Mind = Blown

Growing up in Canada, I didn't exhibit many true Canuk-isms like worshipping at the hockey alter, wearing plaid year round, or embracing winter in all its glory. Sure, I was once a skier and even dabbled in racing, but that was more for the love of sport than the love of being oot and aboot in the frosty flora, but I'll have to confess that I was prone to using "eh?" waaaay to often ... still do. 

Oh, I really like Ketchup chips too! 

And Butter Tarts ... Oooooh, I love me a BT!

A couple of Canuk-isms did stick like that cooked pasta on the wall in university though, and interestingly, both are musically based.

Early on in my music appreciation stage, I became a diehard, true-blue Rush fan, falling for the complex baselines of lead singer Geddy Lee, the wicked rhythms of Neil Peart, and I thought Alex Lifeson was a guitar savant even before my fanaticism for Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page's substance infused licks. I was so into Rush that I found a friend, Greg Brucker, who was a doppelgänger for Geddy Lee, and he's become one of my besties as we jointly navigated the murky waters of Education. 

Just kidding Greg ... But you do have an uncanny resemblance ... especially in your high school mullet.

Another was my appreciation for the genius of the late Gord Downie (RIP 2017), former lead for the incredible Tragically Hip and Canadian iconic phenomenon. I LOVED the way the Hip embraced their Canadian home-grown roots. I feel privileged to have seen them early on in their career as they played various locations in their hometown of Kingston during the time that I was working in the night life following my undergrad at Queen's, including the PG hotel where I was assistant manager.
Fun fact: Gord's sister Paula worked the bar for us at the PG!

That's a slick segue into the "meat" of this post.

I've always been appreciative of music with my tastes registering as varied and eclectic. I took music lessons during my younger years, starting with piano for a brief stint, then followed by a couple of years of guitar, but truthfully never really embraced any of it ... sorry mom. I always seemed to be able to justify more training for whichever sport was in season rather than spending time practicing an instrument. If you knew me back in the day, that statement carries some weight! I regularly chose to participate in 5-6 sports a year so there simply weren't enough hours in the day to add music. At least, that's how I rationalized it. At the ripe old age of 59, that is a decision that I regret, but I did hit the stage once in a while as a part of the BCC annual Teacher's Assembly.

I don't for one second regret participating in all of those sports! 

I truly feel that I enjoyed a fully rounded experience thanks to the varied, full bodied training they provided, but I've always envied the incredible talent that some of my friends developed after years of dedication to their art. When I chance across people who demonstrate extraordinary musical abilities, I'm lured like the moth to a flame, drawn in by a mesmerizing fascination. I completely agree that it's not too late to start, but there'll always be those that I truly respect for the talent they've developed over many, many years. 

One of those situations materialized the other day when a perusal of YouTube revealed a video posted by Rick Beato (YouTube Channel) in which he posed an alternate universe where other guitar savants played the solo on A Stairway to Heaven, rather than Jimmy Page. The song is still one of my favs after all of these years, so having guitar demi-gods like Eddie Van Halen, Peter Frampton or Eric Johnson do a stand-in for the epic 1 minute solo late in the song was akin to a dopamine-drenched episode. Rick Beato has put some serious sweat and passion into his craft, his Peter Frampton inspired solo was wunderbar! He imposes the Van Halen task to his friend Phil X (Wikipedia page) since Eddie wasn't available after his passing from cancer in 2020, and this guy delivers, blowing my mind in the process! The last task, albeit slightly easier one, was to have Eric Johnson (Wikipedia page) ply his Uber talented fingers to the task, playing as himself. 

I think that I've done my best to peak your curiosity ... CLICK the video if you want proof.

You seriously won't regret it!! 

Especially if you're a Zeppelin fan!