Susan’s Music Talk and Cool Shit

Now, it stands to reason that anyone who grew up the way I did loves great music. That I love to throb with music. (Oh, shut up, you gutter brains!)

When I was little, my sister played the flute and piccolo. She’d practice for hours. Thus, music is something that’s always been a part of me, something I miss when it’s not around and like many musicians, something I hear in the oddest of places.

Too bad I can’t play it worth a damn.

So of course I fell in love with the absolute brilliance that is Apocalyptica. A four-man cello band from Finland who got their start playing Metallica??

Man, that start was only the tip of the iceberg for those boys. I can not listen to the song Burn from their newest album without humming and thrumming along. Sheer brilliance. Sometimes, depending on where I am and how sunk into listening I am, it brings tears to my eyes. (That link’ll take you to a live version)

That’s why, when #1 brought home a note from the school orchestra teacher inviting the kids to a free concert by cello rock group CelloFourte, I figured they’d have to call the cops to get me out of that auditorium. Live music? Good live music? I am so there.

Turns out it wasn’t an issue. Heck, with that large number of kids from third grade on up, the powers that be at the school were probably quite glad to see us parents sprinkled in among the students.

CelloFourte only played for an hour, which was about right for those of us with younger kids. #1 sat a row in front of me with three of his friends, transfixed. Me, I fought the urge to go stand up somewhere. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen live music and the sound of those cellos… oh, man. Soulful. Different from Apocalyptica, and different is good. These three men and one woman can certainly put their own stamp on the cello rock genre.

Afterward, #1 and his friend wanted copies of the newest CelloFourte CD. And this is when the Pittsburgh connection kicked in.

Turns out that the very coolly named Tate (uhh, he’d be the cello player in the band) works for a friend of mine. And when he’s not doing that, he’s playing with a band you might have heard of… Skillet.

My jaw dropped. Skillet? The same Skillet I hear (not often enough) on Squizz? The same Skillet who does the amazingly moving The Last Night?

Tate, dude, we gotta be friends. My living room makes a great practice space, ya know…