Richard Swift rules the night.

So I have gotten some really interesting feed back about my last entry about my last blog entry. You know the one about the whole situation with Chris Brown and Rhihana. And some people were un clear on my stand point on hitting women and stuff like that. I just wanted to clear up for the record that I am in no way an advocate for any such behavior. I did not think that I was giving the impression that I was some how ok with it or that I was alright with what happened. I was trying to be funny and make light of and put a comedic spin on a event that would otherwise be kind of a downer. So those of you who know me well and my sense of humor know that I was speaking in jest of all of that.

But whatever. Sooo I am sure that Friday night was very fun. I usually have a great time wherever it is that I end up. But for whatever reason I cannot really remember what it is I did. Oh I remember now! Yeah it definitely was not as fun as Saturday or Sunday,which is why we are just going to skip over it this week. So I am a huge fan of a musician by the name of Richard Swift. I had actually purchased tickets to see him in October of last year, but was unable to attend. I went to jail instead basically. So when I heard that he was going to be playing in Orange County again this last saturday night,you can understand my excitement I am sure. So I made plans to see him with my little brothers and some of their friends and my friend Nate who I may have mentioned in some other blogs.

Now let me just take a brief moment to describe to you my friend Nate, because really I spend so much time with the guy it might be important to do so. I met Nate through a very good friend of mine named Tristan. Nate is about my age,white, a little shorter than me. In the face of these hard economic times Nate was forced to move back in with family and things got bad enough for him that he has enlisted in the ARMY and is awaiting the date in which he takes what I guess would be a sort of entrance exam. I like Nate alot. He is funny, alot smarter than he seems or perhaps lets on to people. I once heard him describe himself in a conversation about meeting girls like this: "Yeah I know my strong points, I mean I am cute and girls usually think that, but I have like no personality at all. So I pretty much just coast on nodding and smiling". Which of course made me crack up with laughter. But I will have you know is not entirely true.


But anyway we all met at my parents house and loaded up into the vehicles and picked up Nate and then headed south. The venue that Richard Swift was playing at was called The Yost Theater. It was located in downtown Santa Ana right off of Spurgeon Street and was really a great place to see a good band at. You could tell that the structure had been there for quite some time although it was still in very good shape,with minor repairs and up-grades made to it here and there throughout the years. It had incredible acoustics too and the sound just seemed to soar through the entire crowd all the way to the very back of the auditorium. But it wasn't the shotty type of construction where you could here the band just as well outside. The building kept the sound very well. But honestly I am such a fan of Richard Swift he could have playing in a Burger King bathroom and I would have paid to see him.

So we get to the show. Say hi to the regular crowd of indie scene kids that I usually see just about everywhere. Then we go inside to watch a bit of the opening act which was a band from I ma not too sure where called The Local Natives. I had seen them once before at the Knitting Factory a few years back and must say that they have a really good sound. They were just like the icing on the cake. Not only was I going to finally see Richard Swift in concert,but the opening band was not total crap! Score! They finished and there was a brief intermission. And then, Richard Swift. I can honestly say,even though it was by no means a big show(there was maybe 100 people there) and I only paid $10 to get in,it was truly one of the better shows I can remember going to in probably the last year and a half.


He played almost all of my favorite songs,sounded phenomenal,his band was so on point with him too. He played really old songs,he played brand new songs off his newest album that has not been released yet. He was funny and witty in between songs,and ultimately did a fantastic job and really put on what could not have been a better performance in my opinion. He even did a encore with just him and his piano that, on his way back on stage a young man called him over to the side and asked him if he could play his girlfriends favorite song,which is an older song of his called "Would You". Richard said that he had never played that song live before and could not do it. He then played a beautiful rendition of "THE NOVELIST" which was so sweeping and hauntingly beautiful that it gave me goosebumps. He then said, " I have never done this song in concert before,so if I totally butcher it your going to have to forgive me. This song is called 'Would you". Then he proceeded to play what I think was one of the most intimate and precious performances I have ever been a witness to. It was absolutely fabulous.

We then all left and Nate and I got dropped to do a little karaoke at a restaurant called Rembrandts in Placentia. We were having a good old time just singing and hanging out. When I remembered a friend of mine was having a St. Patty's day party that night. So we called our friend Elise to come and meet us there and then we would all make our way to the party once we got directions. So we finally got the directions and made it to the party which ended up being right around the corner from where I live. Now, I was almost certain I would not know too many people there. But then you have to realize something that I always seem to easily forget, I know people just about everywhere I go,and this party was to be no different.

We get there and meet my friend out front. There are various odd looking people walking about the front lawn and on the side yard. Then some lame jerk wannabe punk or something,whatever it was that he thought he was,came up to the three of us and said "Hey uh we are going to need some money from all of you guys,the people who own the house were way cool and paid for all the kegs and everything so just like five dollars each or something". You can imagine our astonishment. Here we show up to a party at 2:00am after everyone is already leaving and stuff,two of the three people I was with don't even drink,and this guy wants us to give him some money so that, so that what? So we can hang out with him and his lame stupid leather jacket and the rest of his queer uniform that every wannabe punk has worn since the early 90's? No! This is an outrage! Doesn't he know who we are? Doesn't he realize what it means for us to be coming to their party? OK maybe that's just getting a little carried away. But anyway he continues to say,"Yeah I don't want to seem like a jerk or anything,it's just that the kegs were expensive,and it's not the money is going to me,it's going to the owners of the house".


Now this is where I do what I do very well. I say things very politely and slowly so that they are clearly understood,and I make sure that I am firm and get my point across while making whoever it is I am talking to feel stupid,but at the same time remaining a gentlemen and polite. I am not sure how all of that is accomplished but if you have ever seen me do it before then you know that that is a pretty fair description of what happens. So anyway, I say to him "Look man, here is what I am going to do,since I don't know who you are and everything. I don't drink,so I am in no way going to pay you five dollars for access to kegs of beer that are more likely than not already empty and neither are my friends ok? Now I understand that times are rough and everyone is short on cash so if you really just don't have any money I am going to be a cool guy and give you $3 for me and my two friends here. Don't come up with some stupid story if your broke. Now we will see you inside." And then we proceeded past him and inside after I put three crumpled one dollar bills in his hand. Once inside it was easy to see that the party was winding down. People were leaving,trash was everywhere. I saw a group of people I knew leaving,they were all shocked to see me there as I said bye to them. I come around a corner into a small sitting area to see another young couple that I knew but had never really hung out with outside of a certain setting. The girl exclaims "Jordan! I can't believe your here! Your everywhere!" This is said loud enough to be really embarrassing. I just say "Yeah I get around.


We basically just hung out there for around an hour and a half or so and fed the owner of the house's dog all kinds of snacks and beer and whatever was around that it would eat. We had a deep theological conversation about joining the military in any capacity and then religion and then politics. Pretty much all the stuff they say you are not supposed to discuss in large party settings like that. Then I went home and slept. But not for long. There was a big trip to Hollywood the next day(sunday)and I had to be really early so that Elise and I could be down there on time for the things we were trying to do. But that day is a whole other story really,that we will get to very soon. So pretty much to wrap it all up, Richard Swift is amazing,and is superb live. I would go and check him out immediately on iTUNES and buy everything he has ever made if I were you and had never heard of him before. I would check out a song called "Million Dollar Baby"and a song called "Buildings in America" because those are two of my favorite songs by him. Richard Swift ruled the night. And I finally got to see him perform live. Thats it. That's all folks. You know what's funny? I have not gone back to read any of my old blogs from when I was in jail but I remember for the longest time(whether it actually made it on the internet or not I am not sure)putting "another day down,another day closer to home" at the end of a whole bunch of entries. Man it feels good to not have to do that anymore. Goodbye and God bless.