Author Ed Miller: “Music is the weirdest human thing. A few dozen songs out of the zillions recorded fire off like a massive dopamine flood every time I hear them.
And then like other people don’t even like those songs.”
A friend and long-time loyal blog follower recently sent me a 30-Day Song Challenge meme in the hope that I couldn’t resist taking the challenge and blogging about it. Here’s Day #13 – The first song that plays on shuffle: Poets of the Fall, Running Out of Time.
That this song came up makes me very happy as it relates to one of my peak personal music experiences. Poets of the Fall is a Finnish rock band that I discovered through a friend who thought I’d like them. Although not known in the states, six of their eight albums have topped the Finnish charts. Their songs are anthemic in the style of Bon Jovi or Journey, and like those two bands, Poets of the Fall is led by a charismatic and distinctive lead singer. They have also made a number of high quality, cinematic music videos to accompany their singles.[1]
I made a CD of the songs from their January, 17, 2011 show at the O2 Academy Islington in London which pretty much stays in my car as it is full of the kind of joyful, cruising music that you turn up to eleven and sing along to on a summer day.
I happened to be at that show as I was in London for work. Along with Chicago, London is one of my most happy places. Rarely does a fave band happen to be in a city I’ve traveled to at the same time – I think the only other time was Chris Cornell in Denver. The O2 Academy Islington is a small warehouse-style venue in a shopping center that very much reminds me of D.C.’s 9:30 Club aka my Home Away from Home. In other words, while on the other side of the Atlantic, I still felt very much at home.
They put on a great show and there may been unrestrained tears of joy that fell with each performance of one of my favorite songs – “Am I really here? Am I dreaming? I am so happy right now.”
Anyway, here is the song that came up on my shuffle. They did perform this at my show.
And here is my own video from them performing the song Lift at the show:
Tomorrow’s Challenge: a song that someone showed you.
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[1] Dream You Wide Awake, Daze, Carnival of Rust, Lift, Choice Millionaire to name a few that I’ve watched repeatedly.
Ray's Musings 
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