Musicians and mortality in the news rival the maudlin election coverage. Just as I'd be happy never to hear the word Trump again, I'd be delighted if the living musical legends would knock off the dying. Enough! No more! Death take a freaking vacation!
Bowie, Frey and Prince happened boom.boom.boom, leaving me a bit breathless. I was sitting in a meeting last week when my phone dinged with urgent news. When I glanced at the headline, I stopped, my jaw dropped and I blurted, "Oh my God." The meeting ended and I raced back to my desk, stunned and trying to absorb the information. Emails, texts and social media posts continued to ding my phone. "Did you hear about Prince? WTF!"
Music is immortal; recordings last forever; the sounds weave their way into our hearts for our lifetimes. Since turning on the Top 40 AM radio, we've learned about life, love and this journey of being human. Their songs illuminate the shadows in our past. They make us smile. They make us dance!
I won't soon forget seeing David Bowie in Los Angeles (eyelids a-glitter) and nearing the end of his concert, feeling overwhelmed by his power, musicianship and vision. I walked into the Inglewood Forum a fan; I walked out feeling as though I'd seen (what I now refer to as) a musical unicorn. Prince defined a generation, a way of being in the world, of sexuality, vision and professional musicianship. And Glenn Frey... well... he taught me how to sing harmonies. :)
It's always a gift to cover songs. It feels like the greatest (and worst paying) job in the world. Thank you all for letting us do that. Tonight we take it a step further, playing our first original tune written as a band. With our musical influences disappearing, time seems to speed up. Stop! Slow down -- you are moving tooooooo fast.
More and more it feels like time to say and play what's in our hearts, and not just rework the past. We aren't musical unicorns, but we're giving it a try. :D
Time is short. Carpe that diem, folks. Remember the lessons learned by the music from our past. We will too.
We hope to see you tonight!
