Cafe Milo February 25th and April 7th 2012

I know it's been way too long, once again, since I have updated this. However, here are some videos from my last two shows at Cafe Milo. The first one in February was a No Stone Thrown reunion,minus Jesse :(. It was a total blast and I got to play some songs that I haven't in a really long time. The second one in April was just me and Micah. If I can get life to calm down here a little I will hopefully have another show at some point this summer. Enjoy!

Burgie's Show November 2010

I've been doing some recording lately and am starting to form some solid goals as far getting good recordings of my songs. Right now I am recording scratch vocals and guitar. While I was working on that last night I took a break and started playing with my last two shows that I had recorded on my portable multi-track. I played a show at Burgie's in November of 2010. Listening back I am absolutely mortified by most of the hour I played. I had had a cold that week and it really shows on most of the songs. So these recordings are the ones that I feel are at least passable. Sorry I'm not updating the blog or performing as much as I want. Hopefully that will change this year as my new year's resolution is to sing more and eat less. I should be posting some of my last show from April 2011 soon.!

Window (Live Nov. 2010)

This room is hard to see 

The blame lies with me

Cause I'm like a window

With time my light goes

The dirt in the air

Falls on me like my cares

And my light is fading

And this window is breaking

(Chorus)

The light falls on the outside of my glass

Reflecting all the worst things of my past

I'll finally come clean

And you'll see right through me

I'm see through

Darlin I want you

To see right through

Cause I'm like a window

With time my light goes

Honey don't you know

To see where to go

When my light is fading

And this window is breaking

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

Let the dirt fall down

Let the light shine out

I'm see through  

Broken (Live Nov. 2010)

Break me open

So I stand before You

Pure and confessed heart oh joy

Break me open

So I may cry tears of guilt

And through my pain and Your healing

I may be renewed

(Chorus)

You’ve broken me conviction of sin

For so long that I had held within

Dear Savior cleanse and make me whole

Dear Savior cleanse and make me whole

Break me open

Expose every little thing

So I may come to Your throne

So I may come to Your throne

Break me open

Purify my heart oh God

So I may serve only Thee

So I may serve only Thee

Chorus

(Bridge)

A year and a half away from You

A year and a half away from You

Lord Jesus never again

Lord Jesus never again

(Chorus)

How Was I? (Live Nov. 2010)

He finally lets her go

She breathes her last and now he knows

The pain is finally gone

And through it all he's been so strong

I wonder what he'll do

Will he start to fade away too

I wonder where he'll go

Pack his bags and hit the road

(Chorus)

How was I supposed to be anything but shattered there on his porch

When through the tears he asked me to carry her to where we'd lay her down

All I wanted was to sing her favorite hymn one more time in her ear

In her ear

I finally let her go

Put her shell in the ground and I know

She's in a better place

By Thy mercy and by Thy Grace

I wonder what I'll do

Will I start to fade away too

I wonder where I'll go

Pack my bags and hit the road

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

So come thou fount of every blessing

Tune her heart to sing thy praise

Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise

Oh teach her some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Oh praise the mount she stands upon it

Mount of thy redeeming love

Oh praise the mount she stands upon it

Mount of they redeeming love

(Chorus)

Leave Your Lover (Live Nov. 2010)

You say you want to be with me

But you never spend any time 'round here

You say you want to hold my hand

But your always putting nails in them

You say you want to be my bride

But your already someone else's wife

Someone else's wife

(Chorus)

So don't you crucify me

For your own little pleasures on the side

And don't you pretend like it all didn't matter 

When you promised that you'd give me your life

If you really want to be my wife

You've got to leave it all behind

Leave it all behind

You say you love my children 

But you're always making fun of them

You say you'll give me everything

But then you waste yourself on worthless things

You say lets go get married

But your already sleeping with my enemy

Sleeping with my enemy

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

Can't you see I love you

Come to me I love you

Can't you see I love you 

Come to me I love you

Leave your lover in his bed

Leave what you think you love instead of me

Leave your lover in his bed

Leave what you think you love instead of me 

(Chorus)

Can't you see I love you

Jesus Loves You (Live Nov. 2010)

We've been waiting so long for you

We've been waiting so long for you

We've been waiting so long for you

Welcome home

We've been hurting so long with out you

We've been hurting so long with out you

We've been hurting so long with out you

Welcome home

(Chorus)

Know that when this world makes your cry

And you don't have a place to turn

Please remember in this life

Jesus love you, So do I

We've been praying so long for you

We've been praying so long for you

We've been praying so long for you

Welcome home

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

Jesus loves us this I know

For the Bible tells us so

Little ones to Him belong

We are weak but He is strong

Yes Jesus loves us

Yes Jesus loves us

Yes Jesus loves us

The Bible tells us so

(Chorus)

No Stone Thrown

My best friend, Jacob, and I decided that we wanted to start a band my Jr. year of college. I am sure we frustrated several neighbors that surrounded our apartment as Jacob played his full drum set and I sang at the top of my lungs while hammering on my acoustic guitar. By fall we had added our mutual friend, Jesse, on guitar and forced my brother, Micah, to play bass. We even had our friend, Dave, let us use his basement to practice in (looking back I believe he was our manager). We were only together for about a year before life got up in our faces with silly distractions like marriage, work and school. I can honestly say that the time I spent with these guys writing, practicing and performing were some of my most happy and satisfying musical experiences. In that time we recorded a three song demo, won a battle of the bands (which scored us the money for our demo and a local radio interview), played Bash on the Farm, and were featured in the Iowa State Daily like we were a local up and coming band (ironically we haven't played a show since the article came out).

The songs below were recorded in one session at a small studio that my Dad found. I love how the band sounds but absolutely despise my vocal. We laid down all the instrument tracks first and recorded my voice last. Unfortunately, by the time it came for me to record the vocal I was very fatigued. I over compensated with my breath support. So, what you end up with is a voice that sounds a little too classically trained for the band that is behind it. Nevertheless it was a great experience and I wouldn't trade it or my band mates for the world. The pictures were some that we took for our demo cover. I think we ended up using the one with the tiki torch.


Sacrificed

Woke up this morning and You’re gone, the sky is gray.

Was it just last night I failed and you paid?

The dead they walked around and the veil ripped in two.

And now I’m wondering. Did I kill you?

Chorus

Can I believe without You here?

Are you far or near?

And can I believe now we’re alone?

Sacrificed and gone.

Woke up this morning and You’re gone, the sky is blue.

Everything seems insignificant without You.

What can I say to relieve the others pain?

Are we faltering in the faith you proclaimed?

Chorus

Run to the garden and I find the open tomb

Nothing left but evaporated gloom

And later on I put my hand in your side

Can it be it was You I denied?

Can (I) we believe now You’re here?

Why do (I) we have fear?

Can (I) we believe now it’s clear

Sacrificed and here.

About
I wrote Sacrificed around Easter time. It's kind of like my "He's Alive" just not as well written or sung. I have always wondered what must have been running through Jesus' followers' heads around his death and Resurrection. There must have been a ton of confusion and fear. Then, total joy at seeing The Saviour alive.


Traitor

Why are you staring at me?

You seem to doubt that I’m free
Mock me all that you can for I’ve seen the Savior
And I am a free man

Chorus
Even though the sun sets today
On your heart that has been led astray
Even though you are a traitor
I will pray (X7)
For you

Now you vanish in your selfishness

Wasting your life on vanity
If you would only surrender
Brothers we could be

Chorus

About
I wrote Traitor about friend that I still love dearly and wish he would come back to Christ. My goal was to capture my resolve to always pray for him and always be ready with open arms should he lay aside his love for the world. I hope and pray my brothers would pursue me in the same way should I fall.


I Know

It seems I’m fallen today
Is it just my way of crying out?
It seems I’m lost today
Is it I just don’t know where to go?
I looked in the stars
For where You are
But I’m still alone
Lost and I don’t know where to go

Are there plans You have for me?
Are there dreams to come?
Are there plans You have for me?
My God, My God

I know I’m found today

Was it just the way you called my name?
I want to walk Your paths
But I’m so unsure of myself
He holds me close
He lets me know I’m loved and then
He lifts me up and says

I know the plans I have for you

I know what dreams will come
I know the plans I have for you
My son, My son

Would You ever let me fall away

Would You hold me from the light of Your day
Can I give You my heart and let it be
Only Yours

I know the plans I have for you

I know what dreams will come
I know the plans I have for you
My son, My son




About
I Know was written when I was feeling aimless, like I often still feel. I think it's OK to feel this way sometimes but to also rest in the fact that God has a plan for us. I also think that sometimes God give us this feeling to search Him out more, a discipline I am unfortunately very poor at.

 

Baby Go To Bed With Me

Baby Go To Bed With Me

Baby go to bed with me
And we'll make harmony
As we're sawin' logs all night

Baby go to bed with me
Oh soon you will see
I'll be holdin' you just right
Baby go to bed with me

Chorus
Go on and take your makeup off
I promise you'll look fine
Go on and take your contacts out
It will make me look just right
Go on and put your p.j.s on
And we'll snuggle through the night
Baby go to bed with me


Baby go to bed with me
Soon you will see
I won't be startin' any fights

Baby go to bed with me
Close your eyes and see
You're perfect in my sight
Baby go to bed with me

Chorus

Bridge
You're everything God has for me

For the rest of my life I want to be
Beside you every night
So baby hold me tight

Chorus

About



Baby Go To Bed With Me was slowly "written" over the winter of 2009. My wife will sometimes fall asleep on the couch or in a chair and she hates if I leave her there and go get ready for bed without her. So, I began to grab my guitar when she would fall asleep and make up songs about her getting ready for and/or coming to bed. The bridge to the song is the only lyric through out that I actually sat down and thought about what I wanted the say. The two verses and the chorus were all improvised various evenings when I was trying to get Jamie up to come to bed. I recorded the song in my basement studio and it is one of the first songs I have really liked my recorded voice on. The picture is of me sleeping in the hospital holding my son on the first day of his life.

Desire

Desire

About

I am a huge U2 fan. This is a video of me covering Desire at a Valentine's Day concert.

Fallin'

Fallin’

Jazz was in the air that night

And your eyes they glowed so bright

Laying out on top of my blue car

Underneath all those big bright stars

Chorus

I knew we could fly away
We could find a better day

I knew we could fly from here

We could leave this atmosphere

Im falling

Falling in love

Now denial it sets it

We still think that we are only friends

Why can’t we see what others see

Are we afraid of what could be

Chorus

Now denial it’s worn off

I don’t think that we are only friends

I’m not afraid of what others see

I’m not afraid of what could be

About

I wrote Fallin' about the first night that I really knew that I could spend the rest of my life with Jamie. We met as counselors at East Iowa Bible Camp and during one of our weekends off all of the counselors went to one of the counselor's parents' house. I had just bought a 3-disc big band jazz collection and we sat on the trunk of my car listening to my newly aquired tunes. We talked for hours and I loved every second with her and I knew that we could be together. Unfortunatly our evening was interupted by one of the parents coming out and saying that people might get the wrong idea about us being alone on top of my car. They were probably right. The picture is of Jamie and I that summer. The recording is rough and was made in a spare bedroom we had in our first house.

What I want this blog to be about.......

I (probably like most people who try and create some form of art) feel that I have very few outlets for my creative side. I want this blog to be a place to vent some of that creativity. For the most part I will post songs and lyrics that I have written. However, I may vary from that formula from time to time as I explore other creative venues.

I believe to create for the Creator is the most important thing. That doesn't mean that every song, photograph or painting needs to scream Jesus at the top of it's lungs. It does mean that everything that is created or captures in some way His creation, is for Him. I know that anything I could offer is essentially worthless compared to what Christ has created and given us. The beauty of it is that God does not care and rejoices at our creation that is meant to honor and worship Him.

 ¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.”

Revelation 4:11