On this rainy, blustery, atypically cool July evening we went out to hear my brother’s band. They were playing at a great coffee shop called College Hill Coffee, a cozy, eclectic restaurant/coffee shop/wine bar. We had eaten dinner so I ordered only coffee and enjoyed it delivered in a white glass cup and saucer set with a sweet little white glass cream pitcher of cream.
My brother’s band is called Rosewood. They have been playing together for 44 years. Amazing. That sounds as if they have weekly rehearsals and play gigs every month. That is not the case. Life happened; marriages, divorce, kids, grandkids, jobs, illnesses. There were big pockets of time that they did not get together. But they always knew they had something special from the first time they sang harmony to James Taylor’s Close Your Eyes in Laura’s basement.
For my brother, playing out in a genre is okay. It’s not his favorite thing. His favorite thing is rehearsal. He loves the time the three of them spend playing music together, working out the harmony of the song, seeing it all come together. That is the heart-sign of a passionate musician. It doesn’t matter where you are, it doesn’t matter if there is a crowd. What matters is closing your eyes and feeling the music.
They were feeling the music tonight and so was the crowd, a subdued smattering of 30somethings to 70 somethings. And the songs fit the age range.
We heard Peaceful Easy Feeling, Sandbar, Chains, Your Song, Close Your Eyes (a personal favorite of mine), If I Fell, Norwegian Wood, and many more.
The only downside to the evening was that I was not up there with them. One of the “What I would liked to have done” things on my list is singing with a band. I never dreamed about being the ‘star’. I truly would rather have been a backup singer. You are in the band and loving it, but without the pressure of being the lead. It’s win-win.
So, one of these days before I get too old, maybe I’ll get the opportunity to be a part of a band, if for only one song on one night. I can look the part. I will wear my faded jeans and white peasant blouse and put my hair in a messy side braid and on my ears, place dangling, silver earrings.
And I will sing my little heart out:
Well, the sun is surely sinking down
And the moon is slowly rising
And this old world must still be spinning round
And I still love you
So close your eyes, you can close your eyes
It’s alright
Cause I don’t know no love songs
And I can’t sing the blues anymore
But I can sing this song
And you can sing this song when I’m gone