I‘m here in New London, Conn., this weekend because of a band. A band that changed my life. A band that, if I want to get really honest about things, saved my life. Because when you’re angry and confused and alienated but you don’t know why, and you hear a song on the radio that nails those feelings in three minutes and eleven seconds, hits you in the head and the heart and the gut, you search that band out. You blast their albums until you piss off your neighbors. You drive an hour to New London and you find your tribe. You dance like you’re driving out demons. And at the end of the night you’re a spent, sweaty mess but you’ve been wrung free, at least for a while, at least until the next show.
It’s 27 years later. The next show is tomorrow night. It’s a different show, for reasons that are still too painful to write about. There will be more about that, about The Reducers and me, later. But for now, come celebrate The Reducers. Come celebrate life. I’ll be playing a Reducers song, as will many others.
Everything you need to know about the show is here.