This One's a Downer

I like funny stuff as much as the next guy, but this post is going to be a bit of a downer. You've been warned.

Put new tracks on the SPs. First is Pedro the Lion. This is a band if you've not heard, you need to get on the ball. That's all I'm going to say about that. Next is an Elliot Smith track. If you don't mind listening to depressing music to hear something good then, Elliot is your guy. If you don't like/can't handle the depressing stuff then maybe it's better not to start down that road. Finally, a Ben Folds track. And yes, these tracks do have a connection... so here's the story.

Back in the fall of 2003 I was living in Salt Lake City and going to the University of Utah. One Friday night they put on a free show and the bands were Pedro the Lion and Elliot Smith. I took Sarah, and met some of my roommates up at the U to check it out. Pedro put on a good show, and afterward Elliot came out. The music was good, but he had to work through some technical difficulties. Once his amps and mics were all cooperating it was a good show, especially since it was free.

The odd thing about it all was that about a week or two later Elliot died. He was 34. It was probably suicide, but there is some speculation about it all you can read about by clicking on his name up above or just google it later. Now, it's not like I think of this often... after I heard I didn't wear black (a la Robert Smith) for a week straight or anything like that, but it is funny the sub-conscious effect things like this can have. I remember that night because Sarah and I were just about to start dating and so stuff like that just sticks out in my mind. I can't think about Elliot without thinking what happened to him, why would you chose to end your own life... especially by stabbing? I just feel so bad a person could get to that point.

So finally, what does this have to do with Ben Folds? Well the new track of his I put on (Late) is written for Elliot (as detailed here). It's not like I knew, or even ever met Elliot Smith, but the lyrics do resonate with me in a way... and the way you can tell Ben Folds is sad about the whole thing strikes a chord with me too. As a side note on the Elliot track, Luke Wilson's character in the Royal Tenenbaums makes a suicide attempt with Needle in the Hey playing on the soundtrack, so at least I can end with a cheerful thought... I'll make sure my next post has something happier in it.