Bye,Bye, Love

It was an early evening phone call.
"Hi Thom, it's Mark"
"Hey, what's up?"
Mark and I had been playing music together for years, starting around 1992 or so. He only lived two houses away, so it was easy to practice whenever we felt like it. Over the years the members of the "band" had changed many times, sometimes even including our wives, and other "strays" we picked up from time to time.

But basically, it was Mark and I. He had a better voice and wider range, but somehow we managed to put together quite a few songs..Mark on the drums, and me playing guitar.
I was fairly certain he wasn't calling with a record deal.

"Guess what...I got us a gig".
"Really ?...when ?"
"This afternoon."
"Hello?"  We hadn't practiced in some time...we barely had a solid set list.
I wasn't sure about any of this...."Where is it?" I asked. What the hell is open this afternoon?, I wondered.

"You know the Little Flower Nursing Home on Main St.?"
"Yeah, what's open near that place?"
"That's the gig"
"Hello?"...You're kidding?"
"No...I have a friend there that I visit and they have a community room, and sometimes they put on shows for the residents"
I hesitated..."I don't know......"
"C'mon...I kinda told them we would do it"

So there it was. We had another friend named Kevin who sometimes played with us, and he said he would sit in. He played very well and could follow whatever we played with no trouble at all.
So...we arrived at the nursing home and were shown to the community room to set up the equipment.Now, usually when you play a gig..the room is empty until "show time". Not so today. Many of the residents were already lined up in their wheelchairs..watching us set up.

The room was a balmy 85 degrees and I started to sweat like Mike Tyson on Father's Day.
The "Audience" started to stir and become restless.
"When are you going to sing?"
"Is there going to be Pudding?"

The heat was unbearable..I even had an Electric Fireplace going full blast behind me. Mark and Kevin were ready. We reached into our bag of tricks and opened with a song we had down solid..the Everly Brothers "WALK RIGHT BACK".
The song went beautifully, Mark and I harmonizing comfortably straight through.
Nothing.
No applause. Nada. Zip.
From the back row..a voice shouted out: "TAKE ME BACK UPSTAIRS"

Mark leaned into his mike and said: "Thanks Folks, that was "WALK RIGHT BACK...by the Everly Brothers.."

We played a dozen or more songs in the combination of sweltering heat and frigid response, and it was time to pack up. Our equipment was in the lobby and we shuttled back and forth, loading it into our cars.
Some of the residents had been moved into the lobby to await family visitors. One such lady had come to see her Mother, who waited quietly in her wheelchair, watching us.
The daughter arrived and saw the musical equipment and turned to her Mom:
"How nice, Mom....they had music for you!"
The old lady leaned towards her daughter and in a stage whisper, said:

"You see those two?....that's the Everly Brothers..."

Rest in Peace, Phil.