One benefit of convening our giant group of 40 BoW alumni for Ball of Wax 40 was bringing a number of people back into the fold who’d been quiet for a while. People like Seth Howard, who’s been part of this thing since the very beginning, but who hasn’t shown up under his own name in quite some time. (Is it possible Volume 23 is the last time we heard from him? Scandalous!) I’m very glad he has remedied the situation with his “The Meaning of Life” song for Ball of Wax 42. It’s a delicate, haunting tune, mostly finger-picked acoustic and Seth’s hushed vocals, capturing a moment of beauty and contemplation. It’s wonderful to have Seth’s voice back on Ball of Wax!
As if the return of recorded Seth Howard weren’t good enough news, the Ball of Wax 42 release show will see Seth’s first live, full-band performance in quite some time. As wonderful as his quiet acoustic stuff is, it’s a huge treat to hear Seth’s songs fleshed out with a band, and you should grab the opportunity while you can. I certainly hope your next chance to see him live will be a matter of months rather than years, but I wouldn’t risk it.