The moments that count. [Levi Weaver]

“When you get those rare moments of clarity, those flashes when the universe makes sense, you try desperately to hold onto them. They are the life boats for the darker times when the vastness of it all, the incomprehensible nature of life is completely elusive. So the question becomes, or should’ve been all along: What would you do if you knew you only had one day or one week or one month to live? What life boat would you grab onto? What secret would you tell? What band would you see? What person would you declare your love to? What wish would you fulfill? What exotic locale would you fly to for coffee? What book would you write?” — One Week [movie]

Life is made up of moments. From the mundane to the monumental, the ones you can’t wait to share and the ones you can’t remember no matter how hard you try. It may seem an elementary truth, but it’s one I find enchanting. When I think about life and the big picture I get swallowed by the chaos of it all. What’s my role? What’s expected of me? What if I don’t measure up? I don’t know — I lose myself when I try to see life in the panoramic. But when I look at it as frames, just moments, everything becomes much clearer. Sometimes, it’s all so startling clear it takes my breath away.

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” ― Roald Dahl

Yes. I like that. I will watch with glittering eyes. And I will cherish my moments, bookmarking my favorites along the way. One day I will put them all on paper and bind them in leather, if only for the purpose of protecting them from the cold.

I’ve experienced wrinkles in time that have felt like the most profound adventures. These game-changing occurrences, no matter how fleeting, often happen when I least expect them. Beauty that sneaks up on you, too magnificent for the eyes to bear; tastes too exquisite to be described by the language of mortals; touch so electric it brings you back to life; smells that create the vivid imagery of a memory all-but-forgotten; and sounds that ring so true they get lost inside your eardrums, reverberating off the walls of your mind until you can’t separate whether the sound is inside of you, or maybe, you are inside the sound. That’s when it gets good.

Many of my significant moments involve music. One of these moments was back in March of 2010. We were at the 121 Bar in Austin, TX, for SxSW. This was our favorite spot to see a show and our in-between resting place. We were headed to the roof-top patio to put our feet up when Levi Weaver took the stage. We were torn between the desire to go sit down, or stay and hear someone new. Our minds were made up from the first note out of Levi’s mouth. He sang with such gut-wrenching honesty — I was transfixed. His sound was raw, laced with angst, and undeniably beautiful. It’s not uncommon for me and my friends to go an entire set without talking. We try to respect the artists and tune in to what they are sharing. But the silence that existed between us was like a wall that separated us from one another. It was as though everything in the room, except for Levi and his songs, faded away — a perfect, encapsulated moment.

Two years later, many more live shows, a few candid conversations, another SxSW and a crazy late night (early morning?) text exchange that involved a lost purse, a karaoke bus, and an enchanted forest, and I am a bigger fan than ever. I’ve already highlighted Levi in the pages of this blog: HERE, HERE, and HERE.

He is currently on tour, playing mostly house shows. I recommend you do everything you can to catch a show. His presence during a live show is a challenge to put words to.You really need to witness it for yourself. I was brainstorming with my good friend, Leila, in regards to writing this piece and she commented, “During his shows he takes a hold of my little world and launches it into a new universe for those few minutes of each song. He is hypnotizing as he performs…” Too right, my dear girl. Too right. He is completely captivating.

Check out his website for details and you may even be able to host a show in YOUR living room. If this is a new concept to you, check out: Sofar Sounds, Seattle Living Room Shows, House Concerts York and Downstairs Live. Oooh and Fuel/Friends (here in Colorado) has hosted some incredible shows, too. House concerts are becoming increasingly popular in the US and beyond. Musicians want to play their songs for people who want to listen. And for fans it doesn’t get much better than the up-close-and-personal vibe of a living room show. The Denver Post did a spot-on write up just over a year ago on why musicians choose to go the House Concert route.

This song is from Levi’s new EP, I Am Only a Tiny Noise. I’ve been listening to the EP on repeat for over a month. I didn’t think I could possibly like it more thanThe Letters of Dr. Kurt Gödel, and maybe I don’t like it more, but it’s definitely on par.

*TALK ME DOWN
let’s trade these broken hearts for something meaningful
let’s keep trading skins til the ones we’re in are beautiful
cause for awhile i could not separate
mirrors from demons (no)

i was holding candles to my lies
but you were setting fire to my eyes
i was writing letters to myself
you were putting cross words into elegant tunes
you talk me down

i’ve battled with the truth for nearly all my life
i love an underdog, i love to prove them wrong
but what can i do when truth’s the bullying kind
when it hurts you all the way down

now i’m holding candles to my lies
now you’re setting fire to my eyes
now i’m writing letters to myself
now you’re putting cross words into elegant tunes

so talk me down
i’m a ship inside a storm
save me now
i’m a room without a floor
talk me down
my confidence is worn

now i’m holding candles to my lies
but now you’re setting fire to my eyes
now i’m writing letters to myself
but now you’re putting cross words into elegant tunes

i was holding candles to my lies
but you were setting fire to my eyes
i was writing letters to myself
you were putting cross words into elegant tunes
you talk me down

*For some reason I’m having issues with the song link showing up with a Mozilla browser. Chrome and Internet Explorer are showing it fine. If you are unable to see the soundcloud widget/ hear the song please click on the song title and it will take you to his bandcamp site and this song. 🙂