All The Stars and Boulevards | Augustana
release date: 2005 record label: Epic
track
listing: 1) Mayfield
2) Bullets
3) Hotel Roosevelt
4) Boston
5) Stars and Boulevards
6) Feel Fine
7) Wasteland
8) Lonely People
9) Sunday Best
10) California’s Burning
11) Coffee and Cigarettes
“Are we gonna make it?”
One of the greatest joys of my life has been growing up with two brothers, although, for most of my teenage years, I didn’t so much act like it. They love to remind me, even now, of how I would throw fits when they barged into my room, borrowed my CDs, or tried to talk to my friends.
But time is the ultimate teacher. It wasn’t until I left home for college, and no longer saw my two brothers day-in and day-out, that I began to deeply value our relationship. In fact, I was jealous that they, being only a year apart, had the opportunity to grow up together while I had to leave home and be on my own. I longed for more time with them, just as my life pulled me away.
As children, my two brothers followed a predictable pattern: Joseph, five years my younger, almost always imitated me. My favorite sports team was his favorite team, my favorite superhero was his as well; if I had a bologna sandwich, he wanted one too – it drove me up the walls. Philip – the middle brother – forged his own identity by being my polar opposite. If my favorite color was blue, his would be green; if I wanted to stop at McDonalds, he wanted Burger King. In fact, in 1997, when the University of Kentucky faced the University of Arizona in the NCAA basketball championship, our entire family cheered for the Cats – except Philip. He was an Arizona fan, at least for one game.
I started college the same year Joseph, my youngest brother, began high school. Around that same time, he started discovering music that meant a great deal to me – band likes Counting Crows and the Wallflowers. A few summers later, we would head to Cincinnati together for our first (of many) Counting Crows shows. The band opening that day had just released their major-album debut, but remained relatively unknown: Augustana. A few months down the road, however, and they’d be impossible to miss. Boston, the lead single from that debut album, seemed to be everywhere, from TV shows to Top-40 radio and everything in between.
All the Stars and Boulevards, Augusta’s debut album, is everything you’d expect from a band opening for Counting Crows – a litany of hopeless laments over lost love, set to progressive rock music. The record opens with Mayfield,a song full of doubt that repeatedly begs, “are we gonna make it?” The emotion in singer and songwriter Dan Layus’ voice leaves little hope for a positive answer; the remainder of the album proves our fears true. The next rack, Bullets, describes love as “a bullet in the head with the sweetest kiss,” while Wastelandsees the world as “nothing more than fools and whores and sad highs.” Don’t let Boston’s up-tempo piano line fool you – this song may be the saddest of the set, describing a lover leaving everything behind to start anew because they are no longer known or cared for by their loved one.
If you’re in need of optimism, All the Stars and Boulevards is not the album for you. But, on the other hand, if you find yourself living in the aftermath of a newly broken heart, this album may just be the soundtrack of your emotional state. You won’t find comfort on All the Stars and Boulevards, but if you want to sit in your sadness, it will gladly pull you up a chair and ask you to stay awhile.
I can’t help but think of my little brother when listening to Augustana, mostly because we discovered the band together. In fact, it was on Joe’s recommendation, a few months after that initial concert, that I went to Best Buy and bought All the Stars and Boulevards for myself. In just a few hours, that same little brother, the one I chased out of my room when I was in high school, will graduate with two degrees from Western Kentucky University. Time flies.
The mortarboard hat, most commonly associated with graduates, has origins that go back all the way to the Middle Ages. Ironically, I’m pretty sure that graduation ceremonies haven’t changed much since then either: Pomp and Circumstance will be played, we’ll hear some inspirational speeches, fight back some tears, and dodge an army of flying hats. If you’ve seen one graduation, you’ve seen them all. I don’t mean to make light of this ceremony; my little brother has put in years of hard work and his perseverance deserves the honor of that day, but let’s be honest, no one looks forward to the speeches – mostly because nearly everything they say is untrue. So, Joe, take it from your older brother – here’s what you really need to know as you walk across that platform, diploma in hand, and start out into the real world.
1) At the graduation ceremony, a speaker will stand up and, in so many words, declare that your
happiness should be your lifelong number one priority – the focus of your hardest work and attention.
Let me tell you, right now, that’s a bunch of crap. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with
being happy and having good times, but that is not the be-all, end-all of your life. I don’t have to tell
you (but I will, just for good measure) that the most important thing on this earth is your relationship
with God. Happiness is fleeting, it passes by as quickly as a morning fog; one second it is here, the
next, you’ll find it gone. Things will go wrong, you’ll have questions, doubt and even anger, but don’t
lose the perspective that, like school, life is also about persistence, and we are commanded to “run
with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
our faith.” If you take the time to faithfully invest in this relationship, setting your focus on Jesus,
then you will live a life of purpose – it won’t always be easy (or even happy, as prophets like Job and
Jeremiah so clearly indicate), but in the end, your life will matter. This is the most important lesson I
could ever pass on to you.
2) After faith, of course, comes family. At graduation, the speakers will make a big to-do about all
the progress you’ve made while at the university, how you’ve matured, mastered your craft and
they’ll gush over your positive attributes – and all of that will be true. But they are conveniently
leaving out one important note: the fact that you haven’t yet reached the top. You will make
mistakes, you will mess up; the important thing is to learn during those moments. This humble
attitude of learning will do much for your future family life. As hard as it is to believe, us Mathis
brothers aren’t perfect (at least not yet); your future wife will know this more than anybody (just ask
Janie). Growing up, Dad stressed that the choice of the woman you marry is one of the most
important you will ever make. This is because that woman will become your family and be grafted
into our extended family tree. Choose wisely, but do so with grace, remembering that you aren’t
perfect either. And as much as everyone tries to force us to believe that change is bad, it’s of utmost
importance that you be willing to change aspects of yourself for the one you love; if she loves you,
she’ll be doing the same thing. Be the first to admit you were wrong and lead the way in making a
change. If I’d have known these things a year ago, I could have avoided an abundance of arguments
and tears.
And, on a side note, remember it will be your job, as the man of the house, to not only lead, but to
continually romance her. You’ll do great – you got that Mathis swag.
3) It seems that every graduation ceremony includes a charge to follow your dreams. This is,
actually, great advice. Just remember that the only dreams which happen overnight are the kind you
see in your sleep – everything else requires time, hard work, and determination. You may not get the
job you want straight out of the gate, but believe me (and your teachers), you have the talent and
natural ability to make it. So don’t worry if you have to start at the bottom of the ladder. Do good
work wherever you are, and you’ll be noticed. Do that work with patience, integrity and a positive-
attitude, and you’ll be promoted. As a history major, you know Rome wasn’t built in a day – so don’t
worry, you’ll get there. I have full faith in that.
4) It never fails that every school sends their students off with a mandate to change the world. Most
of the new graduates, however, don’t believe they are capable of accomplishing such a task. In
actuality, however, they most certainly are. I heard it said once “that to change one life is to change
the entire world.” Each day, you will have the chance to do just that by giving hope, showing love, or
seeking forgiveness from others. They way we interact with those around us, from friends and family
to complete strangers, can literally change their lives, and in so doing, change the world. So please
don’t think yourself incapable of leaving a lasting legacy on this planet; in fact, you’ve already begun.
Your smile, contagious laughter, sense of humor and pick-me-up attitude have endeared you to
legions of individuals across campus, from the autistic students you mentored, to the freshmen you
welcomed into the game room, to the RAs you worked alongside in the dorms. These same traits
have certainly changed the lives of those people who love you most, the ones you yourself named
Crab, Babe, Goaf and Gave.
As they set out into the real world with their debut album, Augustana wondered aloud if they would make it, and that answer remains to be seen. After lackluster sales of their third full-length album, the band was dropped from their record label; months later, key members of the band left to pursue other interests.
But you, little brother, I have no doubt you will make it. We’re so proud of you and look forward, with anticipation, to the life you will live. If you forget everything else I’ve written, at least remember what another group of brothers have so eloquently declared, that there is nothing “like the love that let us share our name.”
release date: 2005 record label: Epic
track
listing: 1) Mayfield
2) Bullets
3) Hotel Roosevelt
4) Boston
5) Stars and Boulevards
6) Feel Fine
7) Wasteland
8) Lonely People
9) Sunday Best
10) California’s Burning
11) Coffee and Cigarettes
“Are we gonna make it?”
One of the greatest joys of my life has been growing up with two brothers, although, for most of my teenage years, I didn’t so much act like it. They love to remind me, even now, of how I would throw fits when they barged into my room, borrowed my CDs, or tried to talk to my friends.
But time is the ultimate teacher. It wasn’t until I left home for college, and no longer saw my two brothers day-in and day-out, that I began to deeply value our relationship. In fact, I was jealous that they, being only a year apart, had the opportunity to grow up together while I had to leave home and be on my own. I longed for more time with them, just as my life pulled me away.
As children, my two brothers followed a predictable pattern: Joseph, five years my younger, almost always imitated me. My favorite sports team was his favorite team, my favorite superhero was his as well; if I had a bologna sandwich, he wanted one too – it drove me up the walls. Philip – the middle brother – forged his own identity by being my polar opposite. If my favorite color was blue, his would be green; if I wanted to stop at McDonalds, he wanted Burger King. In fact, in 1997, when the University of Kentucky faced the University of Arizona in the NCAA basketball championship, our entire family cheered for the Cats – except Philip. He was an Arizona fan, at least for one game.
I started college the same year Joseph, my youngest brother, began high school. Around that same time, he started discovering music that meant a great deal to me – band likes Counting Crows and the Wallflowers. A few summers later, we would head to Cincinnati together for our first (of many) Counting Crows shows. The band opening that day had just released their major-album debut, but remained relatively unknown: Augustana. A few months down the road, however, and they’d be impossible to miss. Boston, the lead single from that debut album, seemed to be everywhere, from TV shows to Top-40 radio and everything in between.
All the Stars and Boulevards, Augusta’s debut album, is everything you’d expect from a band opening for Counting Crows – a litany of hopeless laments over lost love, set to progressive rock music. The record opens with Mayfield,a song full of doubt that repeatedly begs, “are we gonna make it?” The emotion in singer and songwriter Dan Layus’ voice leaves little hope for a positive answer; the remainder of the album proves our fears true. The next rack, Bullets, describes love as “a bullet in the head with the sweetest kiss,” while Wastelandsees the world as “nothing more than fools and whores and sad highs.” Don’t let Boston’s up-tempo piano line fool you – this song may be the saddest of the set, describing a lover leaving everything behind to start anew because they are no longer known or cared for by their loved one.
If you’re in need of optimism, All the Stars and Boulevards is not the album for you. But, on the other hand, if you find yourself living in the aftermath of a newly broken heart, this album may just be the soundtrack of your emotional state. You won’t find comfort on All the Stars and Boulevards, but if you want to sit in your sadness, it will gladly pull you up a chair and ask you to stay awhile.
I can’t help but think of my little brother when listening to Augustana, mostly because we discovered the band together. In fact, it was on Joe’s recommendation, a few months after that initial concert, that I went to Best Buy and bought All the Stars and Boulevards for myself. In just a few hours, that same little brother, the one I chased out of my room when I was in high school, will graduate with two degrees from Western Kentucky University. Time flies.
The mortarboard hat, most commonly associated with graduates, has origins that go back all the way to the Middle Ages. Ironically, I’m pretty sure that graduation ceremonies haven’t changed much since then either: Pomp and Circumstance will be played, we’ll hear some inspirational speeches, fight back some tears, and dodge an army of flying hats. If you’ve seen one graduation, you’ve seen them all. I don’t mean to make light of this ceremony; my little brother has put in years of hard work and his perseverance deserves the honor of that day, but let’s be honest, no one looks forward to the speeches – mostly because nearly everything they say is untrue. So, Joe, take it from your older brother – here’s what you really need to know as you walk across that platform, diploma in hand, and start out into the real world.
1) At the graduation ceremony, a speaker will stand up and, in so many words, declare that your
happiness should be your lifelong number one priority – the focus of your hardest work and attention.
Let me tell you, right now, that’s a bunch of crap. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with
being happy and having good times, but that is not the be-all, end-all of your life. I don’t have to tell
you (but I will, just for good measure) that the most important thing on this earth is your relationship
with God. Happiness is fleeting, it passes by as quickly as a morning fog; one second it is here, the
next, you’ll find it gone. Things will go wrong, you’ll have questions, doubt and even anger, but don’t
lose the perspective that, like school, life is also about persistence, and we are commanded to “run
with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
our faith.” If you take the time to faithfully invest in this relationship, setting your focus on Jesus,
then you will live a life of purpose – it won’t always be easy (or even happy, as prophets like Job and
Jeremiah so clearly indicate), but in the end, your life will matter. This is the most important lesson I
could ever pass on to you.
2) After faith, of course, comes family. At graduation, the speakers will make a big to-do about all
the progress you’ve made while at the university, how you’ve matured, mastered your craft and
they’ll gush over your positive attributes – and all of that will be true. But they are conveniently
leaving out one important note: the fact that you haven’t yet reached the top. You will make
mistakes, you will mess up; the important thing is to learn during those moments. This humble
attitude of learning will do much for your future family life. As hard as it is to believe, us Mathis
brothers aren’t perfect (at least not yet); your future wife will know this more than anybody (just ask
Janie). Growing up, Dad stressed that the choice of the woman you marry is one of the most
important you will ever make. This is because that woman will become your family and be grafted
into our extended family tree. Choose wisely, but do so with grace, remembering that you aren’t
perfect either. And as much as everyone tries to force us to believe that change is bad, it’s of utmost
importance that you be willing to change aspects of yourself for the one you love; if she loves you,
she’ll be doing the same thing. Be the first to admit you were wrong and lead the way in making a
change. If I’d have known these things a year ago, I could have avoided an abundance of arguments
and tears.
And, on a side note, remember it will be your job, as the man of the house, to not only lead, but to
continually romance her. You’ll do great – you got that Mathis swag.
3) It seems that every graduation ceremony includes a charge to follow your dreams. This is,
actually, great advice. Just remember that the only dreams which happen overnight are the kind you
see in your sleep – everything else requires time, hard work, and determination. You may not get the
job you want straight out of the gate, but believe me (and your teachers), you have the talent and
natural ability to make it. So don’t worry if you have to start at the bottom of the ladder. Do good
work wherever you are, and you’ll be noticed. Do that work with patience, integrity and a positive-
attitude, and you’ll be promoted. As a history major, you know Rome wasn’t built in a day – so don’t
worry, you’ll get there. I have full faith in that.
4) It never fails that every school sends their students off with a mandate to change the world. Most
of the new graduates, however, don’t believe they are capable of accomplishing such a task. In
actuality, however, they most certainly are. I heard it said once “that to change one life is to change
the entire world.” Each day, you will have the chance to do just that by giving hope, showing love, or
seeking forgiveness from others. They way we interact with those around us, from friends and family
to complete strangers, can literally change their lives, and in so doing, change the world. So please
don’t think yourself incapable of leaving a lasting legacy on this planet; in fact, you’ve already begun.
Your smile, contagious laughter, sense of humor and pick-me-up attitude have endeared you to
legions of individuals across campus, from the autistic students you mentored, to the freshmen you
welcomed into the game room, to the RAs you worked alongside in the dorms. These same traits
have certainly changed the lives of those people who love you most, the ones you yourself named
Crab, Babe, Goaf and Gave.
As they set out into the real world with their debut album, Augustana wondered aloud if they would make it, and that answer remains to be seen. After lackluster sales of their third full-length album, the band was dropped from their record label; months later, key members of the band left to pursue other interests.
But you, little brother, I have no doubt you will make it. We’re so proud of you and look forward, with anticipation, to the life you will live. If you forget everything else I’ve written, at least remember what another group of brothers have so eloquently declared, that there is nothing “like the love that let us share our name.”
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