My Weekend....

Was spent very relaxing ... for the most part. Ashley and I went to Fry's and to IKEA. At Fry's, I saw this kid playing Guitar Hero 2. He couldn't have been more than 14 or 15 years old. He was playing Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas; and just SHREDDING it! (Dad, "shredding" is a good term.....) I sat just in awe. I couldn't believe how cool it was that this kid was just tearin' into this song like he had written it himself. By the time he finished, a small crowd of about 5-6 of us had gathered. When he finished, cheers and light applause was met with instant embarrassment on his part. Another young, would-be axe-master, takes the guitar and the first kid grabs his jacket and kind of steps back to just blend in.
I step up to him, because I am nosey like that, and say "Wow, man! Kick ass Job! Had you heard of that song before you played it on Guitar Hero?"
"No" he said rather coyly, but with a bit of a smile. "I come here and just kind of play"
I said "You come here just to play this?" "yeah" he replied.

Now I know that you have to be thinking some of the same things I did. 1)Just comes to an Electronic store to play video games? and 2)I really miss arcades!

I didn't want to go all "you know latch key kids are blah blah blah blah" I just rolled with it and said "Are there a lot of good songs on this one?" "yeah....I like that one, Surrender, and Strutter".....do you hear that KISS fans....STRUTTER......so friggin cool that this kid was turning his back on the pre programmed poppashango K-Fed crap for REAL F-ing ROCK!
[side note....the new GH2 comes with the ability to play with a buddy which leads me to.....]

The other kid that had played after (and sucked monkey balls at it) relinquished and left. I say to him "wanna try a co-op song?", the Wayward Son says "sure!" and excitement takes over any shyness that had taken over him" I say to him "which one you wanna play" He ponders for a moment....."Surrender" [a song by Cheap Trick, dad]. I say cool......I offer to play bass (I do not tell him of my musical background or the fact I have worked in bands, wrote my own music, listened to Cheap Trick even before he was just a thought in the backseat of his daddy's car on prom night....or....that I had played Guitar Hero 1 already)

You get to pick your character as well as the guitar he uses and the skill level. I pick Lars Umlaut. A KISS-esque character (naturally). As we get to the skill level menu, he says to me "just choose easy. It will be good for you to start out with."
I said to him that I like this song and I will give it a shot on Medium setting.

And we crank out Surrender like it was our bitch! What a great time I had....

The feeling I get, when a young person experiences and digs some of that great music that inspired me to love music, is such a powerful feeling.......


As Ashley and I drove off, I almost had a little tear in my eye.......I thought to myself that I hoped someone loves him and gives him all the opportunity in the world to pursue music if that is his choice. Or video game maker....or butcher, baker or candle stick maker......and that not too many of his days were spent riding his bike to the electronics store.....