Date of first blog: 2/23/2015
Link to spotlight: http://www.runtrant.com/?p=596
Current Show Count: “I lost count for a while, but I actually took the time to figure it out a few months ago. I’m currently at 64 shows. Not as many as some, obviously, but still a respectable number I think, especially since 50 or so of those are since 2015.”
Has your favorite show changed: “Definitely. My favorite show came shortly after my last Spotlight. The Soundsystem set on Cruise IV is my favorite show ever. I was going through the beginnings of my separation from my ex-wife, and I was really struggling. I hadn’t even planned on being on that cruise, but some excitables that are now family had a spot open up at the last minute, and they all split the cost for me to take that spot. The entire cruise was the greatest experience of my life, but the Soundsystem set, surrounded by the most amazing people in the world, will warm my heart forever.”
Last show you saw: “Does seeing Los Stellarians last Friday count…? The last time I saw 311 was in Vail in September. It was a little shorter set, but it was an awesome show and we got some of my favorite gems, including T&P Combo, Use of Time, Stealing Happy Hours, and Wildfire. AND there was a bass solo, which wasn’t the case for most of the summer tour!”
Favorite song released since your blog posted: “Wildfire. No doubt. The song hits home in so many ways. It’s really a microcosm of Mosaic itself, because it takes you on this little journey, with highs and lows and killer lyrical content. IMHO, it’s their best song on any album since Transistor.”
Interesting thing(s) that have happened since your spotlight: “I could fill volumes with all the crazy stuff that’s happened to me since the last Spotlight. From the highs of two cruises, two 311 Days, and making the move from California to Utah, to the lows of separating from my ex, working a very nasty and cutthroat job, and the deaths of my gramps and my mom, my life is just as chaotic as it always is. But, “from chaos comes clarity”, and I feel like I’m on the right path.”
Are there any special friendships you’ve made because of the band: “So many. Again, I could fill volumes with the experiences I’ve had with my excitable family, but the most meaningful is the relationship I’ve formed with the Salt Lake crew of Preston Pearson, Traci Pearson, and Eddie Bratke, among many others. These three people are my family now, and made sure that my relocation from Los Angeles to Utah went well by helping me with a place to crash and a place to work and a place to heal my soul in a time of my life when I really needed it. And it’s truly wondrous that I would have never met any of these people if not for the fact that we all just happen to love the same band.”
Words of wisdom for your fellow fans: “Much like I said last time, try and remember that we are all children of the same universe. While taking care of yourself, remember to take care of those around you. Be kind to everyone, because you don’t know what path they are walking or what struggles they are carrying, just as they don’t know yours. Always be down for the unity.”