The NiELdS give me hope.

In a world of nuculer proliferation, violence, hunger, disease, divorce, institutionalized overpopulation, injustice, and decay of traditional values these five people remind me that in the midst of all this evil and horror, beauty, love, and family not only exist but still reign supreme as the standard by which human morals are measured. They teach through example and give me an undeniable reason not to be a drug addict, alcoholic, or suicidal. In other words, the NiELdS give me a reason to be, and believe that, yes, some good can come out of all the insanity that envelopes and attempts to destroy me, while at the same time many of my 'friends and family' (with very few exceptions) compel me in the opposite direction. When I discovered the NiELdS I was at an all time low point in my life, comming to terms with a tragic romance that had finally run its course and left nothing but pain, loss, and embarassment in its wake. With the help of the NiELdS I was able to overcome the loss and begin the healing process. For this I will be eternally grateful. They will never know how much this means to me.

The NiELdS provide a link to my children and their generation.

The NiELdS inspire me.

These five amazing and creative people rekindle my interest in the classics, from Greek mythology to Nabakov, Georgia O'Keefe, Bob Dylan, and everything in between. The works of great literture, music, and art take on a new significance when viewed through the context of the NiELdS experience. I'm learning to play and sing better. I write more frequently. I have become more computer literate in an attempt to keep up with what the band and their many talented fans are doing. I travel more and visit places that I would never have been tempted to explore were it not for the influence of the NiELdS, be it direct or incidental. My understanding of audio reinforcement has been greatly inhanced. My belief that music, and art in general, is a magical learning tool has been fortified. Through my exposure to the NiELdS my consciencousness has been expanded in a drug free way that I could not have previously concieved. My interest in yoga and a natural diet have been revived. Being around the NiELdS is often enlightening, educational, and in my opinion, a blessing and a privledge.

The NiELdS fill me with joy.

A NiELdS performance has never failed to fill me with joy. In fact I leave each show overflowing with joy, as do many of the people around me. It spills out into the street and makes me want to hang around after the show and drink in every drop, until all the gear is packed and Nessie the Lockness Vanster is rolling down the road toward the next act in the neverending NiELdS musical revue. On the road after each show I often burst into spontanious smiles and laughter reliving the lighter moments of the previous performance, or some thoughtful, kind remark made by one of the band members. I walk away from each show literally walking on air, and the euphoria is delightful and unlike any other I have ever experienced. Not only do the NiELdS fill me with joy but I can witness it happening to others around me, and it forms the foundation of a collective conscienousness that we all share and commune with.

The NiELdS introduce me to new artists and ideas.

The Maggies, Dan Bern, Trish Murphy, Jim's Big Ego, Jess Klein, Salamander Crossing, Jump Little Children, Carbon Leaf, Ellis Paul, Lucy Chapin, Hang Dawgs, Fred Eaglesmith, Ben Demerath, Dar Williams, Moxy Fruvous, The Kennedy's, Stringbean, Great Big Sea, Cory Harris, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Tony Trishka and Bend, Eddie From Ohio, Ani DiFranco, Jill Sobule, Sinead Lohen, Todd Young, Clubber, Julie Schrieber, Murah, June Rich, The Madmen Poets, Rose Polenzani, Erin McKeown, Patty Griffin, Pamela Means, etc., etc., etc. These are just some of the new musicians who have shared the bill with the NiELdS. Not only have I had the experience of hearing their music, but many times I have had the chance to meet them, converse, and sometimes become aquainted with these multi-talented performers. I have met the writer Pam Houston, the author of Cowboys Are My Weakness and Waltzing The Cat, in one of which she mentions The NiELdS. Through them I have become aware of the work of writer Ann Lamott. I cannot overemphasize the cultural impact that this band has on their fans. They possess the ability to make us more literate and knowledgeble people in a way that few more popular artists can. This is because they are educated people with a gift for teaching and elevating the conscienousness of the people around them, be they fans or other artists. It doesn't hurt that they are the centerpiece of the thriving New England music scene, which is the modern equivilent of the 60s Greenwich Village music scene thanks to legends like Jordi Herald, Pete Seeger, Jack Hardy, and Arlo Guthrie who have made there homes in or east of the Hudson Valley.

The NiELdS reinforce my youthful idealism and keep its erosion in check.

When life throws us curveballs, or we try wade through a sea of turmoil only to be knocked back three steps for every one we take, it's easy to become frustrated and disillusioned. Like when you get thrown in jail for some crime you didn't commit, or a bunch of 'nimrods' vote down ratification of the Test Ban Treaty. When some 'slack boy on a moped' tries to steal your lunch money it's easy to forget what is right, and begin to blame all slackers, and overlook the fact that there is good and evil in all things. When we let this happen we abandon our ideals and little by little our attitude begins to change. Moral imparatives aren't as important as they once were, and suddenly we wake up one day and low and behold we have developed a bad attidude that leads us down the wrong road farther and farther toward the 'nimrods' in Nimrodville and away from the global village where we are all citizens and stewards of the earth. At every performance the NiELdS, at some point remind me that 'the price of freedom ( and of sanity ) is eternal vigilence'. Dispite the vanity, materalism, and meateating they possess a spiritual quality that reminds me of the youthful enthusiasim I have, from time to time, come dangerously close to abandoning. In this respect, to me personally, their influence is priceless. I don't get that from heavy metal, rap, or even Ricky Martin.

The NiELdS expand my circle of friends and kindred spirits.

Without naming names, I have to say that, so far, each of the people I have become aquainted with through my association with the NiELdS experience has been a pleasure to meet. Educated, tolerant, diverse, multi-talented, generous, helpful, and caring would be an accurate way to desribe the lion's share of NiELdSfans, and even the opinionated knuckleheads like me are reasonably amiable persons compared to the self indulgent morons you would find at, say, a Rolling Stones or Korn concert. When I'm the biggest troublemaker in the house that's a pretty nice crowd. So far no one has tried to break into my car while I'm in the show... yet.

© 1999