Page 67 of Paint the Town, Dove
How can you watch the essence of raw talent and flinch?
It was fable to me, the way that a singular individual could possess so much,toomuch, and touch the world with all that he had.
His vocals, his music – the way he could capture a room the second he stepped on stage, as if the planet itself stopped spinning and all that remained were your heart and his.
Among the thousands in the crowd, it felt intimate, hearing Ryden sing.Personal.
“It’s the catalyst that brought me, to the place I’m meant to be –
The catalyst that allowed me to see!”
My heart sang with him.
Truth be told, I never liked music.
It was Ryden who taught me the beauty of sound.
The concept was as foreign as love, and even then, I was still trying to navigate the roadmap on how to understand it.
It was never music in my house, just…noise.
“This is how you drown it out!” Flack. “This bottle. This bottle, Violet!”
“Cut the noise, my show is on!”Sinead. She wasn’t watching anything. Unless you count the TV in her head.
Noise was never meant to be beautiful, it was never meant to be anything but a warning.
Where sound emanated, danger followed.
It was a breeding ground for my…whateverthey were.
Myparentshated noise.
And they made the most.
But rock stars like my Ryden, as Bono said –
Rock stars are good at making noise.
***
Ryden performed his usual set:
Vagabond, Catalyst, Snowfall, Fight It(a personal favourite of mine),Ignorance, Pots and Plants(hate this one… hit too close to home),Harley, Protect me, Rain and Sun, and The Wind Can’t Help you.
His closer was always the title of his tour –See you at Sundown. The team advised he start out with it, but Ryden did what he wanted (as I encouraged him to), and he was better off for it.
You’re the talent, I always told him,you hold the power to your voice. No one else.
It’s easy to say that to a rock star.
It’s harder to believe it otherwise.
“Thank you, thank you! I love you New York! My home! My people! My fuc –”
Ryden wascut off by Mallory. “NO SWEARING ON STAGE!”
Morty glanced behind me, chuckling. I smirked.What a dumbass.
