All-Access Pass

Yeah....  That moment, when reality sets in.  Its the final curtain, the show is over and its time to pack up the gear, say farewell.  The memories are countless.  Tomorrow is the final tour date for a long time friend, we'll all gather and say goodbye.  Obviously, with a personality like yours we'd all thought that you'd live forever.  Although we grew up on opposite sides of town and came from different backgrounds, I'd like to think there was a second part of that growing up.  One that came in November 1984.  All ten of us piled in a truck and a van, with a mountain of gear we took the show on the road.  We made zero dollars, but we were paying the dues.  Sure we all argued, fussed and fought.  Ten people in one hotel room will do that....  Dave W, calling out a creaking door "C#minor", Tommy playing a goddamned flam-a-diddle on your head, Mr. Big touting "we gotta get more", DJ always prepping and primping early only to end up late.  Then there was the crew...  Scott always shaking his head saying "I don't know", me with some female creature all jacked on whiskey or weed and who could forget Austin, TX at Cardi's after Rolf set the acoustic stand down, turned to walk off stage only for the guitar to swing over the front of the deck from the cord as if it were a pendulum and that precious look on Mr. Bigs face.  We all know some things as certainties....  Ricky was gonna steal a salt shaker and our lead singer really probably enjoyed being on the crew and still never knew shit about gear...but he tried.

One thing was certain, through any internal foibles we always brought the rock.  From the moment the intro was fired up until the final curtain, we ripped off faces and left people standing there wondering what in the hell they'd just witnessed.  I'll tell ya, you witness a great goddamned rock-n-roll band with a production and crew, the likes of which your town hasn't ever seen in a quite a long time and we just kicked you in your butt.  There have been many miles, cities, states and countries traveled since 1984.  You were around for all three incarnations of our hometown band, it was the last from which you moved the whole show to another level.  Its a long way from Thanksgiving 1984, hurricanes and my infamous flaming blue Jesus....  I remember after we'd opened up that first night for the headliner and you laughed.  Because they'd (headliner) been hoodwinked, some nobody bunch of pretty boys from Baltimore, just came into Texas, left everyone standing there with their jaws on the floor and the headliner knowing full well they couldn't tune our guitars, aim our lights or carry our PA let alone follow what we'd just done to the Lonestar state in 35 minutes.... And we'd done it on someone elses production.....

The miles, the stories and memories will live as your legacy and are written in the stone of our collective memories.  You meant different things to each of the 10 of us.  We were all part of that second childhood, growing up through the 80's as band and crew.  Not taking a second to know or understand that we'd all be life long friends.  Scattered as we may be across this great country, you'd find us, you'd look after some of us and even scold some of us from time to time.  That second childhood started as band and crew, but for some of us it became our second family.  All brothers....  I suppose in thinking that you'd live forever, none of us saw this coming.  You are the second to go home after Ricky last year.  Sure the band would take the stage each night, and sure there was Mr. Big.  But all of us, we really knew who the Mr. Big was and is.....  Its you pal.  So then, this reality thing.  Scott and I seem more like family now then anyone would've ever imagined.  We went to Florida and got the awful news of your passing.  Sure it bounced around in our heads and it still didn't seem real.  As each day has gotten closer to tomorrow, your good friend Tony D and Tommy bringing you back to us and now tomorrow upon the doorstep....  Its time...  the show is over, the crowd is in awe and the curtain will close one last time.  Its time to say goodbye to my childhood friend.  I personally know I didn't make it easy on you, but I'd like to think I made that up to you.  For that I'm grateful and you will live on in my memory.  Me, I like to think of you when I hear the following song...  So I'll close with it.  Tomorrow, the myriad of faces, memories, smiles and tears will flow as smooth as a bass line on a fret-less....  The common denominator will be you in our lives....  So long pal, until we meet again.  Please make sure St. Peter knows I get the All-Access pass when I get there....

Rest easy MOT......