Sam Phillips Reflections

i need love
not some sentimental prison
i need god
not the political church
i need fire
to melt the frozen sea inside me
i need love

~sam phillips, "i need love"

This past Tuesday evening I was able to catch one of my favorite singer/songwriters at a small venue here in Portland. The Doug Fir is a great place for a show; small, intimate, and great sound. Sam Phillips was coming through town, and she is on my short list of "not to miss" artists. This is only the third time I've seen her live, and I'm glad I mustered up the energy to venture out on a Tuesday evening. The show was entertaining, but more than that it was inspiring.

I happened to have my Flip Video with me, so I took quite a bit of video at the show. This camera is not high quality, it is highly convenient (because it's small, and can fit in my shirt pocket). So the quality is not great, but if you'd like to see some highlights from the show check out the medley at the bottom of this post. If you don't know Sam Phillips, this would be a great introduction for you. It's kind of long (20 minutes or so), but you can't skip forward to catch highlights. Or sit back and enjoy the whole thing.

But first, I have a few observations and reflections from the show. The following thoughts are things I noticed at the show, and at the same time they are principles we'd all do well to incorporate into our lives.

1. Less is more. Almost all of Sam Phillips songs are between 2-3 minutes long (with a few being under 2 minutes). And I'm continually amazed at how she can do so much in so little time. She doesn't waste a word or a note. She communicates deep feelings and stories very concisely. This leads to an experience where you never find yourself drifting off, or getting bored or distracted. Musically she is a minimalist as well. She had 3 other musicians playing with her, but it was not uncommon for one or more to step off stage for a song, or sit there without playing for half of a song. All of the sound is strategically placed. Beautiful. Simplify.

2. If you ask people to gather, have something to say. Her songs all have something powerful to say. It wouldn't matter how good the music was if the lyrics were empty or trite. She writes often times out of her own deep pain and experiences. And because of this vulnerability, she is worth listening to every time.

3. Surround yourself with greatness. Speaking of the music, her musicians are incredible! As just one example, her drummer (Jay Bellarose) almost stole the show. He is perhaps more percussionist than drummer. He toured with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, and now is touring with Sam Phillips for free just because he loves her music. He was amazing to watch. Her other two musicians were equally accomplished. Never be afraid to surround yourself with people more talented than yourself. It's not threatening, it's a formula for success.

4. If you can't say it succinctly, it's probably convoluted. This is similar to the "less is more" principle. Yet it is slightly different. It is all about having a super tight clarity on what you are trying to communicate. This is how she keeps her songs so short. But it is not simply a matter of choosing to write short songs. Writing shorter songs (or papers, or sermons, etc) is actually much harder than writing longer ones because it requires the rigorous discipline of refining and fighting for clarity.

5. Creativity inspires creativity in others. I found myself enjoying the show immensely. And in that enjoyment, I noticed something very interesting. My mind starting running. It began thinking, dreaming, and creating. Simply by being in the midst of high creativity, I was inspired in my own creativity. It made me realize that I need to get into these spaces more frequently.

6. Small (yet faithful) followings are sufficient. Seth Godin talks about this a lot, and refers to these followings as "tribes." I was shocked that there was only 100 people or so at her show. Surely that is partly because Portland is a small market, and I'm sure she'd pull many more people in a large market. But it's interesting that she's going strong, and continuing to pump out albums of increasing depth, without selling out major venues.


Sam Phillips @ the Doug Fir from Kevin Rogers on Vimeo.

Don't Do Anything
I love you when you don't do anything • When you're useless I love you more •
When you don't do anything •• When you don't know, when you don't try • When
you don't say anything • When you don't move, when you don't win • When you don't make anything work ••
I love you when you don't do anything • When you don't want, when you
don't lie • When you don't make any sense •
When you don't go, when you don't hide •
When you don't think anything •• Every thing I
know is running backwards with you

~Sam Phillips