The Girl in the Scarf

Everyone who considers music to be central to their lives has had a musical upbringing. Some grew up in musical families, others didn’t, but still remember their parents spinning old records in the family room or playing the radio during road trips over many years. And then there’s people who had their lives changed by one special musical moment. Lots of musicians who grew up in the 60s will cite watching The Beatles on TV as their musical awakening. For me, it was a trio of brothers from New Jersey who broke big in Disney and helped define the pop sound of the mid to late 2000s (noughties, as those years are called). I’m talking, of course, about the Jonas Brothers.

Me and the brothers Jonas go back nearly 20 years, but it was an early morning in April of 2008, in a friend’s living room that changed me. The sun was rising over the hills in Simi Valley, and I was sitting in my friend’s living room waiting for her to finish getting ready for school so we could watch together what she had recorded on her DVR. The Jonas Brothers, along with their parents and youngest brother Frankie, made a special appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where they detailed their family dynamics and how they all remained grounded despite their newfound fame. The conversation was followed by a performance of their song “When You Look Me In the Eyes.” Our little fifth grade hearts pounded with excitement, but I was powerfully impressed by that performance. By October of that year, I would be heading in to my first guitar lessons. Regrettably, despite my enthusiasm for the brothers in those days, it was the height of the Great Recession, so concert tickets were out of the question. It wasn’t until 2019 that I finally got to see them for the first time.

Last night, was my fourth time, where they performed in support of their third album since their 2019 comeback, Greetings From Your Hometown. With the first chord, I was instantly transported back to my grade school days, when I would blast their self-titled album on my iPod (anyone remember those?) and plop their CDs into the family CD-ROM drive to check out the exclusive bonus materials. I still have the original 2008 CD of their album. A Little Bit Longer, stashed with a bunch of other CDs in my bedroom closet back in L.A. I hope to be reunited with it soon. Still, a great time was had by many at the CHI Health Center. There were many blasts from the past, some cover songs, and a few surprise nods to some solo material. They closed their set with a special performance of “When You Look Me In the Eyes,” where they were joined by their youngest brother Frankie, and their father, Kevin Jonas Sr. It was a glorious sight, full of magic.

But that’s not the only magic that took place yesterday. I’m now moving on to something that I’m sure will interest you far more. Yes, you probably already know, but I’ll say it again anyway, because this news deserves restating. Yesterday, it was revealed that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson had decided to reunite and perform as Rush, with Anika Nilles chosen for the daunting task of drums. But I have not doubt she can do it, as I was fortunate enough to see her perform with Jeff Beck during, what turned out to be, his last tour. Of course, while the bulk of the public reaction seems to be positive and full of excitement, some are not so thrilled. I’ve seen comments from people claiming that this is a “money grab” and a betrayal of their past statements that Rush couldn’t be Rush without Neil Peart (that’s pronounced PEERT, by the way 😉 ). Some have also wondered why they couldn’t go on tour under a different name, but honestly, what name could they use? Lee, Lifeson, and Nilles? No, I don’t think that has a nice ring to it. To be honest, I’m not really bothered by the idea of them continuing to perform as Rush. I don’t think their intention is to discredit or disrespect Neil’s memory, especially since they did this reunion with the blessing of Neil’s widow and daughter. It’s been 11 years since that last tour, so I’m sure they’ve had ample time to go over the pros and cons of doing something like this, and to my understanding, they weren’t entirely ready to call it quits after R40, even though Neil was. I will forever kick myself for missing R40, so that’s another thing that’s fueling my excitement for this reunion. It’s been almost 13 years since I have heard either surviving member of Rush perform live, so as far as a reunion tour is concerned, I say count me in!