Oh You Pretty Pretty Boys.....

Last night was possibly one of the best nights of my life. In preparation for their upcoming reunion appearance at Riot Fest, Naked Raygun played to an invitation only crowd at the Cobra Lounge. I was there. They started with "The Strip" and ended with "Managua" with every favorite of mine in between. It is all a fabulous sweaty blur in my mind. I spent the entire show in the confines of the very friendly middle aged mosh pit, jumping up and down, bouncing off of other bodies, singing along at the top of my lungs. I felt like I was 19 again.....until this morning, ouch.

Every once in awhile in your life, fabulous things happen. While last night was unbelievably cool, Naked Raygun's existence has buoyed me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Full of optimism, criticism, heartbreak, and unbridled zest for life, their music has been part of the soundtrack to my life. I think of all of the shows I have seen with many friends over the years, from Sons and Daughters Hall in Grand Rapids to Metro in Chicago. I think of how many miles I have driven listening to them and singing along. Just yesterday I got some weird looks as I pumped my fist in the air as I sat at a stoplight listening to "The Mule." In addition to all of this, Jeff Pezzati has been one of the most intelligent and gracious musicians I have ever known. I've known him since my college radio days.

So last night was undeniably cool, but it also was undeniably precious to me. Unforgettable in the very best way.