A few years ago I called Rosy from the road. In a manifestation of her permanent state of exasperation with me, she declared “I just don't know how to talk
to you when you're on tour. It's always either the best night of your
life or the worst and I don't know how to talk to you.” And I had
no response, because it's true. Driving 6 hours, singing your heart
out for an hour, (not to mention the hours of booking, planning, and
promoting that go into every single show) and then being greeted with
stunning indifference is devastating. But then the opposite-doing all that and seeing people sing along with your songs; connecting on a very real and personal level-there is nothing better. Those are the nights
like last night in Wyandotte that remind you why you do this at all.
This is Mario doing this at all.
As I stepped up to the mic, The Rockery
was suddenly swarmed with a gaggle of ska kids (specifically of the
CBJ variety) and I couldn't have been happier. It's funny how after
only playing one show together this summer, I've come to consider
Mike and Mark and the gang good friends. But this is a world that
breeds fast friendships and faster rivalries, I suppose. Then an hour
talking with Marc Blur about the different varieties of anarchism and
revolutionary politics, interspersed with memories of what Detroit
used to be. Then what seemed like an hour, but turned out to be 3
talking art and sincerity with Justin, the manager of the Rockery,
and Jon-Mikal of The Idiot Kids. It was a conversation that I think all three of us needed pretty badly. This is Mario talking realness with noted
80's video game icon, E.T.
Touring can be a lot of things to a lot of people. I guess to most it's a way to become successful. But as I continue to get older and continually redefine “success,” the pretensions of being a famous musician have faded away leaving only the joy of being able to share my art with people who wouldn't have otherwise heard it, excitement for adventure, and gratitude for the unexpected and unexpectedly meaningful conversations at 4 AM; long after the bar has closed. As long as I can continue to do that, I will continue to be the most successful damn musician on the planet. This is Mario defining success by having all the pickles in the world!
This is Jawbreaker's tour song because
it sums up all the contradictions about as well as anything.
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