05/2/2011
126/365 - “Judson Memorial Church/step one” - Last night, after seeing an amazing performance by my good buddies Sweet Fix (CHECK THEM OUT HERE!), I met up with my friend Matt and his friend Peter who were off to record a jam session at some church with their pal Jonny (lots of friendship going around). Always up for jamming, I decided to tag along. Little did I know, we were headed to the esteemed Judson Memorial Church. Beginning in the 1950s, this building was a safe haven for the avant-garde searching for a place where they could have the freedom to experiment in their work without fear of censorship. After doing a little research this morning I realized I had performed and recorded in a building where giants of the arts industry had been. Yoko Ono, Joel Oppenheimer, Claes Oldenburg…to name a few. There are even rumors of a performance by none other than the king of singer/songwriters himself, Bob Dylan. The acoustics of that room were absolutely breathtaking. You’ll hear it on the recording (which I have added absolutely no effects to). For an acoustics junkie, it truly is a magical place…as if every sound echoes through you with heavenly waves. During my three hour stint at Judson, I was in a state of euphoria. So, how could I pass up the opportunity to record something there? The three minutes and 30 seconds it took to record this completely improvised piece was like therapy for me.
I decided to name this one “Judson Memorial Church/step one” in honor of new beginnings. You see, I realized something last night when I poured myself into bed around 5am. Opportunities are constantly being presented to me. I am, well at least I feel, lucky. This life I am living has definitely been a bumpy one. I’ve hit walls, jumped through hoops, and my self-confidence has taken more hits than I’d care to admit but somehow, even in the darkest of times, there is good. Yes, I just went through a breakup and its going to take some time before I’m completely healed but in the midst of this heartache I am continually surprised by the never ending excitement life can present…if I let it. Therein lies my choice. I can either let life in or let it pass me by. Yesterday gave me the opportunity to make an amazing memory I will never forget and I know it will not be the only one. Realizing this has given me a new look on life. As Hallmark as that sounds, it is true. I have been presented with a new path and last night I took “step one”.
I wanted to share with you a bit of my experience in order for you to get a better sense of the magnitude of this room. Below is a link to a video of Arcade Fire performing in 2007 at Judson Memorial Church. This particular video gives you a balcony view of the room. [Side Note: I love this band. They opened the show by singing one of their most favored songs, “Wake Up”, off stage and amongst their fans. Incredible.] Also, I’ve attached a couple pictures.
Thank you for taking this journey with me. I know I say it nearly every post but it means the world to me.
See Arcade Fire perform at Judson Church HERE
