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| All photos by Tim Bottchen |
I wish you were here
I wish you could see this
First off: “The Queen of My Arms.”
Matthew Ryan didn’t include this on Boxers, the superb album he released in 2014. But he played it in my living room, and you can now buy it and listen to it, which is great.
In fact, let’s listen to it now.
Cut back to that evening in September, the 17th to be exact. There were around 30 of us, gathered tight. We were quiet, respectful of one another’s space. We were listening. Some of us were sitting on the floor.
Matthew Ryan, of course, was wonderful.
As I look back on the past couple of years, I think of music festivals and VIP sections and the glitz and glamour of everything but the music. I realize that huge events probably can’t survive without people paying big bucks for comfort. I totally get that.
But, man, what a lonely world it would be without artists like Matthew Ryan.
Thank you to everyone who made September 17th so special.
The 10 Best Concerts of 2015:
Paul McCartney // Lollapalooza, Chicago, Illinois
Neil Young + Promise of the Real // Summerfest, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Houndmouth // Forecastle Festival, Louisville, Kentucky
Matthew Ryan // Living Room Concert, St. Louis, Missouri