`````````````+++````````````````````+````````````````` `````````````+```+```````````````````+`````````````````` '''''''''''''+''''+''+++''''+++''''++++'''+++''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''+'++++''+''+''+'''+''+'''+''+'''+''''''''''''' '''''''''''''''+'''''+'''''++'+++'++'+++'++'+++'+''''''''''''' ||||||||||||||||+||||||+|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||+||||||||||||||||||||||||anada.net||||||||||||||| ' ' ' anada "Woodrow, a Pile of Sticks" 07 feb ' ' 285 by Oregano 2001 ' ` ` ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` "I don't know, Stoney, it just doesn't seem like a sign, I think she was just being polite," said Jimmy as he and Stoney sat in the hallway outside the school library killing time before the bell telling them lunch was over. Stoney asked, "Tell me it all, leave no detail unturned." "Okay," said Jimmy, "I was talking to Mr. Becker in the hallway after English..." "Why were you doing that?" Stoney asked. "Mr. Becker recommended a good science fiction book to me, he said there are actually science fiction books that are well-written when he saw me reading a Roger Zelazney book," said Jimmy, "but that is beside the point. So I was talking to Mr. Becker and then there was Shauna, she came up and talked to Mr. Becker and I was there, and before she talked to Mr. Becker she put out her hand and said 'Hi, I'm Shauna, I've seen you around.' Like everyone in school doesn't know who she is. Man she is so perfect," added Jimmy. "Did you shake her hand or did you stand there like an idiot? Did you ask her to go to Nathan's after school for french fries?" Stoney said. "I did shake her hand, but I think she was just trying to be friendly, if she liked me it would be a more obvious sign... I think... she has got me all... I don't know... something." Jimmy looked visably bewildered. "Dude, that is exactly the kind of sign that girls give. She gave you a big green light and you didn't take advantage, you have to act fast or the chance will be gone, the green light might still be on for a second chance, she might think you were just trying to play it cool in front of Mr. Becker, but don't let it slip. Don't be like Canned Heat." Jimmy winced, here comes the big speech, he thought, but he asked anyway, "What is Canned Heat, I hope this is not some weird '70s thing like the Pet Rock that your dad spazzes about all the time." "Nope," replied Stoney, "it was a rock band in the '60s that went nowhere." "Even worse, bad classic rock, as if good classic rock is not bad enough," Jimmy said with a smile. "Now is not the time for me to school you into the proper music, you are going to let Shauna get away, just like Canned Heat let the Monterey Music Festival get away from them," Stoney said forcefully. "I am listening," said Jimmy, "But make it quick, and this better be relevant." "Picture this," said Stoney, "1967 and there is this huge music festival in California, the first big one of its kind, no Woodstock, no Lollapalooza before it to guide the way, no one knows how to do this, it was put together there first and they were inventing the rules. Anyway all sorts of bands were invited, most are obscure now and only a handful became superstars." "Dull as dishwater," replied Jimmy, "The '60s sucked, all hype, get to a point." "Canned Heat came on on the first day, they were a promising act and here was a venue for them to shine. But here is the deal, there was no one putting pressure on them to perform well. No one said, 'lads, here is your big break' so when they went on they must have been figuring they were getting paid anyway, and this festival was a laid back kind of event, not the big thing festivals are these days, and so they did a very average set, almost sleep walked through it. The crowd was polite and clapped when they were done and I bet their manager said 'god job lads.' but it was no big deal to them or to the fans, they broke up a few years later and it was no big deal, no regrets, they just didn't manage to break out and make a name for themselves like they thought they could. They all found other jobs and lived normal and pleasant lives." "Okay," said Jimmy, "what is the point, you are saying that if I let this go, things will be okay for me, that is not anything I could not figure out for myself." Stoney raised a finger in the air, "Ahh, but we are forgetting Otis Redding." Stoney paused to make Jimmy listen more intently, "Otis came on in the third day, he was a soul singer, he was invited because kids our age dabbled in soul music, but it was kind of like how Swing music was a few years ago, it was fun little kicks, but nothing serious, nothing you'd listen to two years later. Nothing much was expected of Otis Redding and he was not even geting paid to be there, just airfare and a hotel room. He could have done the same thing Canned Heat did, he could have walked through the set and the kids would say, 'Ahh that was pleasant, I am a fan of this soul music,' but the next day it would be forgotten." "Continue on," said Jimmy, now paying close attention. "Otis Redding did not just do a good show, he blew everyone away. Listen to the CD and the crowd is polite as he comes on stage, they welcome him like they are all knowledgeable of soul music. Then he starts into "Shake" and suddenly the crowd is really quiet, like they are stunned, there is a real force on stage in front of them and then soon there are a few cheers and then, BAM, the place comes alive, I picture people jumping around dancing when I hear that song, and Otis he is on fire, he gives everything he has and the band picks up on this and they are blowing a storm and the whole event suddenly changes, he changed the entire Monterey Pop Festival right there. He continues on with his set and when he talks a little between songs and you can hear him out of breath and you can almost hear the sweat and that he is holding nothing back. "Based on that performance, soul music became a vital part of American music and changed the way rock music was performed, it was now okay with people like us to listen to, and Otis Redding became a legend, riding high until he died in a plane crash a few years later." Jimmy was listening with his mouth open, "Wow, that must have been something." Stoney continued, "There is the thing here, Jimmy, here is the point. You can be Canned Heat and nothing would be regretted with Shauna, you'd just write it off as her maybe not being interested, nothing really lost, things would pass by, just sort of coast along. But on the other hand you can take this small opening, this rare opportunity and be Otis Redding. Win over Shauna, make your stand. She gave you the opening, now you have to turn it into a date, into something wonderful." Jimmy seemed a little dubious, but enthused, "I will, I can make this happen, " he said. [`'`'`] Two days later Jimmy ran into Stoney at Settler's CDs. "I saw Shauna yesterday," Jimmy said, "and I went up to her and talked to her, even though I was so nervous I was shaking." "Yeah?" asked Stoney, "and what happened?" "Canned Heat, baby, totally Canned Heat." |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ' ' ` anada285 by Oregano (c) 2001 anada e'zine `