The Fire This Time

In the spiritual realm there has always been talk of the fire next time. It refers to the fact that Allah (God) will destroy the world by fire. One of the chief reasons that this could come to pass is that we truly need to learn to have respect for each other. That means all of us.
The reason that I chose this as my opening statement is that I need you to understand that I'm trying to use my musical abilities, and my talents to help people come to grips with this fact. We are all in this together, and the sooner that we learn to have reverence for each other, the better it is for all of us... but it takes an open mind and an open heart to get that kind of enlightenment.

When the Carpenter Ants first played in the downtown Charleston, we were met with so much criticism that I felt that these people would never get the fact that our mere goal was to entertain them, so we pretty much shied away from the area. That has all changed for me with the advent of playing at the Vandalia Lounge.
I said in a posting about them recently, that these people get the point, and not only do they get it but they make playing in a bar worthwhile. Every single time we have played there the positive vibe has gotten greater.
I'm struck by the fact that most of the clientele are very successful people, who are working their fannies off at whatever they do, but at the end of the day they have learned to shed off that skin, let their hair down and have fun.
I'm certain that you're going why is that important ? It's important because Allah never intended for us to have hardship, nor do he intend for us to work ourselves into our graves.
Keep in mind that many people drink in excess because they are frustrated with their lives, and can't seem to find themselves in the mire, and truly, many clubs exploit this.
To me though, the clubs of real worth see to it that you you have fun as much as you can. They act responsibly in getting the best caliber of everything that they offer.
The Vandalia Lounge has taken that to an entirely new level. The staff makes you feel completely welcome when you walk through the door.
For musicians that kind of vibe is just what the doctor ordered, it makes playing there a special thing for everyone...not just for the ultra hip but literally for everyone.
For the Carpenter Ants ( me especially), this is almost a dream come true, I really want to share my music with people who get the point and go with the flow; so when the staff is glad to see you, and the manager is glad to see you, and the patrons are calling on their cell phones to "get your ass over here, this f**king band is amazing,"as I heard one woman tell her friend, what else can happen but a great time !!!
This time out we had the great Steve Ferguson with us and he mesmerized the crowd with his guitar playing, and even he had loads of fun playing for the Vandalia crowd. Michael Lipton noted as did I, that it seemed like people were not only having serious fun but also really paying attention to us.
I said before and I'll say it again the Vandalia Lounge is the fire this time, not because they are ending the world but because they are using their positive energies to change the world, light a fire in all of us that opens our eyes to real humanity, real friendship...and fun.

This post is dedicted to Pierre, the manager of the Vandalia Lounge and his great staff. You all will help to make live music come roaring back to the Valley, just as the Empty Glass on the east end, and the River's Edge Cafe in St. Albans are doing, you have raised the bar. Keep the vision strong, and keep up the good work.

Support Live Music today, tomorrow and always.