A Conversation With David Wilcox
Another Day with David Wilcox
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Another day,
His songs open doors to new worlds. The lyrics and music reveal those worlds: words about worlds we often ignore, we fear, we rush through, we seek to forget, we long to remember. Words about worlds of hope and peace, of relationships and renewal, of culture and conflict, of healing and dreams. Our worlds. The worlds we crave. The songs of David Wilcox expose those worlds as his voice guides us, as his guitar surprises us.
Open Hand, the latest CD by David Wilcox, continues his venture of music which opens his life and gives audiences a chance to open their ears and hearts. Prior to one of his concerts, I enjoyed a conversation with David. Here is a portion of that interview.
Allow his words to open doors for you; doors daring you to exit your busy customs and enter a new world.
Chris: What do you hope the audiences experience in your concerts?
David: I would love it if people who could feel the loving of their own hearts and the longing for a life that felt vibrant, juicy, and made their life story a story worth telling.
Chris: As they respond and tell you how you've turned their lives into a story like your songs, what are some of the best compliments you've received from a fan?
David: Two stories I wanna tell. Let me see. So, I was driving to a gig. It's summer and it's a downtown area where there are big, wide streets. There is a sidewalk cafe across the street and I'm stopped at a light. I'm looking for the venue and I see a man and his wife. They're having dinner at one of these round tables of a sidewalk cafe. He looks over and sees me. I had the windows down in my rental car. And you can see him sort of speaking to his wife and pointing. He smiles when he sees that I see him. There was something in his expression that communicated that he didn't desire to speak. There was enough distance that there was nothing to say. And yet, the look in his eyes said that there was some closeness that the music had provided, that there was gratitude in his heart about the music and about what he felt from it.
Now here is the cool part. That was sort of my best memory ever of somebody coming to me with some kind of compliment or thank you. And I found it odd that it felt so good because, of course, it was a busy street and I was across the street in the left hand turn lane and there was no connection in some way. And yet, what it spoke to me about was if this music serves, it serves in a way that feels like it is their music. They heard it in a way that felt close and personal and they don't confuse that feeling with the musician who happened to sing it. So I really enjoyed that setting where, it was as if he was saying we had a friend in common. Both of us knew this music. He was acknowledging it wasn't really me that he was thanking.
The other story that I thought would answer that question is this. Many years ago I was playing in a setting that was just a terrible concert setting. It was in a mall on a little stage. And, instead of having a sound system, my voice and guitar were coming across hundreds and hundreds of these little speakers all over the mall through the ceiling. The people who were right in front of me were oblivious to the fact I was playing music for them. But somehow the music was going everywhere. I was doing my best to try to remember, okay, remember that you are playing for people you can't even see, remember that you're not doing this so people will come to you but you are sending the music out, the music has its own appointments to keep with people's hearts. Well, I made my peace with that as best as I can during a gig.
After the gig, I'm packing up my gear thinking that was a total loss but I did my best and I kept my attitude good. This woman came up and she said, "You were the one playing music, right?" I said, "Yeah." She said, "Who are you?" I said, "I'm David Wilcox; I have this record." She said, "I know that but who are you?" And I smiled and said, "What do you mean?" She said, "I got out of my car in the parking garage and there was no one else around and there was this song that was coming out of nowhere. Coming out of nowhere and everywhere. Coming out of nowhere and everywhere to sing right to me. I thought it was the radio at first and I felt like this bizarre coincidence that the song would find me when I was all alone in the middle of nowhere. And I walk in to ask somebody what station it is tuned to and I keep hearing this same voice. I start asking around and somebody says you are playing here somewhere. And I walk all around this mall and I finally find you."
I can't remember the exact words I said, but I said something like, "I'm glad the song found you." The way she initially said "who are you" is another example. It was as if some beautiful slight of hand was going on. She wasn't interested in the musician or the name or the CD or any of that. What she was interested in was the timing with a capital T. How this song could find her.
I love the way she came as if to kinda pull off the disguise, like "You can't just pretend you are a musician here. We must know there is something going on here."
Chris: Thanks to David Wilcox for the conversation. More to come in the next Another Day.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Song:
Across this great divide,
river's wide
Where the future's waiting
If I can just decide
to leave the past
Dream Again
from Open Hand
David Wilcox
2008
For more information on David Wilcox music and concerts, check out his website:
http://www.davidwilcox.com/
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Another day,
His songs open doors to new worlds. The lyrics and music reveal those worlds: words about worlds we often ignore, we fear, we rush through, we seek to forget, we long to remember. Words about worlds of hope and peace, of relationships and renewal, of culture and conflict, of healing and dreams. Our worlds. The worlds we crave. The songs of David Wilcox expose those worlds as his voice guides us, as his guitar surprises us.
Open Hand, the latest CD by David Wilcox, continues his venture of music which opens his life and gives audiences a chance to open their ears and hearts. Prior to one of his concerts, I enjoyed a conversation with David. Here is a portion of that interview.
Allow his words to open doors for you; doors daring you to exit your busy customs and enter a new world.
Chris: What do you hope the audiences experience in your concerts?
David: I would love it if people who could feel the loving of their own hearts and the longing for a life that felt vibrant, juicy, and made their life story a story worth telling.
Chris: As they respond and tell you how you've turned their lives into a story like your songs, what are some of the best compliments you've received from a fan?
David: Two stories I wanna tell. Let me see. So, I was driving to a gig. It's summer and it's a downtown area where there are big, wide streets. There is a sidewalk cafe across the street and I'm stopped at a light. I'm looking for the venue and I see a man and his wife. They're having dinner at one of these round tables of a sidewalk cafe. He looks over and sees me. I had the windows down in my rental car. And you can see him sort of speaking to his wife and pointing. He smiles when he sees that I see him. There was something in his expression that communicated that he didn't desire to speak. There was enough distance that there was nothing to say. And yet, the look in his eyes said that there was some closeness that the music had provided, that there was gratitude in his heart about the music and about what he felt from it.
Now here is the cool part. That was sort of my best memory ever of somebody coming to me with some kind of compliment or thank you. And I found it odd that it felt so good because, of course, it was a busy street and I was across the street in the left hand turn lane and there was no connection in some way. And yet, what it spoke to me about was if this music serves, it serves in a way that feels like it is their music. They heard it in a way that felt close and personal and they don't confuse that feeling with the musician who happened to sing it. So I really enjoyed that setting where, it was as if he was saying we had a friend in common. Both of us knew this music. He was acknowledging it wasn't really me that he was thanking.
The other story that I thought would answer that question is this. Many years ago I was playing in a setting that was just a terrible concert setting. It was in a mall on a little stage. And, instead of having a sound system, my voice and guitar were coming across hundreds and hundreds of these little speakers all over the mall through the ceiling. The people who were right in front of me were oblivious to the fact I was playing music for them. But somehow the music was going everywhere. I was doing my best to try to remember, okay, remember that you are playing for people you can't even see, remember that you're not doing this so people will come to you but you are sending the music out, the music has its own appointments to keep with people's hearts. Well, I made my peace with that as best as I can during a gig.
After the gig, I'm packing up my gear thinking that was a total loss but I did my best and I kept my attitude good. This woman came up and she said, "You were the one playing music, right?" I said, "Yeah." She said, "Who are you?" I said, "I'm David Wilcox; I have this record." She said, "I know that but who are you?" And I smiled and said, "What do you mean?" She said, "I got out of my car in the parking garage and there was no one else around and there was this song that was coming out of nowhere. Coming out of nowhere and everywhere. Coming out of nowhere and everywhere to sing right to me. I thought it was the radio at first and I felt like this bizarre coincidence that the song would find me when I was all alone in the middle of nowhere. And I walk in to ask somebody what station it is tuned to and I keep hearing this same voice. I start asking around and somebody says you are playing here somewhere. And I walk all around this mall and I finally find you."
I can't remember the exact words I said, but I said something like, "I'm glad the song found you." The way she initially said "who are you" is another example. It was as if some beautiful slight of hand was going on. She wasn't interested in the musician or the name or the CD or any of that. What she was interested in was the timing with a capital T. How this song could find her.
I love the way she came as if to kinda pull off the disguise, like "You can't just pretend you are a musician here. We must know there is something going on here."
Chris: Thanks to David Wilcox for the conversation. More to come in the next Another Day.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Song:
Across this great divide,
river's wide
Where the future's waiting
If I can just decide
to leave the past
Dream Again
from Open Hand
David Wilcox
2008
For more information on David Wilcox music and concerts, check out his website:
http://www.davidwilcox.com/
2 Comments:
I remember you telling us about the interview and concert. Near Helen, right? Wanting to hear him live soon. I'll look at his schedule. When will you hear him again? I need to buy the new cd too. INTO THE MYSTERY is my fav so far.
K.A.
Hurry up, CMax. Write the rest of it. Thanks my friend.
B
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