The year is approximate. I can still remember most of what's happened, just not exactly when. Mike and I had an acoustic guitar duo called the Matt Micheals Band. Mike thought we should call it the Michael Matt's Band, but I think we can all agree that would have been wrong. Mike relented and on we went. Perhaps with James Brown as a possible exception, Mike was the hardest working guy in show business. (I don't really know anyone in show business, but if I did I'm pretty sure Mike would have worked them under the table) Once we agreed to put the duo together, the gun fired, the gate was open and Mike was all over it. He'd be up 5am to practice before work. We'd get together at least a couple of days a week to rehearse. When we weren't practicing, he was, as much he could get away with, without getting fired or divorced. Then came the equipment. A few of you know about this side of Micheal. The amps, the pedals, PA systems, the search for perfection. I went down the rabbit hole with him for a while, sometimes selling something and replacing it before I actually figured out how to use the damn thing.

Eventually we settled on some equipment, honed our repertoire and started chasing gigs. Mike did most of the chasing and I mostly showed up on time and played my parts. We were in many ways polar opposites. I was grinding tree stumps for a living and driving an old pick up around, Mike was a high powered sales guy, driving a convertible BMW. He was rooted in classic rock, I was an aging  deadhead, turning towards jazz. Despite that, there was some connection that we recognized right away. It was sort of like we already knew each other. That quality never left our relationship, despite the fact that were gaps of years between visits.

Our disparate musical interests melded into a rather unique sound that seemed to resonate with folks wherever we played. It was music they recognized with a little something else. Well, I'm really rambling here, and almost forgot to tell the story I set out to tell.

We had and outdoor gig in downtown Danville at some summer festival. It was one of our earlier gigs and I remember Mike was pretty stressed about everything. As I said earlier, I mostly showed up and played and hope to God that Mike remembered where all those frigging wires went! So, we showed up, unloaded all the gear. I plugged my guitar in and gratefully, that worked. Mike was prone to excessive sweating when under stress, and as he ran all the cables to their respective locations, he gradually became saturated with his own sweat. I was becoming increasingly concerned that he was going to pass out or worse any minute.

I ran a cable from my amp into the mixer to show him he wasn't alone. All cables connected. Ready for lift off. Mike flipped on the power. The ensuing noise that blasted out of the speakers was something like somebody clearing their throat, but on a continuous loop and amplified by 200 W speakers. Turn it off! WTF?!! Mike said "WTF was that?!! I assured him that I had no effing idea. I don't remember exactly how we resolved it, but it seems to me, we (Mike) checked everything and appearing correct, turned it back on. Incredibly, it worked. By this time, Mike appeared to have just emerged from a swimming pool. Ever prepared, he went to his car, grabbed a towel and a fresh shirt, (yes, he had a fresh shirt) and the show went on. We pulled of a good show. It wouldn't be the last.

I won't forget those days. My life was in an upheaval at the time and our friendship and common goals were an anchor. It's funny how sometimes you look back and see that what happened was more or less exactly what needed to be. More recently, my life was again in turmoil and Micheal was there for me again, offering a soft place to land. This was just this passed December. Like we always had, we picked up right where we left off. When I left, I think we both knew it was likely the last time we would see each other. The hard times had taken their toll and the struggle was a bit too much. It was hard to see him like that. I'm going to put that aside and remember the Mike I knew for all those years. I'm grateful for the time we had.