Practitioner has filled so many empty holes of my soul. I'm so grateful to have the dharma in my life. But to only speak about the joy of it? Well, that would be inauthentic.  The spiritual path is messy. It is not easy. The path is not lined with glitter and bliss. It can be scary. It can be aggressive. It can be overwhelming and drive you to quit. Spiritual practice, whatever yours may be, shows you the depths of your ego and your truest self. With each meditation, internal layers of wallpaper are being torn down in your mind. Truths you never wanted to see become uncovered and naked. Sometimes it is darkness that needs to be seen and acknowledged. Sometimes it is darkness that needs to be made into light. With consistent practice, over time you can cleanse the layers of dirt that keep your Buddha essence cover

Tuesday nights are killer for live music in Salt Lake. Plenty of free shows to check out during the week. Tonight I was expected to support two of my bass playing friends separately at two different shows. One was a small band at Urban Lounge and the other was the one and only Your Meteor at Metro .  I met my homies at Urban , ordered a Stella and watched Forest Feathers open the show. They definitely had some talent. They needed to turn down and listen to each other. Let each other play through the music. From watching, I'd assume that they haven't played together for very long.  Forest Feathers at Urban Lounge Finally my homegirl Karen the bass player came on with her two other band mates to play some simple rock, I want to say more late nineties inspired, with a male lead vocalist/guitarist and male drummer. Just as their set was getting going I received a text that my other homies band was getting set up over at Metro. Right then an old buddy from high school walke

* This post was  originally  published by CATALYSTmagazine.net  *  Touring for her new book, Everybody Yoga , Instagram yogi from North Carolina, Jessamyn Stanley stopped by the Main Salt Lake Public Library, not only to chat with us about her book but also to instruct a free yoga class on the library rooftop. Thursday night, May 11, locals gathered at the Nancy Tessman auditorium to hear her chat with one of our local educators, Romeo Jackson on stage. Stanley talked about her journey into yoga as a southern-raised African American full-bodied woman.      Her first yoga experience was at a Bikram studio where obviously every pose felt like death. “You don’t realize how little you access your body until you really try to access it.” She shared with us how scary it can be to access the body and how we can feel afraid to fall or fail. Bikram yoga is known for having mirrors around the studio because they teach that you should “look into the eyes of your one true teacher” whi

Wrote this song a while back at the beginning of a new relationship.  I was falling so hard for some one who was sure I would hurt her.  I pined and pined for a chance to show her that I could love her.  I learned that you should never force your love on some one.  If they refuse to take it, it is because they aren't ready for it.  They will take your vulnerabilities and batter your spirit with them.  Because they are not ready to give and receive love.  They first must love themselves, and in this situation more importantly, their creator.  I will reflect on the good memories with joy.  And hold onto the bad ones with an intellectual mind.  Karma takes care of us all in the end.  All I can do is keep on giving love.  xo. Jane

This song was difficult to write. It is about the first girl I ever loved. She was my best friend. And I dove in at a terrible time. Crushed a four year friendship. Most of my heart went with it. But it's slowly regenerating. Growing big and strong again. There's always new blue eyed beauties just around the corner. Don't let heart ache take your light. Some one in the world wants to love you more. Some one special wants to treat you better. Because you always deserve better. You're a catch, never forget that. Yes YOU. xo. Jane.

Third Saturday in a row that I've spent my afternoon at a protest rally. Sixth rally I've been to in the last three weeks. Activism has become all the rage and I'm all about it. While I grew up going to demonstrations and typically have shown up to marches and protests alone, now that Trump is in office it seems like every one is down to march and picket and push back. I'm so down for it! This specific rally was to protect Bears Ears National Monument and Grande Staircase Escalante National Monument from the god-damned oil hungry Trump homies. Utah has a nice ass layer of shale oil beneath most of our national parks and we've got to show up every day to keep Republican hands off of that land. This particular weekend, Secretary Zinke was in town researching Utahn's relationships with our national parks. So we all showed up at his meetings with our signs and voices. I hope he got the idea- we indeed do  give a fuck.  In contrast to all the protests I'v

Pull into the driveway to a porch full of woman. I smell cigarettes and wine but  ask when will the music begin. This crowd is so different besides the binary pairs. Leggings in all patterns,  all the gem colored hair.  I recognize one man in a turquoise bolo tie tuning his guitar  under a sky of rainbow lights. But I get uncomfortable,  I know I don't fit in.  Deep Thoughts aren't cool enough my writing will never win.  Then pink hair walks up with a jar of moonshine, a silver velvet skirt, handing me welcoming eyes.  So I find a seat  I can stay for the show. Others are sitting on the ground this echolalia they know. She looks like Esso sounds She sounds like Apple feels She feels like Mitchell sings ...Hey mama won't you come down Hey mama won't you come down... But she was born from grace. 

Scored these tickets for free as I usually do in this town. I invited two friends who hadn't met before. They were drunk in love by the time we finished a pre-show dinner at the Dodo. By their tenth shot from the last glasses the restaurant had, I was getting antsy to leave and see who would be opening the show for Thundercat. I figured we would have some kick ass warm up dance music. But no, there was a stand up comic. Fresh idea Mister Thundercat but my white ass was tryna dance. I sipped some whiskey until finally they entered the stage. I moved in toward the center of the hot audience, looking around to see a completely male audience.  Always a new crowd flowing through Urban Lounge. Finally the dance party began. My friends were those couples you see a sloppily grinding on each other. It's fine. I had fun dancing by myself in the middle of the crown. Thank you for coming to town Thundercat. Hope you come again and attract some ladies this time.

Best folk album of the last five years easily. Introduced to me because I actually am allergic to water. I would keenly call this a "feel-good" album. But it's also got depth and sadness and then anthems of bliss.  Ani is so fresh and sensual in finding her way around unique tuning and mellow vocal tones.  This album will always be remembered as one of the many that got me through a life heart break. She takes you on this journey of wanting some one with out losing yourself in it. Letting go of the woes that life brings us while also facing the pain that another's ignorant words can bring, like a branding on the heart. "Allergic to Water" is my personal favorite song on the album. She tells a story I've never heard beside my own. "But still, I drink because I have to I bathe because I have to and boy it's a pain."She sings about the irony of needing water to stay alive although she is allergic to it. While I feel that this song is me

It's a Wednesday night  in a cold salty city.  We're driving to a show but by head feels shitty.  'Twelve dollar cover please' In a courtyard with no bar? Young ass kids at the show so we stuff the tip jar.  Cozy on the back wall,  the stage in perfect view.  A pink haired goddess stands  to get her strings in tune.  And a soft violin commences.  Goddess becomes the siren.  Dopamine floods the mind and I get lost admiring.  As she sings of graces, I'm falling into her. My whole being relaxes now my head doesn't hurt.  Pink clouds fill the venue, her music bounces off them.  Romantic trance continues maybe to play pretend.  That I'm the only one  she serenades tonight. Alone in this hall with her in the spotlight.  She says into the mic, 'that's our last song tonight,  what a lovely crowd thanks for treating us right' My friend goes to help them  carry gear to the t

'Repave' Did you fall in love with the cathartic sounds of Bon Iver back when we thought the Mayan calendar was running things? So did I. 'For Emma' was mmmmmmm yes. Something so special. Well the guy started a new band called Volcano Choir. This full band brings that heavier deeper sound that Justin Vernon had been holding back from us. Their album, 'Repave' was made way back in 2013 but it's been consistent on my sound track these days. I'm not gonna say this album will make you cry like his old stuff did. But it will make you feel things. There's a heavy spaces between each instrument  sound for you to fill with emotion. 'Alaskans' is my favorite song on this album, while I will always suggest to listen to the whole thing beginning to end. It will make you feel like you are on a stormy cliff watching waves crash at the bottom of the Cascadian range. Dress warm. xo, Jane

This photo was stolen from yourmeteor.com Seeing these jerks live was that last god damn straw that broke my back and forced me to start this music blog. Like I've mentioned before, I write for a local magazine and these days as journalists in the art world, we're so frickin' polite. SLUG magazine used be that cool underground magazine that would actually give an honest review about a show. Those days are gone. I'm so over babying these musicians. I've had plenty of old men come up to me and tell me I suck at guitar. Think I gave a damn? I probably got even better after that. I'm ready to draw the dagger down, deep into the belly of our music scene. So, back to this piece of shit band calling themselves "Your Meteor." I've seen the band live about four times since I  committed myself to  stalking the mullet clad bass player full-time. Have you ever been in an audience and felt a tsunami of sound being thrown from a band into the crowd? You mi