Are you glad to be alive?!?!?

*not-so-craft-related post*

This morning, I wasn't sure I was. My ears were still ringing and I could barely move and could hardly feel the palms of my hands. Surprisingly I had a voice. Why was I so broken, you ask? Because I saw Cowboy Mouth from New Orleans, Louisiana last night. It's the second time I've seen them, and the second time I've been right up against the stage. This time was so much more intense. And I had a ball. Even though my favorite member of the band (if I even have a favorite) has quit, which means no more of his songs in concert. No Hurricane Party, no Shotgun in my Soul, none of that... However, my other favorite member was RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and wow. That was hott (yes, I did just say that). He rocked out an inch and a half from my nose. And he high fived me. Hellz yeeeahhh!!!! And the drums were right next to me with the leader banging away and singing as though his life depended on it. Because his life does depend on it. And he makes you feel like yours does too, and no you're not allowed to stand still, and no you're not allowed to stop clapping, and no you're not allowed to stop screaming and YES you WILL have the time of your life dammit, and if you don't then what are you doing there so YES Fred I AM glad to be alive and YES I will scream louder than I thought humanly possible and YES I will jump up and down until I collapse in a panting, twitching heap of euphoria at just being alive. YES.

Okay to be fair, it did kinda suck to be barely able to walk and mostly deaf. I've never left a concert that deaf, and I've seen this same band before, standing directly in front of the drums. Last night was its own unique sort of glorious pain.

Anyway, if you ever have the chance to see Cowboy Mouth, do. You will never go to another concert that is more intense, more uplifting, more fun, and more gloriously and euphorically exhausting. By the time we left, my friends and I thought we were going to die. And we were pretty okay with that.

The bonus, now? One of their openers was this rather subdued young man with an acoustic guitar signed by B.B. King. When he took his place, I wasn't sure if he was a roadie warming up the guitar for the musician, or the musician himself. Then he started playing. Dear God. You know how some people are described as having an old soul? I think this kid is one of them. His name is Eli Cook and you should listen to him. If you have the opportunity to see him live, it just might be the closest to God you'll ever come in America. There's more talent in his little finger than the rest of us mere mortals have in our entire beings.