In an Elephant Revival kinda mood tonight. Maybe I'm missing Northern California… This music reminds me of the little shops in Sonoma… or Yountville, or Santa Cruz… Half Moon Bay, perhaps. It's something I can't quite put my finger on, but I've yet to find it here in Southern California. It's earthy and airy at the same time. It's grounded, but floats on the air, winged, soaring. If you know what I'm talking about, help me find it here in So Cal… please? I can't find it and I truly miss it.
I'm not sure if it's because I came of age in the Bay Area, but I loved late nights driving Highway 17 to the beach or up Highway 1 to Half Moon Bay. My heart really is in Santa Cruz. I remember Pacific Garden Mall and the Cooper House (before the earthquake…). I remember Bonny Doon… I remember the music that was always there… in the background… infusing the atmosphere, my mind, my heart. And NO, it wasn't drugs!
Not sure if I've ever shared, but I suffered from severe asthma and allergies as a child. I grew up swigging Benadryl when it was still a prescription drug. And when I saw 'swig', I mean 'Swig". Forget measuring spoons! My childhood was spent in oxygen tents and wearing masks when I went outdoors because I was allergic to pretty much everything outdoors. I lived my childhood in an altered state, so when I encountered the drug scene as a young adult, it REALLY had no attraction for me. The thought of snorting anything up my nose… No…thank you. I admit I did smoke… and I did inhale, but even that, after a while… I didn't like it. I remember feeling out of control as a child. I didn't like that feeling anymore, so… I left it behind with no desire or need to go back.
The music, though… It sunk in and took hold. That shouldn't be a surprise, particularly as I think back to the music of my childhood listening to the likes of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and the FIRST Hank Williams. I grew up with bluegrass, so it was no big transition to folk. I remember Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, then Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Allison Krauss.
And now… I listen to Nickel Creek, Elephant Revival, the Avett Brothers, Punch Brothers, Mumford & Sons… Darlingside! These musicians inspire me, energize me. They remind me of days past and I feel young again. And as I look at old age on the… near horizon…, maybe that's why I hold on to the music.
But, of course, I pick a song with 'ancient' in its name…
All Things Elda 