This Sunday, I will be in Minneapolis/St. Paul with many amazing people celebrating the life of a dear friend, Micheal Larsen.
If you will be in the area, or live nearby, I hope you can make it out. I will see you there with hugs and love. Thank you all for being great. If you haven't heard much of Mike's music, you need to check it out. YouTube Eyedea, Face Candy, and Carbon Carousel and prepare to be floored. peace.love.respect., bodi
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Dear Friends,
First and foremost, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the incredible support you have continued to provide, both inside and outside of music. You humble me on a daily basis, and I only hope to return even a fraction of what you have given. Times are tough, and they will only continue to get more challenging; I have no doubt about this. But I also know that, with people like you in the world, the beautiful will continue to triumph over the ugly. This world continually tries to knock us to our knees. Sometimes it's successful in its attempts to do so. But as long as we keep getting back up, we stay in the fight. And it is a beautiful struggle that we all make the most of, together, and one that is made all the better by your influence. Words don't do it justice, but thank you. I don't know if it's taboo for me to open up personally here, but I consider you family. I'd like to share some of the experiences of my last year with you in hopes of being here for you to relate to. I know a lot of you may be going through some of the same life experiences, or have recently. It has been a year full of ups and downs, smiles and tears, and ultimately growth. If nothing else, I just want you to know I'm here for you. Your happiness is what I care about the most. If I can do anything, please let me know. Here's a brief snapshot of the last little over a year: July, 2010 Largely thanks to your support, I quit my 9 to 5 as a corrections officer at a maximum security juvenile jail to pursue music full-time. I have not looked back. July - August, 2010 Spent a month in Kenya volunteering at Faraja and Ebenezer Children's Orphanages. This was a trip of a lifetime, and one that I am still learning from every day. You helped make this possible through your donations and purchases of Care Bears and Corn Dogs and GSOB 3. Thank you so much. August - September, 2010 Toured with Micheal Larsen, Christopher Keller, Cody Foster, and Jacob Snider (Eyedea, Kristoff Krane, Sadistik, and Cas One, respectively) on the Save Yourself Tour. To have been on the road with Micheal, perform with him, and develop a friendship with him is something that I never thought would happen in a million years. October, 2010 Mike died. I am still trying to wrap my head around this. His influence on my work is something you can hear in every song, and I can't fully express how much he impacted me from 16 years old to every day on that 5,000 mile tour. November, 2010 My grandpa, Bill Matthews, my mom's dad, died. He was an amazing man. He was a surgeon for 40 years, fought the Nazi's, had several purple hearts, and helped make my mom into the incredible woman that she is today. January, 2011 Moved out to Fort Collins, Colorado, to live and make music with my good friend and producer, Dominic (Doctype). This continues to be great. March, 2011 Changed the name from Alexipharmic to Bodi. This was a decision several years in the making, and your support has helped make the transition smooth. April, 2011 Heidi Tauber, a great friend, died in a head-on collision. Another friend hanged himself. The swiftness with which death can strike is something I still can't fully comprehend… May - June 28, 2011 First national tour ever, The Never-Ending Gunshow Tour, with Kristoff Krane, Sadistik, and Ordeal. Went from Maine to California, to Washington, and everywhere in between. 38 shows. July, 2011 Quincy, my dog and one of my best friends since I was 12 years old, died. Had a family reunion and surprise birthday party for my mom in Montana. Saw a lot of aunts and uncles I hadn't seen in over a decade. Went on a road trip to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon with my dear friend, Megan. July - August, 2011 Small, ten city tour with Doctype, Smash Moody, and Engineers in Your Ear. September, 2011 My grandma, Zetta Matthews, died. She had, and will continue to have, an indelible influence on my life. I miss her every day. I feel like the last 14 months have given me a crash course in a lot of different experiences in life that we all go through. Through the highs and the lows, you have always been there, and for that I can never thank you enough. |