Band Of Old Brothers

This just in, I GOT A JOB!!!!

More on that in 228 words.

Long story short, instead of taking the school bus up to my daughter’s retreat last week, I decided to drive my own car.  In my passenger seat was Mike, the father of my one of my daughter’s best friends, a man I had never met before.

In the two plus hours up, we had a chance to learn a lot about each other and I think we both like what we heard.

Like me, Mike is in his 40’s, so we had a lot of in common.

We both like sports, we both worship our kids and we both LOVE music.

Mike told me that he and his neighbors have become obsessed with the video game Rock Band.   Obsessed to the point, where he and a couple of guys from his block have joined together to make their own Rock Band.

When he told me that he plays the expert level on drums, I knew he wasn’t kidding.

I’m not even sure that Buddy Rich could’ve figured out the expert level on Rock Band.

Well after a few months of staring at the video screen late in the early AM, I guess they decided that it was time to try the real thing.

They had Mike on drums, Scott on guitar and Chris on bass, but one piece was missing from this midlife crisis.

A singer.

Enter me.  

On the drive up I made the mistake of telling Mike that I was the singer in a college band.

23 YEARS AGO!!!

Yes, I still sing in the shower.  In the car.   In the kitchen.  Pretty much anywhere I can, but I don’t sing in a band.

Until now.

Mike called me last night and said, “be over at my house in an hour for band practice.”

Yes sir.

Hey, I haven’t had a job interview in a while, so there was no way I was going to turn this one down.

I quickly rummaged through my closet and found my most-ripped up pair of jeans -- that’s what us rock stars do you know -- and I headed over there.

On the way, I stopped at the liquor store to pick up a 12-pack so that they knew I was serious.  That and hopefully the alcohol would inhibit their hearing in case I stunk. 

So I got there, met the band and we jumped right in.

Within a song or two, it was pretty clear that I had nailed this job interview like no other.   

I was waiting for Human Resources to make a formal offer, but instead it was Mike who casually said, “you got the job.”

Really.  

Awesome.

I guess the old guy has still got it.

“Our first gig is in two weeks at our block party and we need to learn four songs.”

So much for the fun and games.

We practiced with real instruments until about 11:00pm, then went back to Scott’s house to play Rock Band for another hour.

Are we wild or what?

Hey, it’s a job and that’s what us working people do.