Personal Hits #13

Miss Boating!

Lucky me. Lucky lucky me. From the time I picked up a drum stick when I was 13ish, a time when I was ready to move on from being the dodgeball target on the playground at St. Elizabeths Grade School, I dreamed about playing music with people I loved. Didn’t really know what love was at the time, BUT my thought was that the people who I’d share this with were gonna be the people who had my back, forever friends who wouldn’t reject me or fire me or whatever nightmares I had going through my little head, many of which came true. I’ve been playing a long time- sometimes life puts you back in the middle of that dodgeball game with Mike Mcnamara winding up, aiming at your head, Mrs. Poppa laughing at me with the popular girls on the curb.

Now I’ve got that. I’ve got that 100%. A musical home in the most fundamental sense. I drive to band practice with my beloved life partner Aaron who’s our trombone player to the house of the guy who saved my life when I was down at the bottom of the bottom of the bottom. He’s called Charlie. It’s mostly his songs we play. He sings in an unrepeatable voice- soulful, fey, queer, pissed off. He’s what they call a ‘singular artist’. A gutter chanteuse.

The jewel of our little band is our old pal Tim, an eccentric, lovable dude who has recently learned to love generative electronic music and quality gin. He’s the one in the band who’s the most fun to buy shots for after the show, just sayin’

Bryan is our bass playing dad. He’s the project manager for remodeling company- a job that requires him to be a special kind of social worker, being the middle person between clients who often have different ideas about how their new guest room shower should look. He, incidentally, is one of the kindest, mellowest dudes I’ve played with. We do love him.

This band, Miss Boating, is where you’ll find me when I’m happiest. It’s my port in the storm, my musical chocolate custard when I need a sugar rush which is often nowadays.

We made a great album last year called Jewel In The Trash I’ll link ya to. I think you’ll dig it. I sure do.

Also, if you’re not doing anything tonight, we’ll be playing the late show at The Ship in KCMO tonight, 1221 Union opening for the band Paisley Fields and the DJ, Sir Queen.

Talk later, love your face.