Why should I get jealous when I see a good show? I know those two have worked their asses off to get to the stage they’re at, nobody just handed them enough fans to fill the Wilbur Theater. They earned them. Still, here I am: Working my ass off trying to put on the best show I possibly can. I can’t afford to hire the kind of crew that Train or Amanda Palmer have working with them, I’m doing most of this myself. And yet I haven’t quite reached that goal of playing the big rooms with my name on the marquee.

The Dresden Dolls show reminded me of what I don’t have.

Does this make me a bad person? I don’t think so. It makes me a person. One of my heroes summed it up best in August:

The guy I really let get to me was John Mayer. Man, I wanted what that guy was achieving and now that I’ve had a chance to hang with him and see how great he is at what he does, I truly only want great things for him because he really is a crazy talented musician and an ultra smart dude. Yea, there may be one or two others that I still need to love instead of envy but I’m trying AND learning. Happy to be where I am right now. That other place is way lonelier.
- Pat Monahan

I will get there someday. I don’t know how the hell I’ll do it, but I’m going to succeed or burn out trying. The only way it’s going to happen, though, is if I stop coveting the success of others and just enjoy the shows they produce. Turning envy into inspiration is not easy, but it’s the only way to keep it from eating you alive.

There are a certain number of acts, however, that throughout my development have made me want to play better, write better, entertain better, and be better. They are the ones that made me ask, “why can’t I do that?” And then I asked, “what can I do to be like that?” It’s the line between influence and inspiration, and there’s 7 on my list that cross that line.

Of course, to read the list you’re going to need to travel around the net a little. I’m posting one inspiring act here, but the rest are elsewhere. Here’s where you’ll find them:

1. Ben Folds – Facebook
2. Pat Monihan/Train – MySpace
3. Jason Mraz – iLike
4. Pink Floyd – Last.fm
5. Billy Joel – Stereofame
6. Dave Matthews Band – PMN
7. Derek Webb – Here!

Derek Webb
Once a lead singer for Caedmon’s Call, he’s got to be the single most inspiring songwriter I encountered during my formative years. I never heard of him until I interned at his record label in 2000. They handed me a pre-master copy of “Long Line Of Leavers” (the best album that band ever made) and I heard the song “What You Want”. Good God, everything was right about that song. The lyrics were heart-wrenching, honest, and somehow still inspiring. The melody was simple and powerful. The production- holy cow, the production. It started out at a slow, easy pace but added one layer at a time until it reached a mighty crescendo with the bridge section.. but it still let you down easy at the end.

It’s at that point, when every aspect of a song is working together, that it’s no longer about the construction or execution of music. This was art, a language of emotion. Everything I loved about Caedmon’s Call was due entirely to Derek’s input, though tragically his latest solo works haven’t lit the fire in me the way he used to. I hold out great hope, though, for he is still trying to work outside the Nashville formula and speak directly to people’s hearts.

For the rest of the artists, just click on one of the links above!