RIP Professor. Neil Peart

Im sitting at work sad as fuck. Neil Peart is gone.

My two closest friends texted me within five minutes when the news broke. Dean, who has been a lifelong Rush fan hit me with the news first. We saw Rush together on their last tour in 2015. A couple minutes later Shane, my lifelong brother in life and music, texted me the news. They both knew how I would feel. They both share a deep love of music with me and an even deeper understanding of what this loss means.

Neil Peart wasn’t just a rock drummer. He is probably considered to be the greatest drummer who ever picked up the sticks. That is a debate, considering your own preference and musical interests. But any rock musician would put him in the top of their lists of influence. His methods, perfection and skill is absolutely beyond estimation. But Neil wrote all the Rush lyrics. So those words, were influenced by all sorts of fantasy and literature, who did comparisons with history and the psyche. All of it was from him. And the lyrics had substance. It went beyond just kicking ass and chasing chicks. Its not common in rock radio to be talking about integrity and honesty in a radio hit (Spirit of the Radio). Or even breaking down a love of a motor car (Red Barchetta). Or using history as a parable for a futuristic story about humans enslaves by aliens, inspired by German concentration camps that his bandmate’s family endured (Red Sector A). Or fuck, the granddaddy of them all: rebuttal of a totalitarian society who controlled and subdued creativity per potential rebellion, and it was a comment on their current state in their industry as artists (2112).

The examples go on and on. For me, i connected with lyrics about just wanting to be the cool kid in school, when I wasn’t (Subdivisions). And knowing you have to work hard to make your dreams come true (Something for Nothing). But today, i’m thinking about Neil, his life and the life of those whom I hold dear in my life and whom I share a love of music with. Its a garden to nurture and protect (The Garden).

Im sitting at work, devastated. Ive cried a lot today. Im sitting in silence. I want to turn on some Rush from my phone, but I don’t even know where to start. I’m not sure I can right now. I know it would turn me into a blubbering mess. Its yet another thing that changes for me as I grow older. You love a musician or an actor or an artist. They die, then you come back to the work and see it in a different way. Sad that its the end and you now have a complete body of their work, knowing nothing else will come from them. Amazed and sad at their work and performance, because it means so much to you. You use their art to define you and who you are. Like when I watch Star Trek now, I cry. Because I love those folks and miss them. He same it shall be now for Rush. I won’t hear it the same way again.

But most of all, I am grateful to have lived during the lifetime of those whose work spoke to me. Im grateful they gave me their art and grateful for who they were. Neil was a great man. A monster musician. A monster writer. And a humble, quiet, peaceful person. He endured the sudden loss of his daughter to a car accident, the loss of his wife to cancer and found happiness in continuing. He leaves behind a daughter who will have to find her own way now to cope without him. And he was so humble that even when he is considered the greatest, he cared enough about his craft that he re-learned how to play with teacher Fred Gruber. He changed his style and made himself better, without ego. That shows how much he cared and wanted to continue to grow and learn. He didn’t crave the attention or the limelight, in fact he ran out of the stadium after the last cymbal crash  to avoid it. He came,  he played and he gave it all to us. The best. The greatest. And he showed us how to be a great person.

This loss is incalcuable. For me on a personal level, it is devastating. I will not be the same again. RIP Maestro. The Professor. Thank you, beyond words.

“The treasure of a life is a measure of love and respect.
The way you live, the gifts that you give.
The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect.
So hard to earn, so easily burned.
In the fullness of time,
A garden to nurture and protect.”

—The Garden. RUSH off of CLOCKWORK ANGELS. Lyrics by Neil Peart. RIP

Year End Lists - Xmas - More

Hey everyone! We're close to Santa's arrival! You got alla yer shoppin' done yet? Wife gets her bonus this week and thats when we are gonna rock and roll. We got all the kids squared away, but not ourselves! So looking to do that this weekend. I'm anticipating all vinyl-related materials. :)

Hey folks! The 200th Episode of the IDIOTHEAD MORNING SHOW is up, and we're at episode #202 now, where I do my annual year end TOP 5 lists and all that. I will redo it here in the blog (see below) but this is audio extra content, plus my list of RIPs of people we lost this year. Download and subscribe via Itunes right HERE. Its free! Can't beat that!

I've been working on some card commissions this week, however I did go through a bout of sickness too. It really derailed me. A nice feeling of weakness and nausea. Awesome. But I am back to 99% today and feeling good. I need to rock and roll on these cards and other commissions tonight and this weekend and get caught back up. I'm really behind on shit. I need to light the fire here!

Scott is having his year end/Xmas parties at school and that is fun. Holidays are great now that I get to celebrate with kids. I finally get over my sadness over the holiday season of bad old memories and get to make new ones. I enjoy shopping for them. I made my oldest son happy by scoring him an Xbox360 and we got some choice things for the other kids too. Very exciting times. I just gotta shop for myself and the wife now. She's easy. Jewelry, fuzzy pants/socks. Etc. But I got a few fun things in mind for her. I won't state it here in case she happens to read my bloggy.

2014 CONVENTION DATES are already beginning! The MSU COMICS FORUM in Lansing, MI will be On Feb 22nd on the campus of Michigan State University. I'll be set up there for the third year in a row! For info on the show go HERE.

Also, I am going to be at CHERRY CAPTIAL CON May 23-25th. My first time there! Details on the show are HERE.

Okay, without further bullshit, here's my LISTS of the year for 2013:

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BEST NEW ALBUM:

Ghost – Infantessimum

Alice in Chains – The Devil put Dinosaurs Here

Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks

Rob Zombie – Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor

Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt

Black Sabbath – 13

The Winery Dogs

Ghost – If you have Ghost EP

Nirvana – In Utero Deluxe

Saxon - Sacrifice

BEST SONGS FOR THE YEAR:

“Year Zero”  - Ghost

“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk

“Came Back Haunted” – NIN

“Hollow” – Alice in Chains

“Rare Jam” – Nirvana (In Utero Unreleased song)/Crucified – (cover) Ghost

BEST MOVIES:

(to be honest, I haven’t seen a lot of new movies this year. Its hard to get out of the house with the kids. But the two I have seen and will put on this list are)

Sound City—EASILY My favorite movie of the year

Gravity

(and yes, TREK isn’t on my list. WOW!)

BOOKS:

(these are books that I read this year and ranked)

Ghost Rider – Neil Peart

Smoke and Mirrors – Neil Gaiman

These are the Voyages – Cushman

The War of Art – Pressfield

Happy Endings – Jim Norton

(Hon. Mention: Girlvert – Ashley Blue)

BEST EVENTS:

Concerts I went to: Rush, Black Sabbath, Saxon. All fun events!

Wizard World – I sold well. It was a great vacation. The aftermath home was not so good, but the show itself went great.

Rediscovering my Love of Vinyl Records – This is a newer development but I am submerged deeply.

Wife’s New Job – Wife got a new job as the store manager of a FIVE BELOW and she’s kicking ass at it. The money is better, she’s getting treated better and she’s really performing well, so much so that the president of the company is noticing. This leads too…

Me quitting The Strip Club – A long time coming. Glad it finally happened. Read the aftermath in my upcoming tell all book! (Due 2014)

WORST EVENTS:

Bankruptsy – Declaring it was shameful but it worked out for the best for us. Happy we did it now. But we’re working on re-building.

Scotts Meds – Trying to figure out what will help him learn what he needs to has been a roller coaster.

Star Trek Into Darkness sucked my fat balls. Yes.

Dental Surgery – All year I was dealing with a broken, rotten wisdom tooth. Got it pulled in November and its been wonderful ever since. The surgery itself was easy as hell, but the anticipation sucked.

10^th Wedding Anniversary – Not the Anniversary sucked, but we couldn’t really do anything for it. I wanted to have a big event and gather our friends but with everything going on, it just seemed impossible. I regret that we couldn’t. Maybe for the 15^th or 20^th?

BEST TV SHOWS

Breaking Bad

Walking Dead

Toy Hunter

Doctor Who (especially the 50^th Special!)

For What its Worth (helped me rediscover vinyl)

TOP THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014:

Finishing all my projects. Especially my written books.

My 20^th Anniversary in comics celebration and convention tour.

Delving deeper into my vinyl obsession.

Paying off all cars with the wife’s new job bonus structure.

Continuing improving myself physically and mentally and ignoring  old bad habits like focusing on internet hate and social media. Just disconnecting from it and not caring anymore.

Thanks for reading! Be safe this weekend! Peace and Love, Peace and Love.

T