My explorations into the heart of Ventura County have led me to the doorstep of art, music, culture & community.
Being a newbie to the Ventura County area and feeling the live music itch, I decided to venture to one of my favorite spots in by far my favorite town in Ventura County: The Vine in the magical town of Ojai, California.
Ojai is the artsy fartsy Peter Pan meets Lord of the Rings treehouse paradise of my dreams. Surrounded by signature California floral and fauna, it is bursting at the seams with beauty, culture and artistic expression.
During a recent excursion with my family we stumbled upon The Vine, where my wife enjoyed a wine tasting flight and I nursed the most delicious and stoutiest stout beer I've ever had. The owner mentioned having great live music and that I should come back and check out TD Lind. Boy, she was not lying.
TD is no beginner. This guy has the roots of blues, folk, and soul oozing from his fingertips and vocal chords. Switching back and forth from guitar to piano, it becomes clear very quickly that TD is a master of his craft. You get the feeling you are watching a legend, a hall of famer, grace this small venue with his humble yet commanding presence simply because the music demands that he must and Lind has relented joyfully.
His songs are relevant and timeless, spanning the spectrum of love, fatherhood and political consciousness. He weaves jokes and tales in his endearing british accent between the tunes seamlessly, the audience hanging on his every word. He calls the bartenders by their first names and they know his drink order as well as they know the timbre of his voice. On saxophone, Karl Hunter, of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, rips and croons some of the finest saxophone work you could imagine.
It is a comforting scene and I feel as though I am in the living room of Grandma Ojai herself and her favorite grandkids have all gathered to consume her finest morsels, play the radio and hear Grandpa tell tales of the good ole days.
After the set, TD tells me a bit of his travels, and I find that we share a commonality for the south as he spent a good deal of time in Kentucky. I speak with his gracious and kind wife, who teaches acting to children and directs plays for them.
I leave with a full heart and a suffienctly stouted stomach.
It seems that life these days pours itself out in an abundant fashion. Looking for a bit of this or that? How about a heaping helping? No complaints here. I'll take it as much as you want to give me.
Thank you to TD, The Vine and of course Ojai for a beautiful evening.
Check out TD's music here: https://soundcloud.com/td-lind
Like him on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TDLIND2012/
Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/tdlind?lang=en
Follow on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/td_lind/