Feb 21, 2016 – It’s almost not winter now, and this isn’t actually a proper story, but I’m so excited….

Very soon, I’ll be in that snow pile that is Santa Fe, skiiing. Sure I’m not good enough to ski in the trees, like this dude with the helmet, but still what I can do is going to be fun! My brother and I have been talking about Santa Fe for about two months now. He routinely would send me a link to the mountain-cam … showing snow everywhere. The levels are historic, more than 100 inches of snow. I love New Mexico, which makes me love Santa Fe. Okay, I have never actually been to Santa Fe, but the towns I’ve been to in New Mexico are so awesome, and Santa Fe is in New Mexico, so I love Santa Fe. And my bro has been to Santa Fe a ton, so I’ve heard stories. Plus I grew up in the snow pile that was Calgary, so I’m feeling like this is a homecoming. Seriously, I’ve never skied anywhere except the fake snow of Big Bear (a mountain close to Los Angeles where they pretty much have to make snow). And seeing as it’s almost not winter any more, Santa Fe’s snow level is down to the 80-inch range, but that truly is still a huge snow pile. And this huge snow pile that is Santa Fe is making me very, very happy.

I know what you’re thinking. Is this a story about rock? Maybe not, but I’m so excited that this deserves to be a story. Plus I’m thinking if David Lee Roth can talk about cows, sheep, bull-riding, cleaning horse stalls and make it rock ‘n’ roll, as he does on his current Roth Show audio clip, then I can make skiing rock ‘n’ roll. I think.

So what do I do? Search skiing and rock ‘n’ roll in Youtube. Sure I found a cool skiing video with a Dio song, but the video I’m using, with its dance track, is a video of the snow pile that is Santa Fe, my place!  So I had to forego the rock song-video and go with whatever this video’s music is.But making this come full circle to the music we know most and love most, In my search, I noticed quite a few artists not of the rock genre calling what they were doing “rock ‘n’ roll.”The most non-rock ‘n’ roll of them all? Skrillex, Ellie’s long-ago BF, who called his tour compilation video (from 2011 mind you) “rock ‘n’ roll,” proclaiming in some digital voice “together we can play some rock ‘n’ roll.”

I actually like some EDM, but there was something in this video that made me just a little upset, not because it was bad, it was okay, but because it’s just not rock ‘n’ roll. As I clicked and listened, I sooo hoped the video was going to add in some rock, you know DJ in a little guitar track. DJ in something rock. Honestly, I’m not sure it ever does or doesn’t because I only listened for about a minute recognizing the video’s lyric “together we can play some rock ‘n’ roll” was probably it. Skrillex was making a metaphor. Or perhaps he’s just confused. I don’t know. But this video, this statement, begs the question, and frankly the answer, you know one of those rhetorical question type things: what is the most bad ass of all music such that you want your tour to be identified as having that quality?

The other day I was shopping for a guitar. More on that later, maybe, but probably not. In this shopping, I pulled up a Youtube video of a guitar as close to the guitar I’m after now. My new office young friend came into my office when I was listening. I had the sound pretty quiet, but as he strained to listen, his tone changed. He seemed happy, and wanted to stay. He then sat, and said “oh good, we’re going to listen to rock ‘n’ roll, now what is that one?” I said it was a guitar demo, and told him whatever the song was in that demo. Then we talked about the guitar. I said the guitar is named after a person, and that conversation prompted a story about Les Paul. My friend knows more rock songs that I would guess, especially because he’s doesn’t even know what the classic rock station is, and he got really into the story of Les Paul. And mind you, I’m no great expert. A bit later, he came back. He said “did you know Les Paul died recently?” “Did you know he was 94?” If only…. If only, young people, the ones who take the time to research the life of Les Paul, could actually hear this music, and I don’t mean Skrillex’ rock ‘n’ roll, I mean … well you know. They like it. People want this music. Why? Because it’s the most bad ass of all much such that you want your life to be identified as having that quality.

And skiing in Santa Fe in 80+ inches of snow? Now that is rock ‘n’ roll!

Oh, and just in case you’re curious: the Skrillex video I ran into. At least the title is right. Rock ‘n’ Roll will Take Me to the Mountain! Ski Santa Fe, bitches!