What’s Big and Pink and Plays a Wicked Guitar?

Why, the Australian Pink Floyd show of course!

My brother is a huge fan of Pink Floyd and with tickets on sale for $10, all four of us were able to go (me and Tracy, my brother and his wife). I’d seen the APF show once before when, in addition to some of the greatest hits, they played all of Dark Side of the Moon. Very cool.

The show was at the Usana, which is one of the best places to see a show. There’s something about being outside under the stars watching a great band perform amazing music that just feels right. Plus, the sound mix was one of the cleanest and sharpest I’d heard in a long time. You could actually hear the individual instruments without losing the high notes in some horrible screeching feedback.

This was a “greatest hits” kind of concert, which was perfect for me, since I’m a “greatest hits” kind of fan. My first real experience with Pink Floyd was when I was a teenager and I listened to all of The Wall in the dark in my room. Maybe not the best introduction to the band, but a memorable experience nonetheless. (Side note: It turns out many of my favorite songs come from that album.) (Second side note: another early Pink Floyd memory I have is being in junior high and seeing a guy wearing a T-shirt with the words “We don’t need no education” written on the back and me thinking, “Uh, yes, you do—that’s a double negative.” Yes, I was that much of a nerd.)

The thing about Pink Floyd’s music is that it reminds me more of a symphony or a good jazz improv than hardcore rock and roll. The songs are unapologetically long, which leaves lots of time and room to wander around musically and creatively. They are not the three-minute, radio-friendly, verse-verse-chorus-bridge-verse kinds of song. They are lush without being overdone; they are fat without being heavy. They seem to be more interested in the experience of music than anything. While the songs aren’t particularly hum-able (at least, not for me), I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a more transcendent song than “Great Gig in the Sky.” (I’d like to see someone try that on American Idol!)

The next time the Aussie Pink Floyd show is in town, whether you’re a fan or not, do yourself a favor and go. Shine on, you crazy diamond!

Reading, Writing, and Roller Coasters

So this Labor Day weekend, my sister-in-law took her family to the amusement park for a day of riding rides and playing games. And my littlest niece was, for the first time, tall enough to ride the roller-coaster with, not one, but two upside-down loops. Guess which once was her favorite ride?

            I think writing is a lot like that. Sometimes you have to let an idea grow a little before it becomes a story. Sometimes it’s really scary to look at what’s head of you—whether it’s two back-to-back loop-de-loops or two really tricky chapters—and all you can do is buckle up, hold on, and go for it. And somewhere between the screaming and the laughter, you realize that you love it and that all you what to do when you get off the ride is ride it again.

            I also think that is why we love books so much—especially series. We find a good story with good characters and all we want to do is tag along on their adventures, see what they see, feel what they feel. Characters in fiction often have much more exciting roller-coaster lives that we do here in reality. (Don’t get me wrong, though, sometimes reality is a wild ride all by itself.) And my favorite characters face their fears with a strange blend of determination and anticipation. I know that if I ride along with them, I’ll learn something about them—and possibly even something about me.

            I’m trying to keep all that in mind as I work on Golden Spiral. Writing Hourglass Door was a lot like strapping myself in for the story and riding it breathlessly all the way to the end. I’m discovering that Spiral is a different kind of ride—one that still offers plenty of excitement, stomach-dropping surprises, and thrilling twists, but one that inspires a few more anticipation butterflies than I expected. But that’s not always a bad thing, you know.

            As I stand up straight, measuring myself against the task at hand, I know that I’m able to tame this beast of a ride. I’m going to make sure Abby and Dante are in the front seats, and then I’m going to send them on a roller-coaster with as many loop-de-loops as I can.