Tonight I played the “New Faces Night” at The Basement in Nashville, TN. I booked the show all the way back in October so when it finally arrived, I was excited to say the least. Barring a few technical difficulties, which are part of the game, I feel good about it.

The video below was streamed live online by UARadio.net and the folks back in Portland were able to tune in. Thanks to Julian from UARadio.net for the great service that you offer for guys like me and thanks Monique Roy for lining it all up.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my song Wyoming. Below you’ll find the song, the lyrics and some other videos illustrating the inspirations. Please give it a listen, turn the volume way up and enjoy it to the fullest. Thank you.

WYOMING

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EXPLANATION

MUSIC VIDEO

LIVE PERFORMANCE

LYRICS TO “WYOMING” by TYLER STENSON

The world started to run
With the turning of the sun.
Cities rose from towns
And quiet turned to sound.
That place stayed the same;
That’s Wyoming.

So, the legends say
That explorers tried to explain-
But the beauty that they found
Was too much to write down.
So, in fiction,
They believed to be Wyoming.

Where the clearest sunny days
Quickly turn to rain
But we don’t mind,
Because all of the sweetest smells remains.

I know Adam’s never seen such a scene
(In neither Eden or his dream).
Even Eve would stop to stare
At God’s most perfect square.
That’s one thing I believe;
He made Wyoming.

Where the clearest sunny days
Quickly turn to rain
But we don’t mind,
Because all of the sweetest smells remains.

All the years hang on the wind
Above this last good plot of land.
I hear it echo in the trees.
I hear its whisper on my knees.
Even Dust can be a king
In Wyoming.

Yes, even Dust can be a King,
In Wyoming.

BUY or DOWLOAD WYOMING HERE: http://www.cdbaby.com/tylerstenson2

My Bittersweet Parade album release in Portland is only one week away and I am “hella” excited … if you know me, I don’t use that word lightly!! From the bottom of my heart, I hope that you’ll grab a crew and join me for the long-awaited maiden voyage.

PS, there’s still time to recruit so I would appreciate the help in introducing any newbie’s to the mix. Spread the word and join the parade as it passes through town.

BITTERSWEET PARADE (sample mix)

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TS BITTERSWEET PARADE ALBUM RELEASE
@ LOLA’S ROOM (crystal ballroom)
1332 W. Burnside
Portland, Oregon 97209

- Thurs Jan 21st
- Doors at 7:30p
- Music at 8:00p
- Free CD with $12 admission
- Opening act TBA, but they’ll be awesome
- This IS seated so arrive accordingly
- No pre-sale available, buy at door

SAMPLE THE ALBUM HERE:
http://tylerstenson.com/blog/the-bittersweet-parade-has-arrived/

MORE INFO HERE:
http://mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=64&id=145&eventid=78978

Thank you one and all for everything you’ve done along the way. I am “uber” stoked and, if you know me, I don’t use that word lightly either;) Good times ahead absolutely.

PORTLAND ASSEMBLE!!

I played the “Second Friday Songbirds” round at the Sommet Center the other day with some other great writers. We each played about 5 songs and I was happy to finally get to test out my new Flip HD camera! Below is the video for the “oldie but a goody” Rome Tomorrow and a picture of the crew. Thanks Stephen for the invite … cheers to many more!

Here is the crew: Cody & Chance, Tyler Stenson, Stephen Salyers, Chelsee Oaks and Rob Bolin. They were all fantastic writers and performers but above all, our group lunch outing afterward proved that they are good people. The conversation was totally offensive and irreverent and comfortable. Thanks for the camaraderie.

My brother Garett is a biiiiiiiig fan of putting random images to music. He is currently helping me out by taking my new album Bittersweet Parade and creating video montages for each track. Below you’ll find the video montage for my song Wyoming. All images are taken by Garett; you can thank him for the unique presentation.

I finished a new song today called That Moon … it was inspired by a totally random experience I had on my tour this last year as I passed through San Luis Obispo.

I played a rather thankless gig on the Cal Poly campus and as I was packing up my stuff, a bright eyed young man approached me, bought a cd and asked my plan for the evening. After telling him I had nothing going on, he mentioned it was a full moon and that him and his friends were going to hike back into Poly Canyon – and it’s a site to see.

As the song mentions, we passed signs for Mountain Lion dangers and upon reaching the trails head, we reached a clearing that featured all kinds of bizarre natural structures from the architecture students at the University. The randomness of the night and the brightness of the moon inspired this tale. Enjoy.

THAT MOON – solo

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THAT MOON – layered vocal … indie style

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THAT MOON
by tyler stenson 2010

Just before the summer,
I was playing my guitar
When a boy came from the audience
And motioned toward the stars.
He said it was a full moon
And “it’s all the light we’ll need
For walking Poly Canyon … it’s a site to see.”
He said “we’re walking Poly Canyon, come along,
It’s a site to see.”

We rose up in a clearing
That was filled with all the shapes
From all the heads of all the architects
That never tired of learning
Of Nature and Her systems
And how man can live within ‘em
And how the two can live as one
Just like it was long before the wheel and before the gun
- I wonder how they lived before the wheel and before the gun.

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even god’s way to say
“Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.”

I looked up at the two mountains
With that moon high up above it
And it looked much like a pendant
Dangling from the neck of a woman
With so much beauty there to offer,
There’s that much more to lose,
I said “this might be a stupid question
But do you suppose we’ve landed on that moon?”

Scotty handed me a spliff
And I burned it to the ground
And in the dirt, I turned those embers
Into something like a ghost town.
Then a man came out of nowhere-
He was the law but fair and said
“On such a night like this,
You know it pains me,
But I have to ask you to leave.”

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even god’s way to say
“Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.”

We’d never see it coming
If we were hunted by a lion
Or if the snakes were nipping at our heels
Leaping out to bite us.
But that moon was all we needed
To be giants on that day
And to walk among the comforts
That no evil thing would dare to come our way.

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even god’s way to say
“Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.”

I received a tweet today from one of my favorite Northwestern gals Mrs. @sprizee … she took a trip to the beach this weekend and was sweet enough to take this very special picture for me. It is a lyric from my song Whistle Stop:

Don’t whisper softly the things
That you want loudly to be;
Be like a wave,
Leave impressions in the sand.

Thanks @sprizee for thinking of my music when there were millions of others to choose from. Every sun is going to fade, but in the morning rays I hear a songbird singing your name.

Happy New Year, happy New Decade!!! I rang in the New Year last night at a house party in my new city and was proud to have some good friends to share the experience with. Though it was an innocent New Year’s peck, I even got my first kiss in Nashville:)

With the change of the calendar and my new album in hand, I’ve decided to give my website a face-lift. You’ll notice the function is the same but I wanted a new website to reflect the Bittersweet Parade vibe. You can visit the new website by clicking here or on the image below.

Happy New Year one and all – may it be better than the last.