The first real band - and by "real" band, I mean non-children's music artist or band - J.P. fell for was the Avett Brothers. I can vividly recall circling around my neighborhood with J.P. riding in the back, as I played "Left on Laura, Left on Lisa" (by the Avett Brothers) over and over again. Every time the song would end, J.P. said, "play that again, Da-da." And I did. I had just discovered the Avett Brothers and I was tickled to death that he loved them as much as I did. J.P. was almost 2 years old, to the best of my recollection.
Over the next several months, we continued to listen to the Avett Brothers together. Different songs of theirs caught our ear and became our favorites for a while ("Die, Die, Die," "I and Love and You," etc.).
As time passed, J.P. and I listened to (and continue to listen to) a lot of other music - Neil Young, the Band, the Drive By Truckers, Cowboy Junkies, Emmylou Harris, Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket, to name just a few. Still, the Avett Brothers have always been "our" band - the band that reminded me the most of him. I think it will always be that way, even though he doesn't know it. The Avett Brothers, J.P. and me, driving around Waverly-Belmont and 12South, a snapshot in time in my life.
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Joe and I have a different band we love, which is really, really cool - Trampled by Turtles.
That's right, Trampled By Turtles (TBT). They're a bluegrass influenced band from Duluth, MN (not unlike early Avett Brothers' music). TBT features the violin, mandolin and, especially, the banjo. 5 piece band, with a guitar and bass, as well. Occasionally, they throw in a cello for good measure. I love TBT's versatility and the band members' musicianship. Every band member can flat out get after it on fast songs, but their slow songs can pierce your heart. Check this song out ("Wait So Long").
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjdkc14-zwQ
I'm not really sure, at this point, how I stumbled upon Trampled By Turtles, because they're not a new band by any means. As I recall, I was listening to Spotify at work a few months ago when TBT showed up as a band Spotify thought I might like. Through the miracle of modern technology, I played their latest album in its entirety - "Stars and Satellites" - and fell stone it love with the band. It's a cool feeling to hear a band for the first time and immediately realize you're hooked, that you've "discovered" music that just might change your life.
Again, through the miracle of modern technology, I began listening to Trampled By Turtles all the time. At work I listened through Spotify, on my computer. When I was walking home from Bongo Java at night after a run, I listened to TBT through Spotify, on my iPhone. At home, especially when I was eating breakfast with the J.P. and Joe, I listened through Spotify, on my iPhone with my Jawbone (Bluetooth speaker).
Shortly thereafter, Joe (maybe 18 months old) began saying "tuuutles" every morning until I cued TBT up on my iPhone and played them for him. Right now, I'm smiling, thinking about him sitting in the kitchen, in his high chair eating mini-pancakes and cheerios, listening contentedly to one or another of TBT's songs. On several occasions at breakfast, J.P. and I played "jug band," a game we invented where we played pretend instruments and sang along with the band. We used an old fraternity paddle for a guitar, a knife sharpener and mixing spoon for a violin and I actually blew into different sized jugs, all sort of in time to the music. Generally, when Jude walked into the kitchen, she looked at the three of us like we were nuts, smiled and shook her head.
In mid-October, as we left Gentry Farm in Franklin after a Saturday morning visit to buy pumpkins, I videotaped Joe singing along to his favorite Trampled By Turtles song, "Alone." The video is so cute it will absolutely break your heart. Here's a link to the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejfMrZQU3Eo
On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, this fall and winter, I've taken Joe out with me so he could nap in the stroller while I drank coffee at Bongo Java and worked or read or, occasionally, ate a late lunch at Edley's or P.M. and had a beer or a glass of wine. When it's time to go, no matter what Joe is doing, I say, "Joe, want to go hear some Turtles?" Without fail, he stops what he is doing, tells Jude and J.P. "bye bye," and we walk out the front door together. He doesn't fuss, whine or cry. Off we go. It's fantastic.
After I buckle him in his car seat and start my truck, I play Trampled By Turtles' "Stars and Satellites." He talks quietly to himself during the first song - "Late Night on the Interstate," sings along to "Alone," then settles down during "Walt Whitman," the third song on the album. By the beginning of the fourth song, he's fast asleep. Every single time. Amazing! I stop at our destination, transfer him from the car seat the stroller and we're all set. It's really a beautiful thing.
I actually went to see Trampled by Turtles play a couple of months ago at Marathon Musicworks, a relatively new music venue in Nashville. It was the first live show for me in quite a while. Although I was probably one of the 10 oldest people at the sold out show and my back and hip ached from standing on a concrete floor for 2 1/2 hours, I was really glad I went. When Joe is older and read this or talks to me about Trampled By Turtles, I want to be able to tell him I saw them play live and to describe what the show was like.
Music does have the power to change your life. I felt that way about the Avett Brothers and I feel that way about Trampled By Turtles, mostly because I've shared those bands with my boys. The songs they play will always remind me of J.P. and Joe, of the special, special times we shared together when they were young, even after they're grown, off to college and beyond. And that's a good thing.
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