When I was just starting out on my music path and was a wide-eyed wild-hearted young girl, I lived in Austin Texas. It was an incredibly romantic time, full of vertical learning curves and parties and heartbreak all at once. In the spring of 1998 I had just had my heart broken for the very first time. I heard that there was this cool up and coming singer-songwriter named Patty Griffin, and decided to take myself out to see her at a little club that no longer exists, the Cactus Cafe, on the University of Texas campus. I crowded in with about 75 other eager romantics, sat down and waited to see what all the fuss was about. I wept for 2 hours straight. That is the power of Patty. She cuts straight through the boundaries surrounding our souls and digs in hard and sweet. She stays there and sings your life and mingles it with hers and everyone else’s. And then she leaves. It’s the best thing ever. Last night I saw her play to a packed, adoring house at the Wiltern theater here in LA. I crowded in with about 2700 other eager romantics, and reveled in her gifts once again. That is the power of music. When it’s good, it cuts right through every boundary everywhere and gets you home. I only hope I can do that for someone once. xox Listen to Patty’s song “Mary” here.