All About You FRIDAY – A Tale of Two Concerts

It was a hot, steamy August night as my friends and I made our way to the top of the hill at Pine Knob Music Theater. Balancing a tray of nachos and a drink in my hands, I gingerly made my way to the only spot on the hill that would accommodate all five of us. A place on the backside where we could spread out our blankets but had to stand on tip-toe to see the stage over the shoulders of people a few inches taller than us.

But it didn’t matter. The second Men at Work took the stage, we were pumping our fists in the air with 15,000+ other fans in the theater singing at the top of our lungs. “Who can it be now?” we crooned. I surveyed the crowd with a bit of wonder. What it must feel like to stand on stage with a sea of people singing your songs. To be famous. To be that admired.

Toto took the stage after them and the same thing happened. “Rosanna! Rosanna!” we belted out. I stood in awe as five-time Grammy winner, Steve Lukather, effortlessly ripped solos on his Ernie Ball Music Man guitar. I need to add that to my collection I secretly thought, laughing inside because I need another guitar like I need a hole in the head. It might be the closest I get to being like him. I’ve attempted to play his solos on the tunes my band has covered. Maybe it sounded ok. But it wasn’t effortless and it wasn’t perfect. He is the master. My guitar hero.

It was a late night, but a great night. As we made our way back to our cars, I thought, this feels like summer.

24 hours later, I was hauling guitars, stools, a mixer and a Bose speaker into the Rochester Hills Public Library where our duo, Thirty Year Divide, took the “stage”. I felt some butterflies in my stomach as people took their seats. 20 people, to be exact.

We sang our first song and I looked up as I heard the applause. There was a woman in her 70’s sitting directly in front of me in the second row. Her smile took up her whole face and she was clapping enthusiastically. She has great external rotation range in her shoulders, I thought. But I digress.

With each tune, the enthusiasm grew. People were singing along to the cover tunes we played. In the space of an hour, the music united us. We even got to play an encore. And I do think I saw looks of admiration that may have rivaled the way I saw Lukather.

“I can’t believe what you two do with those guitars,” a friend said. “You’re so good!”

No matter how insignificant you feel, there is probably someone in your life that looks at you with awe. Someone who hangs on to what you say. Someone who wishes they could be just like you. They might be young or old. You might meet them early in life or later. You don’t get to choose when you will add “hero” to your resume’. But it is a fact of life—and if we all could realize it, this world would be a better place.

“One person can and does make a difference. In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.”

–Albert Schweitzer

A tale of two concerts. I’m so grateful I got to see my hero. I was inspired. I felt joy. I was reminded of the good things in this world. Maybe, just maybe, someone felt that about me.

Everybody is a hero. Live accordingly

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate. You are a hero, after all.

Until next time…