My Long Slow Progression to a Loving Relationship with OKKERVIL RIVER

I’m a big music guy. I LOVE music, but  I HATE Jazz! I know I would be cooler if I liked it, but I just can’t get over the hump.  I just do not get it!

That is how it was with me and OKKERVIL RIVER…

Okkervil River, an indie band from New Hampshire via Austin, Texas, was on my back burner… FOR YEARS.  I would listen to Pandora or Last FM radio and it would just keep popping up here and there.  I really didn’t have a feeling one way or the other.  Then I read an article in some magazine about Okkervil River… don’t remember which, Paste, Spin, Under the Radar, whatever… and it got me thinking what am I missing?  So I hopped on line and purchased Black Sheep Boy.  I listened to it once. Wait. I listened to HALF of it once! Could not even make it through the whole thing.  So back into its case it went, and it sat on my CD rack and gathered dust.

My daughter, Mae, discovered it, and was pretty much hooked on her 1st listen, and I am thinking, “What is wrong with her, I thought I taught her better than that!”  So we had this ongoing discussion for several years “Okkervil River Sucks” “Okkervil River is Awesome” “Your Crazy” “Your Crazy” Blah, Blah, Blah.  You can guess which side of that argument I was on.  Incidentally, this same conversation was going on with my Barb my wife and my best friend, Treg.  Them ALL on the PRO-Okkervil River side and me on the other.  I finally made a statement to the effect,”I don’t like them, I WILL NEVER LIKE THEM, so stop trying to convince me!”

So last summer, Barb finds out that Okkervil River is coming to Bloomington for a show, and it turns out that she gets 2 tickets.  My daughter, Mae, much to her dismay and wailing and nashing of teeth, couldn’t go… So, I decided, against my better judgement to go with Barb (mostly cause we just got this sweet 2007 Avalanche and I want to drive it).  Then I decided that since I was going to the show, I better give it another chance (insert big weary sigh)… and this is what I listened to:

SOMETHING CLICKED… I was transformed… there was something about the song “The Valley” that struck a chord with me.  I sat down and did a little investigating of other songs and found that not only was the music brilliant, the lyrics were phenomenal and insightful and cool.  Will Sheff, the heart behind Okkervil River, writes some powerfully passionate music.

From that point forward, I saw Okkervil River in a new light.

To make a long story short(er)… We did end up going to see them in Bloomington, and in spite of all the other excellent shows I saw last year, it was my favorite…

Also check them out on Letterman…

So, don’t worry if you don’t like OKKERVIL RIVER Right away… Give ‘em time… YOU WILL!

As for Jazz… Still hate it!

So there you have it…