The extreme tragedy that took place at a tiny club in Rhode Island this week is an example of what has happened to music.  For many, music has come to mean one thing and one thing only, the almighty dollar.  When greed takes hold of human beings, common sense and integrity seem to get put on the back burner.  In an economy that stands at the brink of another war, Americans find themselves struggling with the fear of survival, both physically and economically.  Such an environment is a safe haven for those who will make excuses for their actions, even when those same actions jeopardize the well being of others.  Club owners will find justification for not keeping their venues up to code, by pointing to sluggish business or the lack of it.  Because live music tends to be a great release from everyday problems or simply the evening news, folks tend to put up with conditions that are substandard.  Those same conditions, however, can be extremely dangerous or life threatening.  This was the case on that clear but chilly Thursday evening in West Warwick.  The Station, a forty year old structure, had been an "accident waiting to happen" for a very long time.  To say the place was run down would be kind.  Like so many nightclubs on the East coast, its owners never put an ounce of currency into its maintenance, even in times when the general public had more expendable income.

Even after all the smoke and debris has been cleared, the finger pointing will continue.  Members of Great White maintain they had a needed permit, although written documentation shows otherwise.  The fellow doing the pyrotechnics that night was nothing more than a roadie for the band, with no license in this dangerous field of modern entertainment.  As a result, sparks ignited the decaying structure in mere seconds and an evening of fun and merriment instantly became a fiery tomb for 96 human beings.

Music has always been my salvation.  It has seen me through the deaths of dear friends and loved ones, as well as given me strength to survive grave illness. Through it all, music has helped to heal my soul and enable me to face another tomorrow......a tomorrow that at least 96 music lovers will not have.  I grieve for those 96 who merely wanted to dance and sing away the evening....the way my friend and I did.

As AC/DC so rightfully put it, "For those about to rock, we salute you!"  Rest in peace, my musical comrades.  You've all earned one hell of a long Hendrix jam!