Resilience
May 2025
Hello Friends,
Lately, I’ve been clearing out an overgrown chunk of land to plant a garden, and thinking a lot about resilience. What is it that makes weeds and grass so tough? One thing I noticed as I roto-tilled and dug down into the earth was an intense root system. The tiny weeds on top were connected by a hearty tangle of roots, and unless I got to that, they would just keep coming back. Similarly, we know that groves of trees are connected by elaborate root systems so that they can share nutrients with each other.
When asked what type of music I play, I will often say “Roots Music”. This has a lot to do with the old Blues, Country, and Folk I constantly learn from, and there is another element I’ve come to think about with ‘Roots Music’: the living, adapting, resilient approach to community music. I’ve been able to make a modest living playing over a hundred shows a year, making albums, and singing songs because of the deep roots system that connects me and thousands of people– venues, breweries, farms, musicians, fans, public radio stations, farmer’s markets, hotels, small businesses. . . the list goes on and on.
This grass-roots approach takes a long time to come to harvest, but to me, it is the only way to live with integrity and resist the top-down corporate machine. I love my life, because I’m constantly surrounded by fellow Rootsy folks! It’s much easier to grow when you’re connected to others who share your vision.
Thank YOU for being a part of that growth, and for doing your part to make life vibrant, beautiful, and resilient. Many of you have been along for the journey for a LONG time, so I’m excited to share with you that we are planning a 20th Anniversary Concert celebrating Caleb Stine & The Brakemen’s first album: October 29th. Yes! We will be playing on October 29th, 2025, at St. Luke’s on The Avenue to mark the occasion when 20 years earlier we recorded a full album in one day. So please save the date for Wednesday, October 29th, 7:00pm and plan to come out and see the original Brakemen lineup with special guests. It will be a night to remember.
Also, we are working hard to put together a deluxe, remastered Vinyl of the album! Stay tuned.
Cheers,
Caleb