Yes, You Can Go Back!
Night Ranger. Seriously. Am I really going to see Night Ranger in concert? In 2024?
Sister Christian came out in 1984. You remember that one. Went to number five on the Billboard Hot 100. And the band had enough decent songs to put out a respectable Greatest Hits album. But 40 years have passed since Night Ranger was a regular on Top 40 radio stations and were selling out mid-tier concert venues.
Why the hell would I want to drive from Madison, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois to see a band that I haven’t even thought about in over 30 years? Well, the answer is simple. One of my best friends from high school invited me. And what a welcome invitation it was.
Our lives move at the speed of light. Or the slightly more manageable speed of sound if we’re lucky. We move so damn fast that people we used to spend every waking moment with from grade school through high school, people who we shared our most intimate thoughts with have become those that merit twice a year phone calls or a dinner every ten years. Life simply takes over. Marriage, mortgage, kids, grandkids, little league, ailing parents, the list goes on and on.
But every so often a call comes. Thankfully. A call from a dear friend that reminds us to just say “Yes”. And unexpectedly your heart and brain work in tandem and push down the reflex to say, “I need to check the calendar”. Or, “let me check with the boss”. Or, “there’s a remote chance that I just might have a conflict and I’d hate to be double booked, blah, blah, blah…”. Say “YES”. Go see that friend. Spend quality time. Find a dog sitter and spend the night. Stay out late. Grab breakfast the next day. Laugh about the old times. Compare prescription medications. Whatever, just be present and bask in the honest truth that what you shared at a formidable time in your life mattered. A lot. This friend had my back and I had his. Through highs and lows, girlfriends, heartbreak, successes, failures, even one misguided evening that ended in the back of a squad car… we lived it all together.
That’s the power of friendship. It’s also the power of music. It’s true, we can go back. Music will take us there. Music is the direct line to every chapter of our lives. And in this case, when Mike called to see if I’d like to go see Night Ranger for old times’ sake, songs I hadn’t heard since the late 80’s flooded over me. The path took me right to my freshman year in college and I felt like I was in my teens again. Looking for my fake ID so we can go to the show and have a great time!
Music has a special healing power. It’s communal. It brings joy. It brings friends together. And live music is a shared experience. And an experience that in this case I’m lucky enough to share with one of the best friends a person could ever hope to have. Even if we don’t see each other nearly often enough. This is a reminder that friendships stand the test of time. And music is the keeper of our memories.
So yes, I’m not embarrassed to say I’m going to see Night Ranger. They were important to me way back when. Part of the soundtrack of my life. And I’m proud to say that I can still Rock in America. I’ll just be wearing Hokas and a knee brace this time around.
