On VH1’s That’s Metal Show 80’s hair band rocker Sebastian Bach from Skid Row colorfully explained why he’ll never fall into the ranks of comebacks and reunion CD box sets, “Music is about moving forward. You can’t be in your 40’s singing Youth Gone Wild and have fans take you serious. The moment in music has already happened and shouldn’t be reignited!”
I recently shaved my head because the rock in my soul looked in the mirror and decided, “Stop trying to hold on.”
I made a mistake…
Weathered men sporting longer than business accepted hair isn’t someone trying to hold on; the new face is the adult that refuses to let 70’s and 80’s metal fade in the shade.
Everybody attended the Night Ranger, Foreigner and Journey garden party; cut the scalp hair styles, middle aged bald, some trims barely over the ears, a few wild but only because of beer, there were men with wives, others with arm trophies and Carolina partygoers that celebrate in ways that make us a one of a kind.
Though the Mother Nature driven thunderstorm that was bright and extremely loud nothing stopped the wanderers from reaching up with a bold fist by way of saluting the man who took a pen and jotted down a lyric that owned a special place in their daily life breathing memories into the veins of been there done that.
Walking from the amphitheater the visual was spectacular…stumbles, skips, missed steps, a slower than usual pace; the deflation of people was a portrait of how old we’ve quickly become. Ponce De Leon, the most famous seeker of all things connected to an extremely powerful water fountain would’ve been proud of the 17,000 in attendance for who we became those four hours was a river fed by the origin of where we were the first time we heard.
They came, they went; the concert traveler in a modern society of Ipod carrying Smartphone addictive I want it alls!
And for what reason I kept asking those who passed? “I’m here to reconnect.”
Seriously? The very beat that bled a final chord before Amel Pinda screamed, “Good night.” Something extremely valuable was left in the blue fold up chairs and on the muddied lawn stained by rain and heavier than normal feet that fought to stand up so the Ap that resembled a lighter could be spotted amongst the thousands when Journey’s new lead vocals passionately sang, “When the lights go down in the city…”
While watching the lightning scrape the sky like fire set free to chase air, a guitar string of possibility was left on the concrete now being quickly cleaned by late night employees…tossed into cans, boxes and clear bags then onto ATV’s was the reason why bank accounts were emptied; youth.
For three hours Sebastian Bach’s impression of letting music go was set aside for a deeper more spiritual journey…to live, breathe it and hold onto your youth; only to leave it behind.
Like it didn’t happen.
Yes you’ll remember the show. Yes you’ll see more just like it. What’s the difference between your Grandparents liking Lawrence Welk and your passion to see all three one more time before the horizon starts calling your name.
I wasn’t there to chase my youth. I cut off my hair. I wanted to meet the boy king. Billions of people have sat in the front seat of their cars in never ending rush hour traffic singing the songs that helped blaze the trails we’ve chased. Amel Pinda stands in front of Neal Schon and Jonathan Caine night after night being the invisible line that connects your life to every reason why it’s worth holding onto.
Amel Pinda is the everyday average normal guy selected to front the band that’s turned Don’t Stop Believing into a national anthem. He’s proved to the world that no matter how much Wall Street screws up the planet; dreams are still the best investment with the most incredible payoffs. Some reach levels of inspiration and influence and Amel Pinda has opened the eyes of the silent soul that was told, “You’ll never be good enough.”
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
No comments:
Post a Comment