When We Were Young

You had gone away for college, and I was still home.  It was a school night for Jeff, but we were out and about.  We hopped in the lizard and headed to town to buy beverages.  At that time, I didn't really drink, so I opted for some Zima, and you grabbed a 6 of whatever lite beer the small town convenient store proffered. 

We went cruising...my first exposure to Radiohead.  I don't remember if it was OK Computer, or The Bends, or both...but I was mezmorized.  And, for the first time, I felt like we were in this thing together...like I wasn't alone.  Drive drive drive.  Through town and to the next.  Bottle caps tossed quickly and without apology...out the window.  We headed to the cornfields...the spot where only 2 years earlier I had learned to drive stick shift.  Where the high school kids would party after football games and we all knew to flash our lights twice as we approached the spot...as to not scare off all our under-aged drinking friends. 

This night it had been raining for days, and the fields were muddy.  We sloshed along in your 4 cylinder truck...slowly...happily.  Until, the wheels continued to spin, but we sat still.  Stuck...and had to call our little brother, awaken from his slumber to tug us out with his Jeep.  To tug us out of that moment...when we drove...when we listened.  When nothing mattered but the music and the open air.  To our parents' divorce.  To the fact that no success in our college courses could ever compensate for the fact that we would never learn.  Not really.  Not what mattered.  It was only a moment.  But it's what I keep.  I've always loved my brothers...but this was one of the first times I knew that you understood what it was like to come from our family...what it meant to always try but never quite get it.  From that day forward, I listen.  I keep listening.

Encore!

I know you just finished listening to "Like Ice In Water," as I recommended in my post a few minutes ago.  So, why not move on to my next favorite - "Endings."  Before you know it, you'll be in love with The Rocketboys, just like me.

Encore!!!

Encore?

M-W online defines the word encore as "a demand for repetition or reappearance made by an audience."  Sounds to me like the owners of the new Austin music venue, Encore (611 Red River St), missed the mark when they were naming their new bar.  I ventured out to the locale for the first time last Friday, and I can tell you, there will be no demand for repetition coming from me...and you can count me out for reappearance at this venue.

I bought VIP tickets for the Simple Massive Release - to check out one of my new favorite bands - The Rocketboys.  I should have known something was slightly off when the bartender working the VIP bar was pouring our free beer with 1/2 glass full of head (too much pump, not enough pour from that keg).  I was willing to overlook that - the beer was "free" with the extra $15 spent on VIP tix - and the bartender was a sweetie, so we can move on to the real issue.  About 3 songs into the Rocketboys' set, the power on the speakers went out, thus interrupting the show for at least 30 minutes (we left after 30 minutes because my fiance had to work the following morning, and there didn't appear to be much progress on the speaker situation).

Although I was super disappointed in this lame ass venue, what little I did hear from the Rocketboys was great.  Lucky for me, these guys are located in Austin now, so odds are in my favor that I'll have an opportunity to see them again.  If you haven't checked out their music yet, it's a must have album for 2010.  "Like Ice In Water" is currently my favorite.  If you are a member to Paste digital downloads, you can get a copy of their album for free.  If not, check it here: 20,000 Ghosts

With that, I'm signing off.