I’m sitting here this evening with my good pal, Slappy the Frog (I’m hoping there is at least one person out there that understands why my frog is named “Slappy”).  Anyway, I’m working late as usual, with Slappy perched upon my monitor, staring blankly at me, yet somehow inspiring me to move forward with my work.  Of course, I am recovering from a late night, but hey, such is life.  One week ago, I was also recovering from a late night that included one of the best musician performances I have ever seen.  Tonight, as I sit with Slappy remembering last week’s concert, I am convinced that something is definitely wrong in the music world.

The concert lineup was four bands:  one decent, one rocked, one disappointing, and one amazingly awesome.   The one I want to ramble about is the last of these, Our Lady Peace.  They were the whole reason I bought the concert tickets, even though they were not the headliner.  This was the third time I have seen them perform in a year.  I really am contemplating quitting my job and becoming a professional OLP groupie – I’m sure it would be a great career move for me if it would only pay the bills. 

Here’s a question for you:  have you ever heard of Our Lady Peace?  Chances are, no.  Or maybe you have, but only from the one radio hit they have (unless you are so blessed to live in a college town and you take full advantage of the cutting edge music played there).  I always wonder why bands like OLP have not made it into every person’s CD collection as I passionately believe they should.  And unfortunately, OLP is not alone.  There are so many bands and musicians out there just exploding with talent, and only a few of us know about them.  That is a very sad thing.  We’re talking about musicians who have fully paid their dues.  They’ve lived in vans with cheeseburgers for sustenance, sacrificing families, friends and relationships – only to turn jean pockets inside-out each night and find them empty.  They are worn-out, broken-down, and yet they still get up on stage and beautifully play tired songs to half-empty bars.  Need I say more? 

And now it’s time for your homework assignment.  Find the unknowns.  Support your local bands.  Spread the word and get the music out there.  This is their life; make it yours.

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