BRAIN: A Life as song

[Bolts of Ungodly Vision]

How does one come to appreciate life?

I don't know about you (and sometimes, I don't know about me either), but
Music has always been one of the most reliable "answers" to such a Question.
On October 8th, frined and family gathered at Don hill's to savor how
closely music and life can get.  Pictures of a smiling Billy Hilfiger
sporting a white T shirt with a Union jack adorned by "The Who" were made
more intense by his standing in the foreground of the World Trade Center.
His passing heightened and added , for me at least, as great personal depth
to the ordeals that NY and the Pentagon faced that day in September.  While
writing this, it struck me that when all is said and done, people will
remember the good times more often than the bad. The concert which went
from 9ish that Monday and  well into the wee small hours of Tuesday turned
those feelings of good will well past "Eleven" on the Marshall stacks of
the soul.  Reading on, you'll see why.

To commence the festivities, The Brain Surgeons - Albert, Deborah, and
David - were slated to lead the sonic assault on the crisp New York Night.
Instead of the intrepd trio taking the stage, Albert strapped into a guitar
and was joined by his brother Joe on electric guitar to perform one of the
finest examples of Billy's ability as a songwriter, "Billy's Song." It was
sung and played with joy and assuredness that in the hours that stretched
out ahead that night was truly "home's sweet comfort." But there was no
"fade away", as Albert then resumed the drummer's throne for the band fully
assembled to play "Last Angry Woman," an excellent
smirkier-than-Bo-Diddley-could-ever-be verbal play on Who Do You Love. For
my money (sure, I got in free but cliches are there to be used) this was
THE raunchiest, most in-your-face take of the song my ears have been graced
by. Deb's guitar playing took the riff for everything it was and Dave's
bass upped the rhythmic agression of Albert exponentially too. Sure this
sounds like an exercise in hyperbole on my part, but to put it simply, IT
ROCKED. (cough). In the wake of the last chord Deborah regaled the audience
with the tale of how she met Billy at an Iron Maiden Show while Joe
Bouchard again donned the 6 string for tBS's take on Godzilla, complete
with the oft heard"Billy!" "Hilfiger!" call and response middle section and
a slightly different set of lyrics (grin).  Like his 1950's counterpart,
'twas a grand stomp through one of the coolest riffs around. And so ended
the set. The End.

Wait! don't stop reading yet!!

The X Brothers had two special guests on stage with them in their set - two
former Clarkson University students who played in The Disciples... what
were their names? Oh Yeah, Donald and Albert. The former on guitar and A.
Bouchard on vocals. You read that right, you zany BOC fans. ("so what did
they play, J?")
With this addition settled stagewise, The Cult Brothers incinerated
marshmallows at 5000 feet with "Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll" and
some obscure hit tune called "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" feat. the sound of
cowbell the way God intended.   My jaw didnt just draw to the floor folks,
EVERYONE'S jaw fell through the floor. They were somewhere most players
can't imagine getting to.  Now do you understand the importance of just one
life to the world? Take a moment to catch your breath. I did. You can, too!

In the Wow of the moment that followed those two songs, Don Hill's  stage
was re-set for Corky Laing and Leslie West: Mountain. Leslie, in between a
first song that I didn't recognize described his relationship with Billy
and meeting him for the first time prior to a re-done "Theme From an
Imaginary Western." Though written by those associated with Cream, the
lyrics captured well what it felt like to bear witness to the atmosphere of
the room and its packed dance floor (some danced, some bobbed with great
restraint, some exhausted themselves as much as possible, but all were in
the pocket of the moment).  The capper for the Mountain set was something
else I never thought I'd hear, "Mississippi Queen;" it was LOUD, rowdy,
everything that Classic Rock radio often forgets about the songs it accepts
into its canon. Who knew one guitar could scream that loudly??
Next up on the roster was King Flux, with Richie Stotts of the Plasmatics
on guitar and Marky Ramone on Drums. For those of you not quite in the
know, This was a band Billy was a part of and had made a cassette EP ,
"kings of the road", in days gone by. In this present, they played two
songs by a band that figured Heavily into the record collection and guitar
style of Billy Hilfiger. The Rolling Stones were massive influence on a lot
of folks, and Billy especially. Let me put it this way: the spirit of the
entire night was the closest I've come to hearing the youthful, unabashed
glee in showing off his guitar signed by one of the Glimmer Twins one cold
night in Postdam.  King Flux punkified the alrady-punky "Jumping Jack
Flash" and "The Last Time."

During the multi-minute breaks between acts the assembled friends and
relations still had fun as (a bit too loud) PA system played a good mix of
rock and roll from that era -- "Dead Flowers" by the Stones (good singin'
Dave!) and Bowie's  "Suffagette City." And at this point, thanks to Joe
(Sardo) for snapping a picture of me and D.Roeser. Good stuff. I still
can't believe i used the word hyperbole in talking to him. Ah, Youth...

Speaking of which, Bouchard, Dunaway, Smith pummelled our ears with 2
Alice Cooper tracks, "Under My Wheels" and something else which I haven't
heard before (better buy the disc!) to reach a shattering conclusion with
Helen Wheels' "Fallen Angel." It was similar in style to the version on "To
Helen With Love" but was characterized by the three-piece REally taking
this song to its limits. If you thought the studio take was good, what I
heard that strange amazing Monday was paint peelingly good. Helen and Billy
MUST have been smiling widely at all these displays of comraderie and
celebration.


to be continued...