musings on music

Addicted To That Rush

| Chris

It’s been pretty tense around the world lately so I thought I’d lighten up the mood a bit. So, what’s on my mind today? Well… Rush, actually. The rock band, that is!

Rush is one of my all-time favorite bands and I’ve seen them 5 times. They’re going back on tour this summer with a new drummer and I’m sad I’ll miss it as ticket prices have gone out the lunch! Though as much as I’m a fan of them, or any group for that matter, I was never a fanatic. I appreciate music from a distance, and that gives me a lot of freedom.

I remember the second time I saw Rush. It was the summer of 1990 at Irvine Meadows in CA (first time was in ‘88). Another band I really admired, Mr. Big, opened for them. Alex and Geddy even came out to do backing vocals with them on their song, Addicted to that Rush. So cool!

But the interesting part was this… a friend of mine won backstage pre-show passes to this gig from a radio show and decided to tag me along. So we went and were there 3 hours before the show started. Backstage! It was a party and you get to hang with the entire crew for a few hours. This was before smartphones so people actually interacted instead of taking selfies. I saw my friend chatting with Alex Lifeson from a distance. But me? Well, I was busy helping myself to some fancy vittles on the buffet. Then, I remember some dude with long blond hair approaching me as I dropped a hunk of rib eye on my plate. And since I’m a nice guy, lol, I decided to put my plate down for a sec to shake his hand. Then, he introduced himself… I’m Pat Torpey. Nice guy. He probably won passes too, I thought.

Ace of Space

| Chris

It was the summer of ‘88 at the Palace theater in Hollywood, I saw Ace Frehley (his band Frehley’s Comet, actually) in concert. I was front and center! Yes!! Resting my elbows on the stage platform, I could smell the smoke coming out from his guitar. It was surreal for a kid who grew up on all things KISS.

Surprisingly, for the encore, he brought out Peter Criss to play drums on Deuce. Anton Fig graciously got up his throne to make way for him. He even offered his sticks but he declined. Peter motioned that he was going to use his own.

At the end of the song, Peter, the rock star that he is, catapulted his sticks towards the audience… classic! They eventually reach their destination, but not before hitting a couple stage lights along the way. Whizzzzz!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Buzz!!!! Buzz!!! Lights out! Ace looks back at him smiling like the proud brother that he is.

Meanwhile, us in the front of the SRO ballroom all took cover lest shards of glass from the bulbs landed on our heads. Good thing it was all clear. Whew!

Now, what goes up must come down. And the sticks promptly fell back down to Earth (see what I did there? Wink wink!). Lucky me, I caught one of them like a falling meteor (sorry!).

Looking back now, the Ace of Space could have tossed his smoking Les Paul instead. That would’ve been much more appreciated and… outta this world (oopsie!)!

Oh well… that’s my Ace Frehley story.

My Place is of the Sun

| Chris

One summer night back in the early 90’s, I was performing a solo acoustic guitar set at a coffee house in Venice, CA. One of the songs on my set list is Prince of Darkness by the Indigo Girls.

As I was playing and singing the line “My place is of the sun…”, I noticed a few young kids come in for coffee. Judging by their garb, it was a bit early for Halloween, I thought. After all, they were drenched in black from head to toe. Once I finished my set, I sat among these Goths to chat. Turns out they were Satanists. Or so they claimed.

One kid complimented me on my performance. We talked about everything from music to Satan to God. One of them articulated that Satanism is simply about questioning things. I replied… well, God might just be the answer to your questions, if that’s what you’re after. I must’ve piqued his curiosity as he paused briefly before bravely uttering… tell me more about this God of yours.

I thought he was just being facetious but the conversation actually lasted longer than I wanted. Next thing I remember, it was four in the morning and I had to go to work soon.

Not Young, Not Wild, Just Free

| Chris

I recently celebrated another birthday. Celebrated here meaning I ate at an all-you-can-eat buffet and seriously questioned whether pants with buttons were necessary that day.

And as the flames danced atop the birthday candles – metaphorically speaking, that is, as there wasn’t any cake at all – I couldn’t help but notice something off. Not in a “should’ve used a lighter instead of the blowtorch” kind of way, but in a deeper, more poetic sense. The candles just didn’t seem to fit on the cake like they used to.

Flashback to 30 years ago: San Diego, CA, 1995. A younger version of me stood on stage, guitar slung low, sweating under the stage lights. Oh, and singing the mighty words from Triumph’s Magic Power… I’m young, I’m wild, I’m free!

A friend snapped a photo of that moment, forever capturing a time when life was loud, raw, and deliciously unpredictable. And back then, birthdays came with adventure baked right in.

Today, I may not be jumping off amps or waking up from city to city but I still feel the fire. I still feel the energy. Fewer guitar solos, maybe, but I still hum the melody of a life that’s mine. On my terms.

So here’s to another trip around the sun! Even if the candles lean a little to the left and the frosting hides a few existential questions.

Freedom isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s in the quiet confidence of knowing who you truly are. And still dancing with it. Birthday cake in hand.

And no, I still don’t think pants should’ve been required.

How Cool is That?

| Chris

Wow, what an incredible surprise! I just found out that my song Me and My Samsonite was included on the official 2025 Wyoming Road Trip Playlist curated by the Wyoming Arts Council and Wyoming Humanities. I honestly can’t put into words how honored and excited I am.

As an artist, you always hope your music will connect with people, but to know that my song will be part of the soundtrack for so many travelers exploring the beauty of Wyoming this summer is truly special. I love the idea that Me and My Samsonite (#21 on the playlist) might be playing as someone drives through mountain passes, stops at a historic site, or just soaks in the wide-open sky. After all, traveling is what the song is about.

My heartfelt thanks goes to the Wyoming Arts Council and everyone involved in putting this playlist together. It means the world to be recognized alongside so many talented Wyoming creatives. I mean, really… how cool is that?

So, if you’re hitting the road this summer, I hope my song, along with the rest of the playlist, adds a little extra joy to your adventure. Safe travels, and happy listening!

Turning Point

| Chris

It was the last day of April, 1992. In the thick of the LA riots, I had acquired my first Bible. As the city burned outside my Hollywood apartment, I diligently read the Scripture for the first time in my life. Soon after that pivotal moment, I made a decision to be baptized. Yet the years that followed brought unexpected spiritual hurdles. The truth has an uncanny way of doing that to you, I suppose.

Eleven years later, in 2003, God woke me up. Guilt and remorse began to engulf my conscience. Religiosity unraveled. Friends drifted away, some passed on, and my first marriage began to falter. It was a dark time, for sure.

Around that period, I felt compelled to write a song where every line was a jagged little pill. It took three years to finish it. Though it remains the hardest song I’ve ever written, it gave me relief. My soul could somewhat breathe again after. Today, well, I’m still a work in progress, but grateful for the lessons I’ve learned since. God is good!

Rockdown

| Chris

Well, it has been an interesting year to say the least. You would think that just because you’re cooped up inside the house most of the time that life would be quite uneventful. And to some degree it was. But when you’re a musician, it actually becomes a happy excuse to be creative and more productive. So I was able to write and record a whole record just because I had more time on my hands this past few months. And of course, I called the record “Rockdown” for obvious reasons. Hope you like it.

A new album to close 2018

| Chris

ghostnotesMan, did I start late on this but I just finished a body of musical work for this year. Work I should’ve started in the spring at the latest. I could’ve been done around summertime if I did.

Anyway, I still managed to come up with 8 brand new songs in a matter of 2 months! That’s a rarity for me nowadays. Plus I also reprised (did a remake of) 3 of my old songs from around 20 years ago! I performed these on a recent Wyoming Singer-Songwriter competition and thought the arrangement needed a makeover. For one, I could no longer hit the high notes like I used to back then so I had to sing them on a different key now. And play them on different instruments, as well!

So, 11 songs recorded this year! Not too shabby for having just started this project in September. I have not had that many songs recorded in a year since 2005! Or 2004, if we’re talking original songs!

As always, the album is quite varied in style. It’s the most diverse album I’ve ever made, actually! It’s called Ghost Notes. Check it out. I hope you like it.

Rage! Rage!

| Chris

ratmI remember hearing Rage Against The Machine for the first time on the radio. I thought, another sub-genre in music had emerged. I’ve never heard so much shouting in a song that I took the liberty to call it Holler Rock. Honestly, it wasn’t Zach’s political yawp that got my attention, initially. It was the fact that the band sounded like something from the primitive 70’s. I just love Tom’s approach to the guitar, with the wah wah and the lead work that strays far far away from the traditional shredding that had already been done to death, at the time. And I believe, he took this approach even further later on, in Audioslave. But that’s for another post.

Since I’m not much into politics, I pretty much ignored whatever message their songs attempted to convey but instead simply grooved to the rockin’ beats that made me realized, they were truly one of the greatest bands of the 90’s. And eventually, I got used to the yelling I even began to like Linkin’ Park. But that’s for another post, too.

Meanwhile, here’s something you can’t understand… my fave Rage track. This song’s a riot! Check out the video. Oh, and the lady doing the intro, I wonder who’s mom she is?