Tonight the small niche named the Attic in Dekalb IL, a small center of the universe formed. Sparks flew, spirits wheeled, and a lanky boy with a flannel jacket shed a guitar case and played his heart out. On a small wooden chair, armed with 90s hits and literary references, Jason Anderson pulled a crowd of college students out of their shells and allowed them to catch the very contagious disease that brought him to the venue. This disease is one of the human conditions.The room became a theater, a campfire, a middle school lock in, as giggles and sing-along crowded the room. Passion filled and bright-eyed Anderson sang songs about love, happiness, and life. Interludes of reason spoke on the behalf of civil rights, guided patriotism, and environmentalism. Anderson alluded to the mistaken concept of choosing titles, to be left sided or right sided, rather he chose, simply to be.

At first glace, an audience member can grow annoyed with the constant monologist interludes (just sing already!), but by the end of the night you find every sentence less irrelevant and more endearing.

To explain Anderson as a musician is to discus the content of ones soul. Socrates states that it is harmony that calms the passions in the soul provided reason and reckoning, and rhythm that allows passions to continue to play a role. In a classical philosophic sort of way, Anderson excited, and moderates his audience.

It was a new rain, a deep sleep, and a fresh pair of socks out of the dryer, all at once. If Jason Anderson comes to your town, be sure not to miss. The state of your soul depends on it.

Becky Reynolds 3-23-04