Wednesday Reflections: THANK YOU!

I am lucky.

Apart from just still being here after spine and hip surgery. I mean in these other ways.

I remember seeing a picture of Peter Gabriel walking to the front of the stage at a packed stadium concert, turn around and then slowly fell backwards into the audience like an insane corporate team building exercise. Of course he was caught, I feel like that right now, and actually most days at the Museum.

That’s what the last 4.5 years have felt like. At the beginning, in the middle, and now, almost on a daily basis. So many stories of generosity – here’s just a few people from hundreds: Mark Durante, Mona Mur, Dan Earle, Paul Sowadski, Bart Flores, Ben Hobaugh, Steve Silver, Lucia Cifarelli, Jolly Roger, Marky Ray, Shani Goss & Tronnie Goss, Gary Hasty, Brian Shanley, Martha Kohlstrand, Josh Pyle, Jim Verheyen Currie III, Mike Coon, and so many more people bringing goosebump moments.

It just happened again.

You probably know, we are doubling the size of the Museum and expanding to 5500 sq feet to include a 4 bedroom Airbnb upstairs, filled with more amazing items. To finance that leap, I’ve put some of my personal, treasured, analog studio pieces up in a shop partnered with Reverb.com. I have said this a lot, I wouldn’t sell the Otari ¼” tape machine owned by Steve Albini for money, but I will part with it for this. There are other items up in the store, too — a Syndrum Twin, Intersound EQ unit and one of my Roland space echo tape delays.

I just received a message about that tape delay from one of our founders Kevin Kapala that stopped me in my tracks. Kevin made a generous offer for the unit and, just as I was telling myself that at least it was going to a good home – like I guess people who adopt distressed animals feel like when they find them their forever home – Kevin said that he would like it to remain at the Museum down in the studio for everyone.

I don’t even know where to start with that generosity, support, humanity? Of course, THANK-YOU! And how important, essential even, to see this side of people in these troubling times. I have always thought that music is a great connector, healer, & helper, but didn’t expect that from the Museum. I can feel my role here changing wonderfully from the guy who has these things to some kind of janitor with key access to this marvelous, healing place.

THANK YOU Kevin, thank you music, thank you COMMUNITY,  thank you everyone.

At the end of Pigface shows I used to say, ‘it’s not my label – it’s YOUR label!’

Well, guess what….