I needed that.
Heather and I have been playing together for 18 years, and we’ve NEVER been apart for three months. I have felt like half of my voice has been missing. Like half of my setlist is missing. And above all, I’ve been missing my friend.
So last night we webcast Life from the Lair from the Deck and it was kind of amazing. It wasn’t perfect – and the gear setup was far from smooth. I’d spent a LOT of Tuesday testing things, retesting them, not understanding what was wrong. Hunting for connectors and cables. Half of the shit I came up with I didn’t end up needing – but realistically it’s like setting up a show, and a recording studio AND a television studio plus making sure you’ve got backups for everything just in case it doesn’t work the same way twice.
Next week will be better. It’ll be easier. I’ll figure out what is overdriving and I’ll deal with it. There shan’t be crackle.
It was really good to play as a trio. And looking back on it – watching the video (something I usually don’t do) it translates. The joy. Also the feeling of being uncaged. Not cramped in the basement. Unleashed. Freed.
People were generous. People HAVE been generous. I’m actually kind of amazed by how people have been steadily generous. Being generous once is pretty easy. Twice. Sure. Every year for Christmas? No problem. Being generous steadily for three months is something that’s hard to come to terms with and It’s encouraging to realize that people believe in us enough to very literally keep us going.
So – thank you thank you thank you. I can’t say that enough.
I was talking to our neighbour today. Butch is a plumber – but he does installs not service. And construction isn’t happening right now so he’s been laid off and he’s not getting work. I don’t have a real feel for his world but I’m aware of him not drinking as much beer, perhaps pinching pennies. I usually hear his recycling go out in a great crashing avalanche of glass and for the past several weeks it hasn’t been as loud as it’s been for the past decade. Butchie’s talking about how he’s overwhelmed by people’s kindness. He’s doing favours, he’s working cheap, he’s cutting people good deals because everyone’s hurting – but people are turning it around for him too. They insist on giving him more than he asks for. They push something extra into his hand.
“God will provide” he says.
“Well, maybe – I know I’ve got to WORK for it though, man” I reply.
I wish him well. Sitting on the back porch, smoking a Marlboro. He’s been a fixture of our backyard for as long as we’ve Lived here and maybe this is the most we’ve ever talked. Though we’ve had some friends and family die – we’ve lost a couple of people off the mailing list and in our fanbase – our immediate landscape remains unchanged. We had a spate of local violence but then people sort of settled into the long wait. I’m waiting for something to truly break.
