Living the Dream....

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I was looking at the upcoming event list for a Milwaukee concert venue called The Rave. I noticed the names of a few bands that brought me back to my days of doing concert security around the Salt Lake City area. The Rave's main hall is called the Eagle Ballroom, and holds around 3500 people. It's one of those dives where you can see the best of up and comers as well as used to wassers. I remember doing security for Type O Negative, in big venues, they were the opening act, but in places the size of the Eagle room, they were headliners. I hear them on metal stations every few years, but they seem to be the kind of band that is constantly on the brink of becoming huge.. but somehow never cross over. Type O isn't exactly a one hit wonder, but they would also be hard pressed to put together a real "greatest hits" CD. Like the rest of us, they aren't as young as they were when they broke out of the New York music scene. If he didn't die his hair black, Singer/Bassist/Giant. Peter Steel probably sports more gray that he wants to admit. He is the oldest, so the others might have a few years before their black die is used for more than just metal band imagery. A lot of people make fun of musicians like this. But I have to wonder why. These guys, as well as thousands of others are out living the dream they created years ago. They aren't household names, they won't command international headlines when they die.. I would bet that a lot of their fans wouldn't even find out if they died unless they are among the few who follow them closely. But do dreams die at the command of some "top 40" charts? Do musicians who spent a decade or more becoming an "overnight success" just set down their instruments and pick up a factory job somewhere? Well, yeah, many do... but only by choice. When the rest have left their stage days behind, these guys (not just Type O, but all of them still playing out) are still out on tour. Sometimes they get to relive the glory days, landing a few gigs as an opening act in the big league arenas, other times it's the nastalgia trail in some county fairgrounds, the Eagle Ballroom, or Saltaire on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. But the size of the hall isn't what motivates them. One more show means one more week of living the life they choose. One more album means one more shot at keeping the dream alive. They aren't out to be "the next whoever", even if they set out to be. They are just doing what they do best... for the few who are still eager to listen. Now tell me, what is to make fun of with that?