The Unique Experiences

The Unique Experiences.

As a youngster, I would eagerly await for new albums to come out. I would get a schedule of music from magazines, (like Rolling Stone) and seek out when bands would establish release dates.

The Rolling Stones. The Police. Yes. Jethro Tull. Solo artists…..and many more.

I would go to the store. Ride my bike all the way across Rt. 18 (shhhh don’t tell my parents) – but, I would ride to The Record Setter, a solid 3 miles from our house.

The Record Setter had the coveted Ticketmaster computer in town, and they also had all the new album releases, on the precise day they would come out.

A little house, across from a big mall – that survived by catering to people who loved music and purchasing tickets for live events. The Record Setter, painted yellow, with black awnings.

In 1979-80-81, I had a cool Mongoose bike.

I remember the anticipation of riding to the store and the excitement at being able to purchase a brand new record. The album was a creative work of art, so fresh, so new, and so desired….

Buying an album, covered in plastic, riding home, removing the plastic – then putting the needle down, and sitting to read the liner notes as I focused on the sound coming out of my speakers.

The joy, the anxiousness, the multiple times soaking it in – till the 3rd or 4th listen, then bam --- it hits you.

Sometimes the music bypasses you on the first or second listen.

By the third spin, you get pulled in. By the fourth rotation of the album – it is in your blood.

These moments are fleeting.

We look forward today to so little in life, with phones in our hand – immediacy at every turn. Access to anything we want, seconds away. A new song. A movie. A piece of information – all too easy to access…. all too convenient.

And, experience lost. The uniqueness of getting on your bike, riding across town to acquire a new piece of art. That tremendous feeling that you never knew at the time would be forever lost, yet seldom recalled.

Until quarantine, that is.

I’m a big believer we all will remember a very few things, macro items and memorable points that will be tattooed on us from this COVID-19 historical war on our planet, and lives.

Make no mistake, this virus has declared war on humans and you are its target.

Things I will remember. Memories already tattooed on my brain.

How people acted under pressure. Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan, till they get punched in the mouth.” I enjoy witnessing how people who have been punched in the mouth react. COVID-19 is a punch, and I’m taking inventory of behaviors, both good and bad.

I have many examples of both.

I will remember playing board games, enjoying family time. I will remember Lisa’s cooking and preparing a different type of meal every night.

I will remember people in NYC wearing masks, and watching people yell out their windows at 7:00 PM each night to honor first responders who are truly lifesavers.

I will remember working around incredibly amazing people at my company: who are measured, calm, and truly unique in their special effort to make sure we save a company that we have built together, and nurtured, as we do everything we can to emerge from this a stronger unit, on the other side.

I will remember Zoom video calls.

I will remember a funeral over Zoom, for a departed colleague who I love, David Justus.

I will remember a band, releasing an album live, and having a listening party for all their fans to attend for free. An album not yet finished, but perfectly set free during a quarantine…

And, here is a snippet about the album from their “online” liner notes about the release of their record, “Sigma Oasis.”

When we recorded the album, we didn’t plan to release it this way. But today, because of the environment we’re all in, it just feels right. We don’t know the next time that we’re all going to be able to be together. This is an opportunity to have a moment where the Phish community can share something despite being physically separated.

The last line of the chorus of “Sigma Oasis” sums up this point — There’s no place to get. There’s nothing to achieve. There’s no place to be. We’re here. Right here, right now is as good as it gets. “You’re already there.” It’s a content state of mind. You’re just completely in the moment. “You’re already there.” You already have everything you need. Sigma Oasis. It aligns with where we are in our career and as friends and musicians. There’s a joy to the playing. We’re not clamoring to make it. Make what? We’re already there! Sigma Oasis.

Opening an album. Same thing. A piece of art they had no desire to release yet, so imperfect, so raw, and so real. It is just perfect, even after the first listen.

Just like each of us. Imperfect. Here. There. Content with everything you have.

We are in the early stages of a long war against a silent virus called Corona.

We will win.

And, then we can all ride our bicycles back to the metaphoric, Record Setter to get the new album.

In the meantime, take mental notes – and make this Quarantine your best one yet, (joke, hope it is the only one of our lives) and make it something you look back on and can be proud of how you behaved to yourself, and others.

I admit I’m a work in progress.

But, I also miss records, needles, and dust. Reading liner notes…..riding home with eager anticipation, and anxiousness.

A unique experience that is hard to recapture.

Looking back I never realized how much I missed it. Until last night, listening I sat in the dark with headphones taking in the new album release by Phish, Sigma Oasis.

As tears streamed down by my cheeks listening to the lyrics and being emotional thinking about the loss of David this week, it hit me.

Soak it in. We are in a special moment. Destruction is taking place all around us, lives, companies, and souls, are being wrecked. Insurmountable damage to our way of life.

A punch in the mouth.

Take the punch. Have a plan, and then get your game plan set up. Action, the here and now, and execute what you are going to do to be your best self.

The 4th time you listen to that new record, yeah -- that’s the best one.