So on Sunday morning, Greg drove me to the airport, and we had a great conversation
along the way. I reluctantly walked into the Raleigh-Durham airport. My flight got
cancelled, so they booked me on a later flight. So I had plenty of time to sit in the
airport thinking about my experience that I just had following Blind Melon out east.
It was surreal and so real.
It was wonderful getting to hear the music of Blind Melon in a live setting for the first
time, and it was also great to meet the band members. Definitely a dream come true. But
even beyond that, meeting the other melons was just as cool or even cooler than meeting
the band. Most of the people that I met, I had talked with in length on the Blind Melon
Forum. So I can wonder how much I really knew them before I met them in real life. But
here's what I do know - it took very little time to connect with these people and cement
a friendship that will last for years to come. We were all different in our own unique
ways, but there were plenty of ways that we were all very similar and understood one
another. Does it sound cheesy yet? Well, it's true even if that's how it sounds. I can't
say enough good things about all of these people who contributed to the experience I had
out there. (You know who you are!)
Here's a quote from Shannon Hoon (where he is talking about Blind Melon fans) and it really
resonates with me after having met all these wonderful people.
"They're not jaded people, who aren't there to have a good time, y'know?" - Shannon Hoon
The people I had met on this trip were definitely not jaded people. They were,
in fact, people who understood the value of the music of Blind Melon. And for me,
that is definitely a most welcome change!
As far as the music goes. . . it was amazing! When you listen to the new album, you can
tell that it's the same musicians creating music together. But you can also tell that it is
different than the first two or three albums from ten+ years ago. They have all evolved as
musicians, and they have other things to say, or maybe different ways of saying it. So even
though I am making the point that the new album sounds a little different, let me also say that
when you hear them play the new and old songs back to back in a live setting, that difference
fades away quickly! The new and old material seems to blend together and totally makes sense.
Again, I want to say thank you to Blind Melon for making this all happen! I have been waiting
a long time to see a live Blind Melon performance. And most of that time, I didn't even think
that it was a possibility. What a wonderful surprise. Leading up to this trip, I kept saying
that it won't feel real to me until I am actually there watching them play and listening to
the music. Well, now it's as real as it gets. . . hearing the music, talking with the band, and
meeting other people who feel the same way about this music. This trip just could not have been
any better. Thank you Blind Melon (and God bless Shannon Hoon)!
Ryan on Stage w/ Blind Melon
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Here's a video of Greg's phone onstage next to the monitors. He was sending me the broadcast via cell phone! :)
Don't forget to check out the Blind Melon Articles website!