The best picture of Los Angeles I have ever seen/will ever see. One that I'm actually jealous I didn't snap myself.

This is the cover of Matt Nathanson's newest album, "Some Mad Hope," which, might I add, is doing astonishingly well.

I say that with as much praise as I possibly can because this dude hit the road harder and longer than anyone I've ever met, reaping very little from his life-consuming travels. I remember sitting with him at a dive pizza place in Green Tree, Pa., when I was about 19 years old, talking about the future of music over a sun-dried tomato pizza.

I admit at the time I wasn't sure what would become of this musician, because I wasn't sure how much longer he would last. He was funny, charming, talented, but I had seen so many of those types already and watched each of them slowly, but surely, toss in the towel. Well, either that or I just wanted to punch them in the face because they whined so much.

"LISTEN! STOP BE A PUNK (BLANK) (BLANK)! YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY THIS VENUE ON A TUESDAY NIGHT TO 5 PEOPLE AND YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT OR I'M (BLANK)'N DONE!"

Ehh heh hehhhh yeeahh... well I never said that exactly... or did I?

Anyway, regardless of what you think of his music, if you are in this line of work, you can take a few lessons in dedication and devotion from him. Heck, even if you aren't on stage, this can be a bitch of a business to be in. I came home just the other day, buried my head in a pillow, and wanted to just disappear...

But what I actually did instead of disappearing was sort through my album collection, each CD physically in my hands, and remembered why I do these crazy things. I popped in "Consolers of the Lonely," took my hands away from my face, and rocked out.

In the end, it's really funny how hidden this track of life can be. I mean, my friends, and even significant others, really haven't the faintest idea, from age 17 to now, of all that's happened.

The crazy part is that it's only been 6 years and it's felt like an eternity. A perfectly imperfect eternity indeed, but time is certainly relative. If that much happens in 6 years, you better believe I'm pumped as heck about the future. Uncertainties are the game. Making sure you walk away from every day with a story worthy of print is the challenge.

I never talked to Matt again after splitting that pie, but if I had to guess, I should say that that was part of his thought process as well. When so much satiates such a short time, there is no need to fear anything that is to come. If you love it and have the strength to stick with it, it will serve you well in a variety of forms, but perhaps not the one you expected.

You bail? You are just one of the many, many, many, many who bailed before you.

Dude's right though... definitely takes some mad hope.