It's not where, but who you're with that really matters

I was sad to learn that LeRoi Moore died yesterday. LeRoi was the founding saxophone player in Dave Matthews Band, and while I may be loud about not liking their new stuff, I cannot deny that what he did in the past was impressive and outstanding. I cannot imagine the band or its sound will ever be the same.

LeRoi always wore sunglasses because he had paralyzing stage fright. He met Dave when Dave was bartending in Charlottesville. He was 46 years old.

I plan to listen to some of my favorite DMB stuff, particularly some bootlegs with saxophone solos that ranged anywhere from "Lucy and Linus" to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

The greatest thing about these guys is that individually AND collectively they are incredible musicians with amazing improv abilities. He'll be missed.

a long and dark December

I was reading an interview with Chris Martin in Rolling Stone today and while I usually have found him to be arrogant and insane, I laughed at this quote:

On "Death and All His Friends," there's this great topical line: "I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge."

That's Brian Eno's line. I had this blank spot in the lyrics: "I don't want to battle from beginning to end. Something, something, something. I don't want to follow death and all of his friends." So we were all having a sandwich, and it's like, "I don't want to watch too many episodes of Friends? No, that won't do. I don't want to listen to Radiohead's The Bends? No. I don't want to eat any Jerry and Ben's? No." And then Brian came out with the line, and he was like, "I quite like that. You should use that."