I hope we never run out of music

Where do I begin? Music has filled my life since I can remember being tall enough to be able to shove an 8 track cassette into the player in the dining room. I must have mortified my grandmother when I asked if she wanted to see me sing along with a record on my new Fisher Price record player. It wasn't Sesame Street or Disney, it was Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper. I was the only kid who brought Culture Club records to show and tell in first grade and definitely the only one in fifth grade who wanted to be a groupie on the sunset Strip (no, I had no idea what that meant back then but the Sunset Strip was where Nikki Sixx was and I was going to be there).

I dreamed of seeing U2 and INXS, couldn't wait to go to the Richland Mall to see what was new in National Record Mart, and I HAD TO HAVE Gun's N Roses Use Your Illusions I and II at the stroke of midnight. And you know what -- nothing has changed since then.

I have spent the last twenty years making up for the fact that I was too young to see Stevie Ray Vaughan. I never heard Jeff Buckley sing Lilac Wine in a small coffee shop and I regret that fact even though I know I had no choice over the matter. I have spent too much money to see Eric Clapton, traveled too far to see INXS, I don't care how many times Dave Matthews plays Jimi Thing I will go and see him, and I will wait until forever to see Robert Plant play one more time with Jimmy Page.

I have met so many new friends through music - where would I be without Dark Star Orchestra, who not only made me a fan of the Grateful Dead, but helped my best friend through some pretty rough times through not only their music, but their love and friendship. And ... without them I wouldn't have such a cool engagement story. Thank you DSO!!!

So what is this blog? I see it as two venues. The first, a way for me to go back in time and share stories about concerts and musical choices of past. Second, to share the journey that I am still on and will continue to travel down. Where else will you hear about me asking Warren Haynes for a corkscrew, hugging Bono,getting kicked in the head at a Pantera concert, or even driving 1,000 miles to spend four days with 80,000 people as crazy as me.

Welcome aboard the crazy train folks - enjoy the ride and share some of your own stories (especially if you were a part of them).