But what happens if two people ask for each other?? Well, it took a little thinking, but I think I figured it out. It’s probably best if I sing it to you, though…

Get it on iTunes now!

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Taylor Swift has done it again. She just debuted her new single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” on a live web chat in Nashville, and let me just say… WOW. I was a little worried about a change of direction for Taylor’s music, but she’s proven once again why she’s a master songwriter. Amazing, Taylor.. amazing. Excuse while I go listen to my crappy, tape-recorded version a few hundred more times until it’s on iTunes tonight. Yeah, I’m that guy. Oh, by the way, she also dropped the name for her new album coming in October. It’ll be called RED. Here’s my acoustic take on the song. Enjoy.

Dustin

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Taylor Swift's Upcoming Album 'Red'

Taylor Swift has done it again. She just debuted her new single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” on a live web chat in Nashville, and let me just say… WOW. I was a little worried about a change of direction for Taylor’s music, but she’s proven once again why she’s a master songwriter. Amazing, Taylor.. amazing. Excuse while I go listen to my crappy, tape-recorded version a few hundred more times until it’s on iTunes tonight. Yeah, I’m that guy. Oh, by the way, she also dropped the name for her new album coming in October. It’ll be called RED. Here’s the link to Taylor’s YouTube Channel. You should be able to re-watch it later tonight.

You can expect a cover very soon!

Dustin

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“The morning breeze has secrets to tell you… do not go back to sleep.” – Rumi

It took a while, but a few days ago, I finally followed this brilliant piece of advice. I’ve never been much of a morning person. In fact, I used to give my parents fits trying to get me out of bed for school. But being on tour in California, with the ocean just a jog away, I figured now was the perfect time to try something new. So I woke up at 5:30AM, got some breakfast, and took a jog down to Manhattan Beach. (Amazingly enough, I had my alarm set for 6:30, but found myself awake and energized an hour early. I guess the soul really does know what it needs) It was such a unique, peaceful time of day, filled with newness and, most importantly, silence. There were hardly any cars or chattering people – only a few quiet joggers and the occasional surfer trying to catch the morning waves. Most days, back in Arizona, I sit in my room and meditate for about an hour to a recording of ocean waves on my iPod. This was like stepping inside a movie I’d been watching in my mind for years. Laying in the sand, listening to the waves, it was obvious to me why the ocean has inspired so many great songs. After all, “The human soul needs immensity; only in immensity can it be happy and feel free to breathe.” The ocean is so unfathomably vast, yet as I sat there, soaking my feet in its mouth, I felt so connected to it.

For anyone who spends a little time with me, or follows my tweets, it’s probably not hard to see just how much of an inspirational figure Dr. Dyer is in my life. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from reading his books is the importance of silence. There seems to be an endless supply of noise in our world today. I spent the greater part of my life searching for ways to fill the spaces in both the world outside me, and the one inside my mind with music, television, and chatter. Even my own thoughts were a way to avoid, as it says in the Bible, how to “be still, and know…” Meditation has taught me to embrace that stillness.

If you really think about it, most great things begin with silence. A great idea is preceded by the space between your thoughts; a classic song is only as good as the space between the notes. Even a great relationship becomes so when two people no longer need small talk to fill the “awkward” space, but can sit comfortably in silence with one another. Today, an amazing day began with a silent morning on the beach.

I’m sure glad I didn’t go back to sleep.

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“She grabs her magazines.. she packs her things and she goes..”

I had that lyric stuck in my head last night. Walking around the streets of San Diego, checking out the open mic’s and whatnot – I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how the rest of the song went, but something told me it was a Matchbox 20 song because I found myself doing my best Rob Thomas impression. It’s a funny thing, being on tour. This last week has verified what I’ve always known – that there are so many amazing places in this world, and great music as well. I feel like everywhere I go, I see another musician, with a different sound, a different story, and a different dream.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m so close to the ocean, and I find that to be one of the most inspiring symbols we have, or the fact that I’m surrounded by musicians and dreamers – or maybe I’m just glad to not be sitting in my bedroom – but I find myself thinking more deeply about life, dreams, and music, and how endlessly expansive their nature is. My guess is it’s a little bit of all. For whatever subconscious reason, my mind uncovered a lyric to a song that I’d never really given much of a chance growing up – but when I finally figured out the full song, I found myself connecting on so many different levels. The song talks about two people who love each other but have different dreams – different places their hearts are telling them to go. I can definitely relate to that. There seems to be a constant disparity for me between the places I want to go and the people I want to be with. Being a musician, I know I’m going to have to grow accustomed to a lack of constants. For most of the year, my home will never stay in one place, and my friends will expand into new cities across the globe. It’s an exciting prospect, for sure, but like all things, it won’t necessarily be easy. The idea of “leaving behind” those you love to pursue a dream seems so impersonal to me because it makes it sound like I’m the only one moving forward. But really, I think everyone is expanding on their own path. I’ve come to realize over the years how little physical location has to do with happiness. Phoenix, Tucson, Kingman, Chicago – they’re all just places. But in a way, I think the people and the experiences within those places are what drive me to expand beyond them. If so much beauty exists in those tiny locations dangling inside an infinite universe, I can’t imagine how much more exists outside of them. Why on earth would I just hang?

“Hang”

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Day 2 of our ‘Feels Like Summer Tour’ and girls are already taking off their clothes. Well, ok… not for us. Today, we had the pleasure of playing a 2 hour set at Evolution Fast Food for World Naked Bike Ride Day. Don’t let the name fool you – it was actually a really cool event, and we had a blast. Basically, the Naked Bike Ride is an event which aims to “protest against oil dependance, embrace a car-free lifestyle, and encourage people to love their bodies.”  People came in droves to support the cause, and have a little fun with some body paint – and I must say, I saw some of the most creative uses of it that I’ve ever seen!

It was fascinating to see something like this in person, and a cool reminder that cultural differences don’t just exist between countries – I don’t think I’d ever witness a naked bike ride back home in Arizona! All in all, it was a great show. We got to interact with some new fans, try some delicious vegan food (I had some “Chicken” strips made out of tofu and they were surprisingly good), and get our stripped down look at San Diego (pun intended). Who knows, maybe this time next year, we’ll be doing our shows naked… You never can tell.

Show Info

• Artist:
  Dustin Jake
• Date:
  Saturday, June 2nd 2012
  
• Time:
  12:30pm
• City:
  
  Dustin Jake in
  San Diego, CA
• Venue:
  Evolution Fast Food
• Address:
  2949 5th Ave
• Venue phone:
  (619) 550-1818
• Country:
  United States
• Age restrictions:
  All Ages
• Notes:
  Providing music for San Diego’s 3rd Annual “World Naked Bike Ride”
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We played for about two hours to a five person audience that was no more than five feet away from us. It was a very humbling experience, yet I found myself really enjoying the whole thing. A few years ago, I think I would have been mortified at the prospect of playing for so “few” people at such a close proximity, but these days I’ve come to welcome it. Music is about interaction, and making connections – and what better way than to be a part of the audience, rather than 20 feet above it on a stage? Ten years from now, wherever music takes me, I imagine I’ll look back on the show that opened up our first major tour, and remember that it all started with a small coffee shop, a small audience, and an “intimate” acoustic show. Let memories begin. (Yep. I totally just quoted a Disney slogan without even meaning to. Boom)

Show Info

• Artist:
  Dustin Jake
• Date:
  Friday, June 1st 2012
  
• Time:
  7:00pm
• City:
  
  Dustin Jake in
  La Mesa, CA
• Venue:
  Marcella June’s Coffee Lounge
• Address:
  8513 La Mesa Boulevard
• Venue phone:
  (619) 564-4703
• Country:
  United States
• Age restrictions:
  All Ages
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

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Photo by Brent Abraham

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