Basement Band

When I was a high school sophomore and had few-to-no friends, I tried to start a basement band.  (In Wisconsin it's too cold to play in the garage most months out of the year, so jam bands originate in basements.)  We met at the church youth group, so our music was mostly Jesus-y and consisted of four chords.  The traditional worship stuff.  Yep, we were cool.  We called ourselves "Paradox" and planned to record a demo to send to people and make it big.  We made a logo, too.  And yep, we recorded a song on a Mac.  Oh yeah, and I was the guitarist/vocalist.  Indie rock and roll?  Or not.

(This was my baby... a bright, blue Washburn.  I sold it to my brother to buy a snowboard.)

My neighbor downstairs plays piano and writes his own music.  His songs are about everything and anything, and he favors the minor keys.  He loves to belt lost-love ballads also.  I bet he started in his basement, too.

I write all this today, because I wish I was the neighbor annoying my building with my own songs and boisterously-loud melodies.  My mom was right; I should've stuck with those piano lessons.  And I'm planning, secretly, to steal my grandpa's banjo when I go home this summer... that'll be a trip.