Musically, this show offered a plethora of highlights, so much so that I felt it was not only the best of the December run and the 10 or so Matt shows I\'ve seen, but also ranks among the best I\'ve ever witnessed.
Of course, this is no disrespect to Toad\'s, which featured a nailed Reba, an touching The Late and the Great, and then even more emotion, plus some top-notch jamming, with Jordan on stage.
But taking into account the Psygn, Rufus, and Gladys jams, the appearance of several originals I rarely see (Attraction, Gravity, Episode 3, Doughboy, Lit, and Fresh Cut, the latter three of which were the lone performances from this lineup [as was Funky Bill’s from two nights before] and the last of which I requested to be put on the wheel and felt its placement in the show was both sad and perfect, especially considering the lyrics), plus the performance of Band on the Run, then the heavyweight emotion of Scheme as the reality of it being one of Ron\'s last songs with the band really started to hit me (especially in the quiet section just before the conclusion), and then the “Thank You Ronnie!” chant that lasted for minutes and induced the encore, I have to say that I felt this night was a superior performance and experience.
From the standpoint of it strictly being an emotional experience, of course, I am saddened by Ron leaving and was misty-eyed at several points throughout the weekend (especially when I watched Paul’s outstanding montage when I got home on Tuesday, which also made me somewhat sad that Jordan’s departure wasn’t handled the same way and that he couldn’t get equal treatment). For me personally, The Breakfast as I’ve known it the past nine years will never come close to being the same, no matter how talented Ron’s replacement may be. Of course, I’d never doubt Tim and Adrian for one second and I’ll obviously still go to the shows and I’m sure they’ll continue to be great. But it’s not that I’m just going to miss Ron’s ability on stage; it’s those other things that go with it, such as a gang of us going out to dinner beforehand and breaking balls, or talking with Ron after the show, and well, breaking balls. I love the personalities of all members of The Breakfast, but Ron is such a unique person and there’s just something different about conversing with him and how it can go from being intellectual to sarcastic and then sometimes be both within such a short span that I simply cannot imagine life with The Breakfast without that. Yes, I know he’ll still come around and in some way I look forward to the bizarre experience of watching a show with him. But with Ron’s musical prowess and personality out of the band, I will not and simply cannot now mentally prepare myself for a Breakfast show in the same way that I did when Ron was in the band and that’s a very sad realization.
But on the other hand, it truly is a mixture of emotions because as sad as I am, I’m also extraordinarily happy. And that’s because I got to witness 137 musical performances with one of the best bands to ever take a stage with a wonderful person, friend, and musician laying it down on the bass. And this is something that the whole lot of us has experienced. We’ve experienced a sense of enjoyment and fun both during the shows and before and after them that many people will never get to in their lives. For this, all us members of The Breakfast family should feel beyond privileged and lucky.
I conveyed a similar sentiment to Tim after the show. He, as well as Adrian and Jordan, got to play more than a thousand shows in front of thousands of people with one of their best friends, which not a lot of musicians can say they’ve done. For that, I know the members of The Breakfast also feel fortunate, and likely, that it will never be the same without Ron officially among them.
And that’s the whole thing right there. Everyone is sad. And that’s beautiful. We’re sad because Ron has been a big reason why we’ve been so happy the last decade. And that’s why we should all feel so fortunate to have experienced it. And that’s why I can shed tears with a smile on face.
I want to thank Ron, Tim, Adrian, Jordan, Matt, and all of my beloved friends who are a part of The Breakfast family for making these past nine years such an entertaining and enriching experience. And this final run was a tremendous way to close this chapter of the band’s history. I wouldn’t say that I took The Breakfast for granted prior to Ron’s announcement, but I certainly appreciated the band and his presence in it more than ever these last six weeks.
As I told Ron after the show, if some or all of us are lucky enough to live into old age, we’ll probably look back at these years as the best of our lives. And if somehow we have better days coming, then we’re even more fortunate than I thought.
Love,
Pitchie
