BY LISI MUELLER
My admiration and love for Kate, Brian, and what later became Dalton and the Sheriffs all started with a simple song called "Question" by Rhett Miller. I was just a little girl when they got married, and it was the first wedding I actually remembered. It was also the first time I truly understood what love and getting married meant. "Question" was their song, and I couldn't think of anything more beautiful.
"Someday somebody's going to ask you, a question you should say yes to..."
I played that song about a million times in the car on the way to school (sorry Tab), and soon after,"She Ain't You" was released. That song blew my mind and became my new obsession. How could my cool older cousin create a song so incredibly catchy that I couldn't stop listening to it? It felt like my little secret because I thought only my family knew about it. I'm 28 years old now, and I still listen to it about once a week (By the way, Brian, I noticed the slight change in the music when you re-released it *Taylor Vibes*, and it took me weeks to figure it out).
Now, every time I see them perform, I pray they play it. Not because it's everyone's favorite now, but because that was the moment I realized my cousin was special. It also made me realize that if you have something to say, there's no reason not to write a song about it. I used to think that writing music was something only really famous people could do. But what makes Brian's music so special is that it's written from his own experiences, the love, and hardship he's been through, and you can feel his heart in it.
When I saw him perform at Dirty Water as a working adult, it was magical every time he came to DC. I would do anything to see him perform. He captivates every person in the room, even if it's just him and his guitar. Music has always been a part of my life, but I was always too scared to write my own stuff. However, seeing Brian do it and knowing the person he is, I knew I could at least give it a try.
I decided I was going to learn how to play guitar and I started writing a song called "Yes." Remember how obsessed I was with the “Question” song and their love? Well, my obsession never stopped. I decided to write a response to that beautiful song because that's where it all started, right? I wrote the song from my perspective, and it turned out pretty decent! Then this happened...
"Someday somebody's going to ask you, a question you should say yes to..."
Brian asked me to open for him at the Hamilton in DC..... I had never performed any of my original stuff before and had only done open mic nights that, let's be honest, didn't go well. I was beyond scared, but he had so much confidence in me, even more than I had in myself. He made me feel comfortable and I am beyond grateful that he gave me a chance when I didn't even think I was ready.
Dalton and the Sheriffs mean the world to me, and the joy and love they've shown me have opened my eyes to so much more than my stupid corporate job. They've shown me that if you just take a leap, even if you fall on your face, at least you tried. Sharing music is something that will never be something that will go wrong, it will only spread connectedness and that’s this band in a nutshell.