Tonight was one of those nights that help me put getting older into some sort of perspective. For the second time in a week, I reconnected with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. And weirdly, some other lines reconnected as well. The bands that played tonight (Charm Offensive, King Mixer and the Delarcos) are populated by people who played in DC bands that helped shape my (misspent?) youth – Teen Idles and Youth Brigade in particular. And in the crowd was someone I knew from a different world back in the day (online/pre-online), but found out tonight was one of the geniuses behind Bloody Mannequin Orchestra. At least I think I found out tonight.
I own vinyl from all three of these bands, and vividly remember getting to see Bloody Mannequin Orchestra back in the day.
That’s the weird thing about being this age and having so many odd stacks of experiences and memories. I find it hard to imagine that I DIDN’T know he was with that band back then, but I don’t remember knowing. SO maybe it’s a new discovery, or maybe it’s a rediscovery. If ever there was an argument for the simulation hypothesis, tonight would be it. Too many things came together for it to seem believable.
Thanks to Mike Lastort, sax player for The Delarcos, for making that timely connection that allowed me to enjoy tonight’s show and all the memories it triggered.
I welcome further visits from the Cosmic Coincidence Control Center. Gnite all.
