PRICELESS

Gas to go out for the evening: $5.00

Wig rental for my wife to look like a groupie: $20

An evening spent with my life partner, family and friends listening to Atomic Punks: PRICELESS

Magic happens in strange ways.  Sometimes it’s a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat,  sometimes it’s an unexplainable scientific event and sometimes it’s a bunch of things all coming together at the right time and place to create an evening of magic.  Last night was one of those times.

When I was invited to my son’s company Christmas party, the invitation stated the entertainment would be provided by Atomic Punks.  I immediately Googled Atomic Punks to see who or what they were.  They are what we music aficionados call a Tribute Band.  It takes big stardom to warrant a Tribute Band.  Big stardom would describe Van Halen, the band that Atomic Punks pay tribute to by emulating them from A to Z.  Everything about Van Halen except their blood type is copied so as to create the feeling that one is watching and listening to the original.

It was no coincidence that Atomic Punks was picked to entertain for this party.  It so happens Van Halen was THE band of the years our kids were growing up.  While our daughters tilted more toward heavy metal, our son head bobbed around our house imitating Billy Idol and Van Halen.  Since this Christmas party was for his company, he chose Atomic Punks.
 
My wife and I were sitting at a table having dinner when the band arrived.  They wandered in wearing their street clothes, introduced themselves and asked where to set up.  Having raised 4 kids I can spot these rock types right off.  The longish hair and the look of not having had a square meal in 6 months.  While having dessert we could hear the band warming up and tuning their guitars.        

We were told the show would begin soon and to adjourn to the showroom.  In this case the showroom was a warehouse with velvet curtains hung to hide the machinery, equipment and supplies stored there.  A makeshift stage was set up along with professional lighting and sound equipment, cocktail tables were scattered around and family, friends and business associates settled in.  A piece of the magic mentioned earlier was in place.

As the band came onstage I hardly recognized the guys I had seen earlier in street clothes.  Three of the four wore a kind of a grunge look while the lead singer Brian, who passed as Eddie Van Halen, wore skin tight silky or velour pants with one design on the back and another the front and a sleeveless top that looked as though it had been ripped to shreds.  As he welcomed everyone he mentioned it was their first performance in a warehouse. 

With speakers the size of railroad cars the joint vibrated as they launched into a series of hits from the good old days.  That is if your good old days happened to be the seventies and eighties.  With me being the single exception everyone there knew every single word to every single song and when to thrust their fist in the air, perfectly in tune with the music.  More magic. 

During the song “Ice Cream Man” Brian, noticed one particular guy that was quite into the performance.  It didn’t take much urging but he invited my daughter’s boyfriend Eddie up to sing the last part of the song.  Emboldened with a glass or four of white wine, Eddie got up with the band.  While the crowd shouted “Eddie!!, Eddie!!, Eddie!!” he sang the last few bars of Ice Cream Man to thunderous applause.  More magic.

Next my son was invited up to do his version of the same finish to Ice Cream Man.  Having known my son since diapers, this was about as out of character for him as me trying to do the samba on Dancing With the Stars.  I know he was thinking “I can’t back out now”.  Spurred on by the challenge thrown down by Eddie, he did his best Van Halen imitation and showed amazing range of voice for a man whose Dad couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.  He finished it off with a Van Halen style leap in the air, arm thrusting move the master would have been proud of.  As I have been reminded many times over the years, we think we know our kids but there are often surprises.  

My wife and I watched all of this while seated on a sofa surrounded by our kids, grand kids, in-laws and very special friends.  It was one of those magical nights.