Mindlikewater 1-7-11 Rockstar Lounge
Spending a lazy Saturday at home. Overcast winter day in the 30′s in our new home in New York. Sun is trying to peak through the clouds. What started as a void mind has gotten rather nostalgic and forward thinking at the same time. I flipped through Netflix and saw the Pearl Jam Twenty documentary by, Cameron Crowe. I have always been a fan and I really enjoyed Eddie Vedder’s Ukulele record. So, I added it to my queue and pressed play. I am not sure I had any expectations about how a documentary about Pearl jam might play out. Yes it had live footage an mention of the Grunge era. What I found most enjoyable about it was how Cameron Crowe assembled the footage to portray not just a band, but a group of friends. Like minds if you will. There were many times through out the film that reminded me very much of the early days of Mindlikewater. Not that I would compare us to Pearl Jam…sound or success wise. However, I did feel an eerily similar vibe when they were just talking about how it all came together. It is always by chance. So and so knew this guy that introduced the other guy and so on. Anyhow, The film walked down the years and it was more a portrayal of how friends got through the other side of the maze. Really hit home for me. Mindlikewater might not be the stadium band making millions but it is none the less important to me. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t think about something the band has done or how it might continue. Cameron Crowe did a wonderful job showing how important Pearl jam was to each member. I was peeled to the interview segments and thinking about each moment that was monumental to me with Mindlikewater. I am sure we each have different fond memories. I spoke Jim Wells on the phone the other day and he said something that stuck. “We grew up in this band man. Got out of high school, got married and moved out of our parent’s places, had kids…” Yeah we took a 4 year hiatus but I think we all needed time to realize where we were going. Once we got to a place that felt good there was this thing called, Mindlikewater that was missing. Over 10 years later I live over a days drive away form Florida and we are still working on music. We are still talking about the next time we are going to play when I visit. We still crack jokes with words like, Alfredo and white pickle. We are all the same and totally different. Which is interesting to me. I think the band name has a new meaning for me now. My mind is clear enough to think about my life and the experiences that Mindlikewater have shared as a band. We can seem to look forward to whatever is next. Moving out of state did not kill the band. It made it hungry to find a way to write and keep things moving. Cannot wait to see what is next. Thanks Cameron Crowe for making me think today.