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Tour Journal Revisited
"First Time's a Charm"
by Ben V.

The band, the year, the setlist, they are unimportant, despite the fact that Luke calls the Saturday in question Day One, as in the first day he "saw the light" of improvisational music. It was the sort of day you dream of in December. A triumphant sky, brightest blue with liquid-motion clouds to keep your imagination busy while waiting in the two-mile car line into the venue and a tanning sun.

As we idled in line (nothing to fear, three hours until showtime) I played the role of manic tape-deck DJ, trying to get my friend Luke up to speed on the years of live music history he'd missed. Early years, middle years, recent years; my ears knew the differences in style and form from hours of listening, but to Luke it was all "a mess of solos and jangly chords." I'd convinced him to drive me to the show by playing a tape that featured a cover of his favorite song- he was skeptical, and I was on a mission.

The lot scene was crazed. Everyone was feeling the beauty of the day, and anticipation for the show was intense- it had been a long time since a tour rolled through here. We tied a flag to Luke's antenna to find the car later, took off our shirts to soak in the rays, and set out to explore the lot. Frisbees, brown-bottle beer, and slightly dazed smiles were everywhere. I felt like I was home, though I could tell Luke was struggling to take everything in. Every so often I'd ask him, "What do you think?" and he'd nod and say, "Cool, cool." He didn't seem to convinced, and my soul sank when he asked me, "People do this all summer long?" I wished I could!!

We eventually found a good spot on the lawn and waited for the stage lights to go down and the crowd's roar to go up. We both were anxious and I, for one, was ready to jam. Time was on our side as well, it seemed, for just as we had run out of small talk with our blanket neighbors, the boys walked out on stage.

Luke told me later that he first felt something special when the crowd's first cheer erupted. "So many thousands of voices directed at one plac- Jamazing," he said. The first set of the night was a blast- fun and rollicking. Though part of me was hoping for some more exploratory jamming, I was glad the songs kept coming fast and furious: they gave Luke's short musical attention span a chance to get in the mood. By the end of the second song, Luke was smiling a devilish grin, and by the end of the set he was dancing along with the rest of us.

Throughout the seemingly never-ending set break, Luke kept shaking his head and commenting things to the effect of "Wow." I tried unsuccessfully to keep my "I told you so"s to a minimum, and promised him that he hadn't seen anything yet, that second sets were always nuts. He just kept shaking his head and smiling.

About halfway through the second set, the band launched into an insane, sick jam. My mind kept racing "I can't wait to get tapes to hear this all again!" Then it happened. The band was building and spiraling towards a major musical climax, and then The Note. It pierced through the amphitheater like a laser from outer space and, I think, landed squarely in the middle of Luke's forehead. He dropped to his knees and started screaming like a maniac, "Woooooooo!!!!!"

Right there, I knew my buddy was hooked just like the rest of us.

On the lengthy car ride home, Luke insisted that we not turn on the radio. To listen to any music, he said, would spoil his mood, his musical high. Anything other what we had just heard couldn't even be called music, he remarked, still shaking his head. I laughed and lit another cigarette, knowing that there was another convert in the crowd, and that I'd have someone else to go to shows with next summer.

I still feel great that I brought the magic into someone else's life. Definitely sharing in the groove. Despite having been to many shows and heard countless hours of tape, watching Luke feel the music for the first time helped renew my love for the scene and remind me of what I love about jam bands: that unique feeling of vitality and spirit. What Luke said to me before he dropped me off sums it all up perfectly, I think. He shook my hand and thanked me. I said, don't thank me, thank the band. He replied, "I just never knew music could be so alive, so vivid. I never knew."