September 14, 2005

  • Much as I love Dominic's music, it is high time to change the site song. Now that I am finally done with my intensive summer course at HIU (Sept.11 was my last big deadline) I can pay attention to stuff like blog maintenance, at least for a little while.

    The new site song you hear (might have to turn your volume up) is called The Great Painter, by the magical but short-lived band Mateo (Phil “Folkmaster” Epstein, front man and lead guitar).
    As I listened to this song for the first time in years, it moved me to tears (again). Partly because of the power of the song itself, it connects to me personally.
    Partly because of the memories it revives, of Mateo at the first-ever NUPC Coffee House Night: that magic evening was truly the high-water mark of that church in so many ways, at least that I was ever privileged to experience.
    But partly, I cry because the quality of my recording is so bad, it does no justice to the real song! Had we known what a great and rare evening it would be, we would have prepared better, spent more time on the sound check to make sure all the tracks were coming through on the tape, etc. etc. As it turned out, that live performance was Mateo’s first and last public gig. But what a gig! What a night! They never did a proper studio recording.
    Phil, Russ, Mike, Emily, Anna, Sarah, I honor you guys. May Mateo rise again someday, and get the billing it deserves. You will always have an open invitation to come jam at our house, out on the front porch where all the (nearby) world can hear you.

    What does this song have to do with this house? It parallels our spiritual journey (both mine and Kathryn's), leaving comfort behind for the sake of peace, leaving the loves of our lives for the Love of Life, not being understood by so many close to us, full of questions but sure of where we need to go. And when our spirits swell up to break the surface of our civilized veneer, you hear the same cry on our lips: “I need to know God!”

    Mateo’s prayer at the end of the song is ours for you.
    Post a comment and share your soulsongs too.

Comments (2)

  • What has happened with your friends who had to move back to Texas?

  • Actually, the Kypuroi are back in LA now, renting a room from a friend of theirs. I haven't connected with them in person yet. Things are still up in the air for them. Thanks for asking!

Comments are closed.

Post a Comment