bottledWalter

Written: December 2, 2008
Words: Walter Koning

Originally written for Walnotes.
[http://walnotes.wordpress.com]

The long awaited review of Mia and Jonah’s 2nd Rooz Cafe show in Oakland, California.

http://www.myspace.com/roozcafe

It was June 14th of 2008 and I was at Rooz Cafe again. A year after the Rooz Cafe Grand Opening show and Mia and Jonah were back for Rooz’s One Year Anniversary show. I was invited for the entertainment and decided to write notes for a Walnotes musical review. It’s December 2nd and I’m finally sitting in Cafe Abir in San Francisco putting fingers to keyboard.

My apologies.
Not to Mia and Jonah. They’ve heard me rave on about how much I like their music before. No No. My apologies to you, the reader. There’s a good chance this is your first time hearing about the rising tide that is Mia and Jonah. I’m sorry it’s taken you so long.

For a little musical context let me reiterate that I think Mia’s vocals and delivery matched with Jonah’s steady guitar hand and equally moving vocals rival that of Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan. When it comes to powerful original music a comparison must be started. Yet it doesn’t finish there. Mia and Jonah are the sunnier, loving, hopeful, Americana version. They are their own in every way. And you should listen to them to see for yourself.

June 14, 2008
Rooz Cafe
Opener: Joni Davis

http://www.myspace.com/jonidavismusic

Joni took the stage with her piano and vocals and did pretty well for herself. There were few people there yet. Those there were not there for her, excepting a young (male)friend of hers. And when I spoke with her after the show she sounded intimidated by the crowd of strangers as she walked around trying to give out fliers for future shows. I gave her a boost of confidence. “Just tell them, ‘Hi I’m Joni. I opened tonight and I’ll be playing ____.’ and they’ll be glad to meet you.” She came back later and thanked me with one of her recorded cd’s.

Here’s the kicker of all of this… Joni Davis is holy moly powerful in recorded form. After a month or more I finally put her disc in with low expectations and now it’s on good rotation. It’s on the darker, heavier side so don’t go listening when you need a pick me up. But do listen. Ears should hear Ms. Joni Davis.

Headliner: Mia and Jonah (with accompaniment from their regular support, John and Myles)

http://www.myspace.com/miaandjonah

http://web.mac.com/mandj3/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html

This review will be a mixture of their lyrics, my thoughts while listening, and a steady stream of consciousness delivery on my part. Enjoy.

Walter: “Mia, could you write in my little book how you feel right now?”
Mia (writes, in cursive): “Blessed to be here listening to good music – this is hard because feelings are so complete.”

They went on shortly thereafter. As they began I started to write.

It feels like Christmas
A reunion of friends
With hugs for hello’s
And how are you
How’veyoubeens
Anticipation
What will Santa bring
It feels like Christmas

When trouble has your heart
Just let me
Be with you

A crowd has filled the room
Standing room only
Boys in costume
Accepting, tolerant, creative friends
Homemade clothes
Home-schooled child

Whoa oh oh oh
I wish your lips to touch my face
Follow me down to the old wishing well

Everything beautiful
Everything oh oh oh
Downtown San Francisco in the rain

The duel is teamwork
And Mia and Jonah are killing it
Gold drips from the skyline like ice
Mia’s delivery accompanied by the band
Jonah’s guitar acoustically accompanies
His baritone voice

Mia has learned to play bass since a show
in Tucson. “If you make a mistake on
bass it just sounds like everyone else is off.”

Working on the rooms in my mind
We’re all struggling to get by
We’re all in our own place in this struggle

The stories are perfected
A little here, a little there
Between the songs
You can see that Mia feels
She feels the music
She feels the love from the crowd
She feels blessed to be here

I’m here alone
Surrounded by strangers
In a room full of love
Where I’ll never be alone

Troubled Mind Blues? or is it Troubled Mind?
Mmmm hmah hmah hm hm
And these are originals, amazing

Jonah is singing a fresh new version of
Coalminer tonight. It touches me a
different way this time. Almost personally.

The interludes are poignant, succinct, potent
Sometimes when you’re having sex
With someone they want to have sex
With lots of other people. And that sucks.
Right now I’m into things that suck.

Mia leads a beautiful tragedy love song
With Jonah adding an essence of harmonica
On Water in a Teapot, the most Damien
Rice song, lyrically, they sing

You with whom I feel this love
Wrap yourself around me and fill me up
You can show me what you know
Somehow opening the door
Sunset in your soul

[intermission]

And I’m just standing here
With a guitar in my hand
I wonder if this ocean will ever
…
Maybe I could make you smile
That about sums it up

The trouble with equal parts
And two talented vocalists
Is you can’t keep one-upping each other
Forever. So Mia and Jonah don’t
Compete with each other. They rise
Up to the top together.

Dance Dance
Coldness is sneaking in
There is nothing to touch
There is nothing at all

I’ve never known more humble musical artists
With so much talent

Even though I’ve heard Bird on the Wind
Every time I’ve seen them play
They still play it with a casual
Newness, adding nuances only a
Good winery would understand

Jonah before singing Wave, one of the most moving songs ever
“I wrote this song when I met Mia.
I was overwhelmed. I still get overwhelmed.”

Troubled Mind Blues is Mia’s remake of
Jonah’s Troubled Mind. How often does
Your own musical partner write an
Equally impressive remake of your song?
Impressive enough that you play both in
The same night, albeit different sets

Last time, a year ago at Rooz, the Bay
Bridge was closing. Tonight wasn’t quite so dire
This time the fog soaked the city, while
Oakland was sunshiney and nice

We set sail tonight
[I left sitting on a warm wind.]
I was sitting on a warm wind.

-review by Walter Koning

Written: 9/9/08
Words: Walter Koning

From time to time I miss it so
I go walking around
Wherever and everywhere
The wind takes me to and fro

Past the city skyscrapers
And streetscape bums
And suits with customized licenses
On the walls of their offices
And the plates on the cars
Parked in the stalls
That I pass
As I pass on by

I walk a mile in their shoes
Swearing that my feet hurt
From the straps
Or the heels
Or the beauty that escalates
From a whistle from a passerby
To an unwanted pass

As I pass on by
A lunchtime hotspot
Fresh sandwiches made to order
Burritos from south of the border
A sports bar when a drink is in order
They’re everywhere here
And there I am
Dropped down in the middle of this city

From time to time I miss it so
I go walking around
Wherever and everywhere
The wind takes me to and fro

From time to time I miss it so
I go walking around
Wherever and everwhere

Written: 11/3/08
Words: Walter Koning

OK. Came up with a couple things for you to consider.

1. Deflecting the truth. A politician does that. Being under scrutiny and attack for a year and a half will make a person do that. Not ideal but both sides do it.

2. Big gov’t. I’m not sure I’m against big government. I’m against inefficient big government. I’m also against bombing the war to peace. I understand the intentions of controlling the middle east. I just wish it weren’t so. Money spent by the government is spent somewhere. That creates monetary velocity when the money is then earned by someone and then later spent. This isn’t always a bad thing.

3. Taxing profits greater than $250,000 by 2% more won’t end capitalism as we know it. I’m sorry but it’s far fetched and illogical. We’ve had higher taxes in the past, and lower taxes too. Investing in your business to lower your taxable profit will grow your business and lower your tax expense. Run the math. I can help if you want me to.

4. As for the idea of him being a muslim. I’m sorry you feel that way. Here is a link you should read. http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_barack_obama_muslim.htm

5. As for substance, experience and values, I think your values are different than mine. I’m not religious and think there should be a separation between church and state.

6. The media outlets were very Bush-centric last time around. John Kerry wasn’t a qualified candidate. The media picked up on that and ran with it. I don’t believe McCain is the same person he used to be. He may have been qualified in 2000 but he’s sacrificed some of his quality to win the highest prize.

7. Why are the Middle east folks cheering him on? Because the United States, Britain and France have colonized the world and controlled the resources. McCain wants to continue to bomb them into submission. Obama talks of wanting to work with them toward a more productive solution. I’d cheer on the idea of not getting bombed too. They are people with cities, jobs and families.

8. The chance of another attack is probably quite likely. Biden was probably playing politics and trying to convince people Obama is ready for an attack.

9. I don’t support flipping people off and making them angry because they support the opposition. I’m sorry they did that to you.

10. Well, based on fraud and a close race, we probably won’t know who won… The electoral college needs to be changed, in my opinion.

For fun, read this: My Republican friend Joe wrote it. Surprising to me he’s voting Obama. http://www.keystothebus.com/

Strange times,
walter

Written: 7/15/08
Words: Walter Koning

i remember when the best thing was
if i sold the most magazines
and kids would sell the most
and go to the front of the class to pick up their prizes

i remember when the best thing was
when my parents let me use their frequent flier miles
and i thought that someday i’d have
enough of my own
and i’d fly wherever

Written: 8/6/08
Words: Walter Koning

During the Dot Com Boom in 1999 I told everyone I knew that I didn’t think the stock market rise was based on financial fundamentals. It was just a matter of time before it would bust. Then it did.

After watching the interest only loans and Adjustable Rate Mortgages spike in recent years I told everyone I knew about the possibility of another “Great Depression”. If I remember correctly, the last time they allowed interest only loans was prior to the regulations during the post 1929 era. Then in the 90’s they started to offer them again, then promote and push them.

Now the thing to watch for is credit debt. Our economy is built on debt. Debt can also be considered leverage. When you borrow money to do things that will earn you more money than the amount you paid in interest, that’s leveraging your debt. If you’re just borrowing time to pay back your credit card debt, or business loan, but you’re not making more money back by having that debt