Full Circle
lovely new article from Knox Ooze and more
I sit Here on my front porch next to our pup, Zo, swimming in a delightful, yet unwanted 75 degrees in the beginning of October. Last month’s swiftness and intensity kept me on my toes and having loads of fun doing a lot of different kinds of jobs, but lord, is it a challenge to remember to schedule in time to rest. (This modern, late-stage capitalism has a way of convincing the average lower-lower-middle-lower-class American that time spent not making money is time wasted as a human being. Insane, I know. But take a few short moments to ask yourself if you have an easy time relaxing on your off-days, and watch your thoughts unfold.)
Now, I approach you thru this magical screen, with a few days of calm and quiet behind my body, with enough space and time to reflect on some highlights of September’s ride:
Knox Ooze published an article on the new record
I admit that I’m very aware of how difficult it can be for people to crack into who I am as a person. I know that I can come across as rather intimidating within my naturally-quiet state. It usually takes me several meetings on this physical plane to reach a point where I feel I can open up my heartspace a bit more. Somewhere along the way, I picked up the habit of building walls around myself as a safety mechanism, locking down thoughts and feelings to prevent the option of not having my type-4 self be seen or validated. Which, at the same time, inherently prevents me from my overall goal of being seen. (this is a fun one to play with in therapy. hooray.) It’s been a conscious and consistent practice the last few years to try and allow that openness earlier and earlier than the past’s “normal,” whether thru my musical creativity or in meeting/Being around other human beings.
To read Ripley’s article and notice how many of the words written or quotes from dear friends spoke of my humanity as much as my music filled me with proud tears and immense joy. Never before had I read something about me that encapsulates what I feel I am and stand for in this life. I feel validated in my humble attempts to remain more open in my heartspace, and let thoughts and feelings flow more freely for the goal of our connectedness. I feel incredibly seen and incredibly grateful to be seen. Have I convinced you to read the article yet? Me me me me me me me me me!
Full Circle Moment at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
Shortly after moving to Tennessee in the second half of 2019, Care and I had the opportunity to attend a music festival in Bristol, TN/VA (depending on which side of the street you’re standing on). I had heard of The Black Lillies while in college in New Orleans, and knew as soon as I saw them on the schedule that I wanted to get us to the gig for an enjoyable afternoon. Fast-forward but a mere six years later, and I found myself behind a drum kit on the same stage, on the same day in September, with some of those same dudes. (Samuel had a shirt on this time.) Not every day working in the music industry has such a clearly-defined stepping stone towards more “success.” (And to be honest, there are still plenty of days where I wake up and question why this music-career game is still something I play.) To have that physical manifestation of upward motion in my work—now that was a really fun experience.
…and back to work we go…
I Washed My Van
After delivering me safely to my gigs this month, and putting on nearly a thousand miles (the most in one month in our time together), it was time to give Big Orange a bath. Every year, there is one tree in our backyard that provides the perfect environment in the autumn for some insect friends to gather and then drop their excrement right down onto my beautiful Chevrolet. This month has been so filled with things to do of higher priority, that I let the sticky black stuff pile up on my roof and upper-exposed parts of the van, and created a small dilemma for myself: Do I reward her and wash now, or wait until all the leaves are done dropping for the year? I decided that Big Orange deserved some cleanliness, even though there are still plenty of leaves on that tree, and spent a solid four hours enjoying the process. We all deserve to freshen up our lives, even if we’re just going to get dirty again soon. I mainly just wanted to gift you this moment of looking at my van. You’re welcome.
v i s u a l e l e m e n t s
I’m currently working on some new music that seems to be piecing together like another album…maybe guiding me to another release in 2026? Only time will tell…
I’m excited to be getting my band to some nearby cities in the coming months (more on those soon), and am in the process of putting more shows on the calendar to take the pictured-above van to where the music calls. If you have any suggestions or want to book a house-show, please feel free to hit me up for some plotting.
If you feel inspired to support me financially, feel free to take a look at https://mysticmarauding.com/store.
Thanks for Being with me in this lifetime.
With Love,
Ben
Super awesome. I especially loved your quote from the Knox Ooze article: “The universe could not exist without your place in it. Everybody is always doing their roles, and when they step out of those roles and just are, that’s where love grows. That’s how we survive the fuckiness.”