It's almost everything I need

It had to be late 1993, because it was fall but my friend Dayna hadn't graduated from high school yet. She's a year older than me, so if I can remember her being around, I can usually put a date on something. I was driving around East Lansing enjoying the freedoms of my newly acquired license and listening to the radio loudly as is always my wont. I don't remember the name of the station, it might have been "The Edge" or some other suitably hip name bandied about for alternative music radio in those days. I can remember where I was when I heard the song for the first time, though. That I know for sure.

The DJ announced that he had a new song from a new band that would be in town in a couple weeks. They were called Counting Crows and the song was "Mr. Jones" and I was in a 1984 Buick Skyhawk driving north on Hagadorn Road towards Grand River Avenue. I'm not sure where I was going, but I remember being grateful for the absurdly long light the intersection is known for. I was completely entranced by the song. It was so different from all the Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam songs usually filling the airwaves of alternative stations. Adam Duritz wasn't angry, he was sad. And thus a love was born.

I have to admit, I was a little upset when I bought August and Everything After a few weeks later. Few of the songs had the jangling guitars and upbeat sound of "Mr. Jones." In fact, it struck me as mostly slow and droning. But as autumn settled in, I found that slow and droning could be perfect for an incoming Michigan winter. It soon fit my mood perfectly.

So while I have regularly listened to this album all over the country, August and Everything After will always remind me of autumn in Michigan - except for the song "Sullivan Street" which reminds me of summer in New York City. It's funny how these things work.

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Coming tomorrow: Super triple soundtrack day!