(Title Credit: Todd Rundgren / The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect / 1983)

Dave and I went to see October Project a couple of times. We saw them at Penn’s Landing during the Singer/Songwriter weekend many moons ago. Then, we saw them at the Keswick Theatre and, finally, we saw them at the Electric Factory. It was at this last show that I suddenly realized what it was that drove their music and gave it the unique sound that it had. It was the bongo drums! Now, I am not a big percussion fan – in fact, truth be known, most of the time it’s lost on me. I’m so busy listening to the vocals (the background ones, mostly – I was born to be a backup singer, I think – I can harmonize with the best of them!) that I often miss the instruments. I’m trying to be better about that. Going to see the Dave Matthews Band several times has helped a great deal. Back to October Project. At the time, Mary Fahl was the lead singer. That’s no longer the case, as the group has gone through some tumultuous times, sadly. But there she was – grander than life itself. You could have a love affair with her voice, I swear. And while I was all wrapped up in the vocals at the concert, those drums slipped in and blew me away. It’s impossible for me to say which my favorite of their songs is. I sent them an e-mail way back when and told them that I had not heard two more flawless albums than their first two (apart from all of Kate Bush’s albums, but I didn’t tell them that). That holds true still.

np – Be My Hero – October Project
from the album “October Project”