Mule

“That was the beginning of the end of my life.”

Joey and I are sitting next to each other on a leather sofa in a surprisingly stunning green room at Magic Bag outside Detroit. Our conversation has covered “shit we learned from our therapists”, parenting perspectives, and the rib-level resonance you feel with other intensely passionate humans. I literally just got there and we fell into our usual in person conversation track, one that’s been on pause since 2020.

“I was holding my new born daughter and I started seeing every memory with her as the ones I would be remembering on my deathbed.” We talk about bringing his laser focused passion to his family. We talk about core memories with our friends Seth and Konrad. The opener finishes. He’s on stage two minutes later.

“Do you wear pajamas when you play your sets? I think I opened for you five years ago.” Two guys sitting on the sidewalk holding resonator guitars outside a big green sprinter van start talking. Dan comes walking up holding a Scotch Ale from Sons of Kent brewery and two bags of All Dressed Chips. He knows I love both these things because he first brought them to the shop when he picked up his guitar.

“I work with your brother at the fire hall. I. Love. Steve. “ These are the first words we share. She ends up showing me videos of my younger brother dancing while brushing his teeth. ‘Silly Steve’. The videos go in our group text. She’s been with my brother on their two worst calls. I listen to her talk about that kind of friendship. “Reverent” comes to mind. The feeling when someone is reading something written thousands of years ago that’s true enough to have outlasted time.

A man walks up to me after the show, I can tell he recognizes me but I’m feeling like an idiot and don’t. He was part of the opening band. I ask him how he knows me. “I started going to Jiujitsu at your gym.” Clark Kent with glasses and Superman in a rash guard.

In every room where songs are played there are people listening who are connected in deeply human ways. The surface level bullshit that everyone argues about has been sifted out and left at the door. Everyone becomes who they are. Next up: Buffalo, NY