I'm With the Band

Nothing tells you that you are old like hitting your son's rock and roll debut at the Subterranean in trendy Wicker Park. Matt has connected with three other musicians to form a new group named Pet Lions. I wondered if it was named for his high school, the LT Lions. As it turns out, the name was derived from a forwarded video (sure, I was doing some time wasting) telling the story of two flamboyant Londoners who purchased a lion cub at Harrods, raised it at home, then relinquished it to a preserve. I can't get the link to load correctly- but search for Christian the Lion on You Tube and you will see that despite returning to the wild, this lion never forgot his people. Matt loves animals, so I had shared the clip, and he indulged me by watching it. It turns out that the singer had received it as well from his mom, and he declared it the official name for the band, whose members were to be determined. When Matt was added to the band, the nomenclature was already in place. The karmic connection must mean that this musical incarnation was meant to be.

Matt has always loved his drums- and of course, it is the worst instrument of all to transport, so band practice was generally here, in the space that now provides interim housing for Pat and Rachel. ( I would much rather have them in residence than a drum set!) He has been frustrated by his separation from performing: banging on his set was always cathartic, and helped him navigate the hated halls of high school. He also plays guitar and a bit of keyboard, and he is an accomplished digital recorder. All of his passions are currently in play- from 9-5 he works at Mr. Skin, cataloging the female form and adding video elements to encourage repeat visits. Every night he looks forward to practicing at Tom and Karl's apartment- a place where no one but musicians would dare to live. In fact, the other event creating this band was a Craigslist ad, placed by Tom, answered by Karl, seeking a roomate. The force is with these boys. Maybe they should be called Room Mate Wanted or Craig's Band- but Pet Lions will do. They are a neophyte group, and who knows how permanent this line up is- but as a totally objective listener/viewer, I am amazed at how well they played for only 4 weeks of rehearsal. Check their my space for a listen.(That link is working as the title. Blogging is for better minds than mine.) They covered I Should Have Known Better with a power pop tempo that made me want to dance, and I am a bad dancer. The entire family was there in support- as was Ron Lewis, accountant/music savant/honorary uncle. The elders tried to blend- a hard task with the generation gap. I saw that Shuhie Yamamoto's parents also managed to casually take pictures while grinning ear to ear. It was a happy night.

This weekend the Dahl boys will hit Lollapalooza to watch the bands they love and hate. During Matt's most impoverished despair after the demise of his show at WCKG, I bought him a ticket, and made little laminated schedule cards to put in his insulated backpack. He pretended to appreciate the schedule cards on a carbiner, but he was elated to have a 3 day pass. With the Pet Lions in place, this will be a place for him to dream. And sweat. And dance. When we say yes to drums in the basement, we put gossamer wings on musical hopes. These hopes are flying right now, and I am glad to be even a little part of the launch.

Image above, thanks to Eric Rejiman