Hail Kevorkian! and Attend to the Walrus, Sir!

MUSIC

Dear Walrus Faithful:

Allow me to unpack the Upfront & C. e-mail some of you Walrus fans may have seen on my blog. While I am amenable to a reunion, and I will only speak for myself, I doubt it will happen. Philosophical differences are at the heart of the problem. The question of whether aesthetics or nostalgia should rule the day presents a dilemma as intractable as it is silly, or perhaps better, foolish. Is this one-week of the year an individual forum or a collective celebration? Regarding the former, the need to express one’s creative side is important, whether it be writing arcane thematic pieces that challenge the listeners’ sense of time, or penning personal torch songs that tell of lost love and dead flowers. As to the latter, the gathering of former band mates and their supporters has a nostalgic value unrelated to talent or creativity. My position is this, since many of us rehearse regularly with our own bands during the other 52 weeks of the year, the short week of the Walrus gig may not be the time to overwhelm the audience with our respective genius. It’s not just about us, it’s also about those fans that have loved and supported us.

One of the sticking points in getting together has to do with the status of French and me. I've been deemed worthy, but only if I abandon the notion of playing the guitar and move to bass. Perhaps the fact that I can sing lead, as well as play bass, makes me the choice, and Kim the odd man out. Who Knows? Suffice it to say, the issue here has less to do with Kim's abilities than Mike's disdain for my guitar playing. My view is this, technique is all well and good, but an instrumentalist must also have passion, this is what connects a musician with the audience. Without this connection, what's the point? Playing that lacks passion is soulless, drab, and mechanical, and perhaps worse, uninteresting.

Since I’ve only heard from one band-mate that Kim should be excluded, I can only assume this sentiment is shared by other members. Further, it would seem disingenuous (a fancy word for gutless) to have an extended phone conversation with French in the fall and not tell him the band would do better without his services. Those of us who don’t want to play with French should have the integrity to tell him to his face. If the reunion were about playing together on a regular basis, individual talent would be an issue. It is precisely because it is a once a year gathering of old friends, and not a reflection of my colleagues’ musical abilities, that I enjoy doing it.

Since I cannot in good conscience trade on the Walrus name in securing a gig, I’m thinking about being up front with Upfront. To that end, I’m kicking around the idea of assembling a group called “The Queen City All-Stars.” The band would feature Randy Tessier, Kim French, Don Kuhli, Andy Adamson, Dave Cavender, and Peter ‘Madcat’ Ruth, as well as a number of featured local guests.

I say “kicking it around” because, aside from the bar even going along with this, I’m not sure I want the logistical headache of putting this together. It’s hard to resist lying on Squaw Beach for three weeks. But given that I’m healthy and ready to rock, and because I feel a personal obligation to my musical supporters in the U.P. and elsewhere, I’m leaning heavily towards making this pitch. In the event, however, that the Walleye can overcome their differences and play together, I welcome our reunion.

Peace – Randy

POLITICS

In “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King writes, “Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”

One such gadfly, and a hero of mine, is Jack Kevorkian.

Here’s Johnny! Jack announced on Tuesday he will be running for a spot in Michigan’s 9th Congressional district in the House of Representatives. What’s important is that his candidacy puts euthanasia advocacy back in the spotlight. Running as an independent, Dr. Kevorkian had this to say, “I’m not a politician. My mind is free. So I can say what I think.” What’s important to remember is that a lack of recent discussions about euthanasia doesn’t mean it’s not an issue of public debate. As political Science Professor Michael Traugott points out, “The belief is that most Americans don’t care about this issue,” but “That could just be an artifact of not enough questions being asked about this.”