I’ve been thinking about Kris Shine today.
Kris co-founded PIGBAT with me and Jon Strunk. PIGBAT was the power trio I played bass and sang with in the early nineties. Kris co-wrote “1991,” one of my more popular songs, for what that’s worth.
PIGBAT was over by 1995.
Kris died in a car crash in 2001.
He’s on my mind today… probably because over the last few days I’ve been watching rock documentaries including “Not A Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story,”
That last one, especially, pulled Kris back to the forefront of my heart. While Kris and I didn’t know each other nearly as long as Mike Watt knew D. Boon and we didn’t grow up together, he was my close friend. Together, we made the most important music of my life so far. And I miss him. I remember the music he loved and loved to play, and I wonder what kind of music Kris would be making today.
And I wonder what kind of music I’ll be making next.
Today I took my bass — a 1972 Gibson Ripper that I’ve played for nearly twenty years and which has seen better days due to an act of vandalism and just plain being nearly as old as I am — into the groovy local music shop to have it overhauled and cleaned up. I’ll find out tomorrow just how much it’s going to cost, but pretty much any price is worth it because this is the first step on my path to making music in a band again.
I figured that out today, you see. There was no epiphany, nor did I spend much time brooding on it. I just knew. I need to start another band, and in that band, I need to be writing songs, playing bass and singing.
Why “need?” Well, gentle reader, why do I need to do anything creative? Because to not do so is to be less myself, and these days I’m all about being as much myself as I possibly can.
I’m not a spiritual person, per se, but Kris being so strongly in my thoughts today feels like a kind of validation of this need. I think Kris would be sporting that wide grin of his if he knew I was itching to get going again.
There’s a vision in my head, kinda fuzzy but getting clearer the more I think about it, of what this band will be like. I’ll write more about it as I get a little ways farther along. For now, I just wanted to mention it, and acknowledge my friend.
Possibly related posts:
It’s a shame we live on opposite sides of the country. I’ve been itching to get back into a band, too. Not only is playing live music an awesome creative outlet, but it’s a great excuse to get a sweet, way-too-big-for-my-needs amplifier
Whoever I may wind up with must be happy playing bass AND guitar, though. I’m a lifelong guitarist, but have developed a serious love affair with bass, and wouldn’t be happy not doing both.
Earlier, I’d been thinking of doing long distance collaborations on a large scale, and I may do that with “Keyhole,” my next solo album… but yeah, I’m really itching to sweat and work and make stuff with two other people. You should go for it, too!
We owe it to ourselves, and to our friends, to be who we really are. I’m sure Kris would urge you to remember who you were and get back to that guy. To be anyone else is worse than death – it’s a living lie.
Indeed, Justin. I’ve got nothing to add to that!