Friday, January 1, 2010

Ghosts of New Years past

It was a great NYE last night.

Good friends all gathered in a house full of instruments and beer, with a panoramic view of Los Angeles. I was playing an appropriately drunken Auld Lang Syne on my friend John's 1950's mint green Gretsch guitar at midnight, watching 3 different fireworks displays explode miles apart across the city. That guitar has a power all it's own...I was bending notes around through the little fender reverb, channeling some of that classic Bigsby energy as Smitty played the drums and everyone butchered the lyrics together at the top of their lungs, swaying and hugging and kissing each other. It felt damn good. Could have been NYE 1959.

That strong vintage energy made me think about all of the musicians out there at all types of gigs and parties, this year and years past, playing that melody again to help ring in a new one for revelers. Made me think about my incredible insignificance in that unending thread of musicians, and I liked it.

The feeling reminded me to not hold myself back in 2010, and to take more chances with my music and my life in general. A few years from now, when someone else is playing that melody at a New Years eve party, channeling NYE 2010, we won't be around to sing along.

So live it up in '10!