DUDE, REIN-O!

There was a radical group in Denver called ‘Recreat 68′.  When I read about the 60’s, it was all about rebellion and music, much like today.  But all the revolutionary music artists are gone.  Jimi Hendrix: dead.  Janis Joplin: dead.  Jerry Garcia: dead.
But on of the first and foremost rebellious American musicians is not dead.  Bob Dylan is still alive.  I just saw him play last weekend.  (Contrary to what Pete says, he is NOT ‘propped up by a mic stand’)  Beneath the setting sun and beautiful backdrop of the mountains around Snowmass Village, hundreds of people danced the night away while he and his band played away.  What I found out that night is that the magic of Bob Dylan’s revolution, is that no matter how hard you try, you cannot understand a single word he is singing!  But who cares?  Its not about the words, its about the rebellion, right?

I have been burning a lot of incense lately.  During my trip to Cancun in June, I bought a small statue of a fat little man in a sombrero that read “Viva Mexico”.  I wasn’t really sure what it was supposed to do, but he had a hole at his mouth and a few drilled into the top of his cover.  Now the fat man is sitting on a shelf, smoking a long stick of Satya “Sunrise”.

I think the first time I smelled burning incense was when I was at Threshold Music store when I was 15 years old.  That is when I developed my taste for independent, used record stores.  I remember riding a few miles on my bike to the shop, and browsing many of the rare heavy metal albums, while checking out the T-Shirts and other merchandise.  When I developed enough courage, I ventured my way upstairs…to the guitar shop.

In college, burning incense was the cheapest way to “clean” my room in the fraternity house.  On thursday nights, I would gather up all the loose clothes off the floor and throw them behind the closet curtain, collect all the beer cans and empty the ashtray.  Then I made sure the mood lights were working, put some easy tunes on the stereo, light a stick of incense, and await the party.

Lately I’ve been relaxing at the house, watching football, working on the truck, and just contemplating.  The fat man in the sombrero is silently smoking away, setting the tone for a peaceful household.