two good women

Last night we returned to our days in Logan. Without leaving the Salt Lake Valley.

Dorius and I went to a house show of two of our beautiful friends who sing beautifully.  If you haven't heard of them, please remedy the situation immediately. Introduce your ears to Libbie Linton and Bianca Merkley.

When so many of the women in music these days resort to posturing, affected vocals, dance beats, and anything but that which is natural, that which is uplifting, and that which has roots, it was a happy thing to sit on a wooden chair in a small room full of old friends and watch these two be genuine.

Yes. They are both girls with guitars. Yes. They sing about love. But each in a way unique to themselves. And everyone (except the annoyingly loud people talking in the kitchen) felt it.

I've known Bianca since highschool. We sang in the girl's barbershop choir together, then were counselors together a summer at Brighton Girl's camp up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Watching her sing again last night I could almost smell pine trees and fire smoke and felt happy for all the 12 and 13 year old girls who were loved and inspired by her. I'm so happy she's still singing and still shining her light, now from the other side of the country.

I first saw Libbie playing with Ryan Morse at a similar house show maybe 5 years ago. There weren't too many people in attendance. I remember my friend Cassie and I looked at each other with wide eyes and almost a disbelief at how good what we were hearing was and how, well, obsessed--to put it lightly-- we immediately became. We may have gone home and formed our own band just the two of us inspired by this Logan Miss we heard that night. We may have followed her house show to house show. We may have also had mini Libbie Linton pins. That Cassie made herself. Just listen. You'll get it.

I was again reminded of why I love live music so. And reminded that we all need to make time to do things that allow us to express ourselves, tell our human experience, and share.