This is...

...a picture of Win Butler looking at me. The Arcade Fire lead man caught site of me taking this shot from the front row of Stuart's Opera House back in March of 2008, when AF played a surprise, free Obama benefit.

That show remains one of my greatest musical memories for many reasons: the fact that I got to sit front row. The fact that Win jumped down into the audience and climbed up into the seats right in front of me. The fact that the band hung out with fans before the show, and when I said "Hey" to Win, he said, "What's up?" The fact that it was an intimate show of only about 300 people, when AF easily plays in front of tens of thousands now. The fact that it was mother-f%&#ing Arcade Fire playing a show in Nelsonville.

Days like that one last March are days that I'll tell my kids about, days that I'll remember forever, days that remind me how much I love life. They're also days that remind me of the power of music, and of why I love the camaraderie and intimacy of live music so much.

I write all of this now because I just watched the AF DVD "Miroir Noir," an incredible portrayal of the band as they recorded their last record, Neon Bible. It too reminded me of the sheer force of a live show and the beauty of music. It allowed a glimpse of a band who is very real, very dedicated, and very passionate about what they do. I highly recommend it.

Just now I think that the drums in the corner of my dining room never looked so lonely. God bless the ability to express oneself through music.

Oh, and another thing: F%*& you, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. Stop picking fights and start figuring out how to make good music. Sorry, but I took what you said just a little personally; at that show last March, I have never seen a band spend so much time getting to know their fans, even when they didn't have to. They paced the sidewalk for more than an hour getting to know us and thanking us for coming to a show that they drove 13 hours to do, for free. What's with the petty b.s., Wayne?

And one, final thought: my ticket to that show at Stuart's Opera House couldn't have happened without Katie standing in line on a cold Saturday morning for an hour and a half. She deserves that credit.