Kinda Like Old Times

Saturday night I met up with my friends Gavin, Matt and Dave at the Amphora Diner in Herndon. Over the past ten years there have only been a handful of times that we've all been able to gather together like this and, to be honest, I don't really remember any of those previous times specifically. We've all done things and gone places that keep us apart and Saturday was one of the rare occasions that we were all in the same place at the same time.

As I pulled in to park, the first thing I saw was a dressed up guy and girl standing in the middle of the parking lot, right where I wanted to park. I was waiting for them to walk past but they had stopped to adjust...her corsage. They were quite obviously there for their prom dinner and while at first I was surprised to see them in the Diner parking lot, I like the idea of the "alternative" dinner for prom. As it turned out, they were the first of about five or more couples who were together, all dressed in lovely prom dresses and tuxedos.

I met Gavin at the Diner first because Matt and Dave were late working on their weekly web series, Reservation. Gavin and I went inside and got a table right away. We live twenty minutes apart but rarely get to have any time to hang out. It was nice to have some time to find out what's been keeping him busy. He just finished school, he and his wife Heather just bought a new car, and he spends time with their 5-month-old son, Ben, who has understandably been the main focus of his time. Gavin seems really pleased to be a father and I don't know if he's been any happier. He says that he enjoys spending time with Ben more than anything, despite how exhausting he says it is. I can't relate completely because I'm not a father, but I get the idea.

Gavin and I discussed various topics and ordered some food while we waited for Matt and Dave. Halfway through our food they showed up and sat down. The four of us began discussing a variety of topics, some of which involved technology and new media. That's not a total surprise seeing as Matt and Dave were working on their web series and Gavin just got his degree in Computer Science. Fortunately, the conversation wasn't too nerdy, only kept in check by some ball busting which was mostly focused at Gavin.

We finished our meal, paid our check and headed outside. Gavin was the first to leave because of the whole wife and kid thing. Then for a few moments longer, Dave, Matt and I stood around just chit chatting about more stuff. Nothing in particular, but I do recall a brief discussion on a possible trip to Montana I may take soon and the various aspects surrounding that trip. It was the standing in the parking lot talking that reminded of the old days when that's what we would do after eating or doing something. When we finished talking we headed to our cars and drove away, back to our individual lives with our own schedules and families, etc.

For those who didn't know, Gavin, Matt, Dave and myself were once in a "band" called Sun Cracked Vinyl. It totally rocked despite not having any real performances. We did "perform" for a small crowd of about eight one night and we did have one actual rehearsal/recording session. In total we had almost a dozen "songs" and out of that recording session we recorded approximately eight or nine of them. While not very good, it was still waaaay better than we anticipated. We just didn't give ourselves much credit, I guess. Matt played the bass, which, if I remember correctly, he had only been playing for a very brief time. Gavin played the lead guitar. He had been playing for years and was the most advanced member on their chosen instrument. Dave wound up singing, partially because he didn't have any instrument to play and nor did any of us want to sing...we had our instruments to play of course! I played the drums. I bought my little drum kit from my buddy Todd who was all-too-eager to accept the one hundred dollar price I had offered. His eagerness told me that I probably could have gotten it for free, or at least much cheaper, but I was just excited to get the drums. After some replacement heads, it was as good as new, or at least as good as new with duct tape and other modifications.

Our one rehearsal/recording session was in the basement of a friends house just south of Leesburg. Her parents and sister were gone for the weekend or something like that and she lived in an area that the neighbors were far enough away that they wouldn't be able to hear the rockin'est music to shake their souls. I only mention this because I found some photos of that recording session. We recorded our songs using a microphone or two which we attached to Gavin's laptop. High technology. The photos will only be "fun" for the folks involved but I'll share them anyway. I've also included a snippet of the longest track we laid down that night, "Jam." We called it "Jam" because all we did was play whatever came to mind while Dave freestyled the lyrics. We ended up playing for almost twenty-five minutes but I've narrowed the included selection to the first two minutes and seventeen seconds.

No prepared music. No prepared lyrics.
Prepare to have your socks rocked off.