The Girl in the Scarf

It’s not often that a major piece of music news drops moments before I start writing a blog entry. Even more ironic is that said news is of a musician’s death, which was going to be the very topic I’d be touching on. I was going to acknowledge the passing of John Lodge from The Moody Blues but then just now learned of the passing of another notable figure in the rock world. We just lost Ace Frehley of Kiss. John Lodge hit me harder because I was fortunate enough to see him perform several times over the years, both with The Moody Blues, and solo on Cruise to the Edge. The most notable of those performances was, of course, Days of Future Passed performed live at the Hollywood Bowl with a full orchestra in June 2017, in celebration of the album’s 50th anniversary. The whole band performed as wonderfully as ever, and it was an honor being able to attend the only show on that tour to feature a live orchestra. There were lots of colors, fireworks, and incredible performances by everyone on stage.

This next story may surprise you, particularly those of you that know me, but I did make it out to a Kiss concert, in 2018. Nothing really motivated me to go beyond casual curiosity, and to be honest, I wasn’t moved enough by the performance to investigate their discography further, but it adds to the diversity of my concert-going history. Even though I may not always be sold on a band or artist I go see, I remain committed to keeping my mind open, because every now and then, I come away more than impressed (*cough* Marillion! *cough*). Here’s another blurry-ish photo for the taking!

These days, I’m far more acclimated to learning the news of these pioneering/legendary rockers passing away, far more than, say, 10 years ago. In the last decade, life being what it is, the occurrences have become more frequent. It was a consequence of being a Gen Z progger that I had accepted long ago. I don’t get as much time to enjoy these artists as the lifelong fans. It doesn’t necessarily get easier to hear this type of news, just less surprising. But if anything, it makes me appreciate the value of time and be eternally grateful that I was born at the time I was to be able to be at a mature enough age see these musicians in their late years and be able to remember the experiences for years to come. Travel well, John and Ace…