Friday, April 29, 2016

Just tell the D.J. to play your favorite tune

I don't remember everything about the two "Welcome 2 Chicago" Prince shows that I witnessed in 2012 at the United Center.

But I do remember a moment of anticipation, standing in line at one of the fancypants bars on the upper concourse, listening to the preshow playlist, and letting this groove get me to move:



I like to think, now, with everything that's changed so drastically in just one noon hour, that he put that preshow list together, selected the songs to feel the spice of life, together, before he brought us together even more.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Honey, I know, I know

I feel every stroke of the guitar solo in “Purple Rain.” I hated to hear those mournful opening chords at the high school dance, it meant stopping the ecstasy of dancing and sitting on the sidelines for eight minutes watching others pair off and shuffle in the dim light. Eight minutes of being alone, watching the couples nestle into each other and trying to understand what that might feel like and wanting it at the same time, and knowing, somehow, that this song itself ached and mourned for that very moment.

Later, after I had learned about those moments, I stood alone, but not alone in the United Center and felt the love for us, all of us, from the small man with great stature. The song became a moment of love, peace and unity that I hadn’t felt and will never feel from another artist again.

I won’t post the song here because that’s one that is still not up.

And you know it already, don’t you.

Love will conquer if you just believe

Haven't been able to do this yet. First was shock, then the wild dancing, then put in about 15 out of the 26 hours of listening to the catalogue via (kind of) Alphabet Street, then more dancing, then foiled attempts at a jukebox wake during sportzpucker playoff season.

This all sounds more flippant than I intend it to. It's hard to process. Nothing lasts, not even him. But he and I remain, every time he turns me on.

It feels insurmountable, this knowing that from here on it's going  letting go, always letting go of things, places and people. The first, easy. The second, can't control. The last, something to cross, again and again.


But it's only mountains...





[9] pRiNcE - "Mountains" by mke-coleman

[two videos, because they are all flooding back, with our tears and many memories]

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Maybe that's why you're around.

Spring's arriving, emerging from Bowie-mersion, and finding I'm sort of becoming addicted to Tusk.



It needs to be mobile--on the iPod.