Sorry, this is so long, but I need to write something. So here it goes. I listened to and absolutely loved the Flatwheel Band album Clean Your Needle before I ever knew Dana as a good friend. There was something so beautiful about these songs. The way the band sounded so full, the vocals so very strong, and the song writing impeccable. I always did and still do really love the tune “Nowhere”. It was my favorite track on the album. I love the imagery you get when listening to the song. The first words to the song are, “Farmhouse, corn field. Full moon, wind reels”. Both of my parents grew up on farms, so I had many memories of driving past farmhouses and corn fields to see my grandparents as a kid. I immediately picked through this tune and learned how to play and sing it. At the time I was in the process of starting my songwriting and slowly putting together a collection of my own material. Dana was always super supportive. In Dana, I automatically found a kindred spirit when it comes to music and songwriting. When we met, we hit it off immediately. I’m sure at that point I was playing open mic nights at the Stagger Inn in Edwardsville at the time, so he knew I played and wrote songs. Dana was a student of all kinds of music, so it was always a good time picking his brain about styles and types of music. He was not afraid to tell you how he felt, but overall, he really loved music as much as I did. And that really is the main tie that bound us together for as long as I would know him. The love of music has really helped form most of my friendships throughout my life. In 2006, with the help of my friends, I recorded my first original album in my basement. We had a CD release party up at the Stagger Inn and I asked Dana to open up the show with an acoustic set. He absolutely loved that I asked him and was very excited about the album coming out. Dana was always so very excited about everyone else’s musical journey and reveled in it. I remember during his set I joined him, and we played “Nowhere” and one of my tunes “Fields” together as an acoustic duo. He really loved that I knew how to play and sing one of his songs and always thanked me for it. I always felt a very special bond with Dana, as I think we looked at each other as really being in the same boat as songwriters. Putting your feelings and thoughts out there for everyone is amazing and feels great to express it, but also at the same time is very scary and revealing. I know that we are always our own worst critics when it comes to our own art, so having someone else in my life that I knew that was going through the same thoughts and feelings about their work was really comforting. It also feels like all of our friends that play and produce music really start to build momentum for everyone else that is creating something around them. Everyone inspires everyone to be better by doing what they do. And also, once something is released, everyone supports it and looks forward to the next creation. Although you are the only one that really measures the success of your work, a kind word or even thoughts about it from another artist is very important. For the next 6 years I would continue my musical path, playing gigs, and releasing albums. In 2012 I recorded a full band album in my basement with the Poor Dirty Astronauts. During the recording process, I would many times have Dana come over to listen to what we were putting together. He really liked how my recordings were sounding at the time and asked me if I would be interested in recording his next album. I immediately said yes, and I can’t tell you how honored I was to even be a part of this. Dana was one of my favorite artists, so being able to capture his work and help him achieve what he wanted to do was one of the highlights of my musical career and life in general. At this time Dana was working through many issues and feelings, so he was turning to his music. The songs that he was writing were all unbelievable, heartbreaking, real, raw, and the best work I had ever heard from him. I knew that I owed it to him to get these songs recorded how he wanted them. Dana knew exactly how he wanted this album to go, and it involved some homework. Dana: “Matt, have you heard the Kris Kristofferson alum, This Old Road?”. Me: “No”. Dana: “I knew you would say that, so I brought a burned copy of it for you. Listen to it because I want to make an album that has a similar feel and sound”. Listening to this Kris Kristofferson album, I knew right away why Dana loved it so much and wanted to use it as an inspiration. Not only were all of the songs written by Kris amazing, but this album was also very special in the way it was recorded. This album has various songs that consist of minimal instrumentation and then ranged to a full band. It also bounced back and forth between these different sets of instrumentation. Another thing we noticed is that it had almost no “effects” on the vocal or instruments and felt very raw, as if you were sitting in the room when it was recorded. Dana knew this is exactly how he wanted his album to sound like. We had some songs with just Dana on acoustic, some with Dana on acoustic and Pete Sommerville on mandolin, some with Dana on acoustic with Pete on mandolin and Katie Jones on violin, some with Dana on acoustic with Pete on mandolin and Johnny Masenelli on bass, and finally some with a full band in which Brooks Boyer played drums and lead guitar (which we didn’t know he played). After all of the tracks were recorded, we ordered the songs on the album so that it mimicked the flow of the album we used as our inspiration. The album “Full Grown Child” was born. Thank you Dana for believing in me to work with you on this masterpiece. Dana went on to record with many other great artists in various other beautiful projects over the years, and I absolutely love them all. However, I find myself always going back and listening to the one we worked on together. Dana and I have had many great times and played many shows together. I especially cherish the singer songwriter shows that we had at the Abbey in Belleville. Our car rides to the gig were a great time to talk about what’s new and what we’ve been working on. He let me know about his next recordings, songs he was working on, shows he had seen, last crazy gig he played, who he’s been playing with, where he was living, family issues, his brother’s studio, his attempt to get on a cruise ship, trip to Costa Rica, moving to Florida, buying a traveling van, songwriting festivals and workshops, and just life in general. All I have to do is think about these trips and I can see him next to me in my car. His talent was immense and impactful. I remember at one of these singer songwriter nights, an older lady walked up to the stage as Dana had just finished playing “Tired Old Suit”. When she approached, she was crying. Although never hearing his song, she said that her father had recently passed away and he only had one suit his whole life. Dana gave her a hug and thanked her for the compliment. I remember talking with him about it after the gig and agreeing his interaction with her is what it’s all about. I just can’t write enough about my friend Dana Anderson. It seems that when you grow up all of the magic in the world seems to die away. Santa Claus isn’t real, the Easter Bunny is fake, no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and on and on. However, I have always felt that music is the one thing that has always been and still is magic that never dies, but instead grows and gets stronger. It allows you to feel enhanced emotions about life and the people in it. It becomes a clunky thing that you discover and to try to master as a kid. It forces you to practice and get better. It teaches you history. As you get better it starts to give you confidence and allows you to make friends with others who share the same feeling. It gives you butterflies for the show tonight that you have worked so hard and prepared for. It gives you the opportunity to find heroes to admire and inspire to be like. It allows you to take chances and surprise yourself. It allows you to document your life and feelings, share it with people and help give meaning to why this whole thing is all worth it. Music is that one piece of magic that still gives so much to everyone. It gives you Dana Anderson. I love you forever my friend. -Matt Meyer

Posted by Matt Meyer on August 16, 2023