There’s something about music festivals. Maybe there’s something beautiful about the gathering of people for a common cause in general but I’d like to think there’s something magical about music festivals. Because it’s not just a bunch of people. It’s a bunch of people and MUSIC. Aside from body language, music is something we can all understand. Linguistic barriers are crossed, all ages can create and enjoy it, and you can feel music in your heart, in your bones. I’ve been going to Austin City Limits for the past three years, and there’s always several points of the weekend where I stop, look around, and think, “Wow. All of these people are sprawled all over this park, dancing freely, laughing, and enjoying music and enjoying community.” It fills my heart with complete happiness. And in less than a month, we will all be able to enjoy ourselves similarly, albeit on a smaller scale, but nevertheless, take the time to make note. At the free outdoor show at NX35, stop, look around, and ask yourself if you aren’t glad to be a part of something bigger. NX35 2010, baby. Do it.

photo credit: www.calebsimpson.com

Seryn

This is unashamedly one of my favorite local acts, hands down. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I’ve found some great music by keeping up with the DC9 Live series (in SPACE, in El Sibil). Seryn is one of those gems. Taped just seven months after the birth of the band, their video of “We Will All Be Changed” captured my attention and impressed me. Yes, musicians are a dime a dozen in Denton but putting a bunch of virtuosos in a room doesn’t mean they’ll play well with each other. There needs to be chemistry between the band and a love for the music being made. Both are apparent in Seryn’s art.

The intricacies of the finger-picked ukulele, acoustic guitar, and banjo along with the supporting hums of the violin and bass paint a grand soundscape, inspiring and hopeful. And who doesn’t love multi-part harmonies? To borrow words that said it best, “They’re a group of phenomenally talented multi-instrumentalists, but their voices are their most finely-tuned instruments.”

Seryn is in the process of recording but you must see them live because they manage to maintain the same preciseness on a larger scale during their shows. Just ask those that held their breath, mesmerized, as they opened for Sarah Jaffe at the inaugural show at St. David’s. Let’s help them celebrate their one-year anniversary in March.

Notable tunes to preview online: “We Will All Be Changed”, “Of Ded Moroz and the Old Man Wept” / Myspace / Facebook

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