February 19/13

The nostalgic effect of music is a very potent, powerful force, particularly if the memories triggered by music are all at once moments of shiny, happy, genuine joy, mixed with cringe-worthy reminders of tall, over-sprayed bangs and jeans rolled and tucked into slouch socks.

I've been revisiting my youth these days, after the news of Amanda's passing.  Amanda was in the grade below me, but the proximity of our houses, and the fact that she was only 6 months younger than me meant that we were drawn to playing together.  In those days of elementary school, we had different friends, but in the summers, we were like all the other kids along School Draw Avenue, all playing and hanging out at the playground, regardless of age.  As we got older, interests changed from swinging the highest on the swings to experimenting with make-up, learning the fine art of curling and/or crimping hair, and music.

Amanda was actually a part of my discovery of some of the best music of my youth.  The first time I ever saw/heard Nirvana's debut single Smells Like Teen Spirit was on MuchMusic in Amanda's basement.  She brought Bon Jovi's Bed of Roses into our lives in a big way.  We all got into our Janis Joplin phase in the upstairs addition, as Amanda and Crystal abused their ever-loving, long-suffering friend (Me) with bad make-up and old lady wigs (GRANNY HAT'CHU!!).  Children of the 80's, we were the prime targets for the burgeoning alternative rock scene, complete with mix tapes of Jimi Hendrix and Pearl Jam.

But I can't lie; Amanda's house was ground zero for some pretty awful moments in music.  We blasted Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.  We danced like possessed fools to C+C Music Factory.  And worse still, we lip-synced to Rick Astley's massive hit, Never Gonna Give You Up, and I'm not sure we weren't doing it in earnest.  It gets worse, if you can believe it. 

Two Words: Wilson.  Phillips.

Yes, it's hard to keep your awesome music credentials up when you are holding a brush and giving your all to the lyrics "Some day somebody's gonna make you want to / Turn around and say goodbye / Until then baby are you going to let them / Hold you down and make you cry / Don't you know? / Don't you know things can change / Things'll go your way / If you hold on for one more day yeah / If you hold on" at 11 o'clock on a Saturday night.

Lean on Me...

...Wish you were here.