Music – bendingtheneedle

Words to be Heard – Music for the Midterms

Protest songs don’t pack the societal punch they once did.

In an increasingly fragmented music culture, political activism has moved away from the record studio onto social media platforms. Factor in growing corporate cowardice and social cultural fatigue, and you’ve got an inhospitable landscape for protest songs to take hold and flourish – and that’s a fucking shame, because if there was ever a time for unifying the power of music against political corruption and maleficence, it’s today.

People who follow me on Instagram or subscribe to this blog might know about my musical project “Sapient Rain,” where I use the AI Music Engine Suno to showcase my poetry as song lyrics. They also likely know my deep displeasure with America’s turn towards fascism under the criminal Donald Trump.

For the Sapient Rain project, I’ve dropped two albums and multiple singles on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, and nearly half of the songs protest the intellectual, emotional, and physical carnage that Donald Trump, his poisonous MAGA minions, and the feckless cowards in Congress have visited upon America and the world.

For me, Donald Trump is the unwanted muse who creeps into my thoughts whenever I hear him babble incoherently about subjects of monumental importance to humanity, forcing me to put my pen to paper.

Believe me, I’d rather be writing about other things.

In the next phase of my Sapient Rain project, which I am calling “Sapient Rain – Humanized,” I’ll be looking to work with actual musicians and singers on these songs, inviting them to take my lyrics and create their own renditions.

Until then, and for the upcoming 2026 midterm election, check out these protest songs (my lyrics, Suno’s music).

Feel free to share them with friends or comment on them here.

Song Title and Links	Overview	Favorite Lyric
Liar’s Spit and Gravel Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A grunge-infused rap about the callousness of Donald Trump and a cabinet stocked with cronies and sycophants. The song is desperate plea for the emergence of true leaders and strong voices like Dylan, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King.	Autocratic In his tone His swelled-up ego overblown A head that’s crammed with nothing known Cuts lady justice to the bone He snaps her picture with his phone He loves how she’s become so prone to misogyny and testosterone
Weed Killer Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	An unplugged-alternative-rap about the abusive, lying, war criminal-pedophile and the supporters who enable him.	Redacts his name from the files Flips the script like Simone Biles Shames the victims starts a war He’s got no values at his core
Donny on Dementia Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A post-punk-new-wave ditty about the cognitive decline of our commander in chief and the need to invoke the 25^th amendment to remove his sorry ass from office.	I have no idea what I’m doing You’re all paying a steep price I miss the days when I was screwing Instead of being Jesus Christ
On the Other End of Rockets Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A dire song about the human consequence of war.	We’re living in a danger that gets darker by the day Drifting further from forgiveness alone inside our passion play
A Message from Michelle Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A hard rocking song about the need for fresh blood and ethical leaders to counter the explosion of crass grifters and incompetent know-nothings ruining our country and putting the rest of the world in grave danger.	We’re appalled at what he’s normalized the hatred he’s unfurled Embarrassed by the crassness that he vomits on the world We truly feel abandoned Like our voices are not heard As the beatings and harassment strip us from our words
From Maine to Minnesota Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	Inspired by the violence that ICE agents perpetrated on communities in Maine and Minnesota and the need to stand up against the fascist tactics of ICE.	Full mags and clips they carry chips of grievance on their shoulder The hateful raids of ICE brigades turn citizens to soldiers
Strung Along Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	Inspired by the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, this song laments the cowardice of republicans in congress, while preaching on the value and importance of peaceful protest.	It’s remarkable how neatly this all falls apart In a congress full of cowards with hate inside their hearts
What Would Jesus Do? Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A song about the hijacking of Christianity by the MAGA movement. Shame on those motherfuckers.	We’re bastardizing Jesus ignoring what he said not welcoming the stranger terrorizing them instead
Barbarians at the Gate Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A warning about what happens after Trump exits the earth for good – because lets face it, he’s provided a blueprint for autocracy in America and there are plenty of crooked politicians waiting in the wings to take over the brand.	The despot is dead he’s pushing up daisies but there’s a fresh bumper-crop of the morally hazy With a blueprint for hate tightly clenched in their hand they arrive at the gate to take over the brand
I Wanna to Bomb Iran Listen free on Suno	I wrote these lyrics originally to be sung to the tune, “I wanna Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles well before Trump launched his illegal war against Iran.	When Bibi hugs me I feel happy inside It’s such a feeling that I scream genocide! genocide! genocide!
The Ballad of New Bobby and Joan Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	If only there were a couple of angry folk-inspired musicians crisscrossing the country, spreading the word about a corrupt administration at small concert halls and clubs where Americans gather – if only.	This is the ballad of new Bobby and Joan Fender guitar-lords with truth microphones This is the ballad of new Bobby and Joan bending their chords to the story they own
Hey Fascist, Catch Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	The lyrics are from a poem I wrote after the Charlie Kirk assassination. It’s about how dangerously divided America is and the potential for spiraling political violence that seems increasingly likely in the second Trump term.	We ought to run from martyrdom not pin it to our chest not canonize the hateful guys who scream that they know best
The Orange King Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A rockabilly humdinger about the dangers of blind obedience to a power-thirsty politician who cares only about himself. Sound familiar?	A congress full of weaklings’ cowards one and all afraid of the dull shadows that they cast upon the wall
Oligarchic Kings Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	Intended to be belt-out in anger, this classic rock inspired song warns against an oligarchy overtaking American Democracy.	Oligarchic Kings are here to clip your wings to wrap a rope around your throat to cast dark shadows over hope to crush your dreams of better days to dress your colors in shades of greys
The Orange Morass Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	A song about a nation under the control of a bigoted, thin-skinned, criminal liar.	He’s the tear in the fabric that holds us together He’s the kink in the hose, and the blood on the feather He’s the drip in the faucet that keeps us awake He’s the menace in orange a thug on the take
Get a Load of Elon Listen free on Suno Stream on Spotify	I wrote the poem “Get a Load of Elon” after seeing the sickening footage of that smiling dirtbag laughing it up and swinging a chainsaw around like some fake-ass efficiency hero. Fuck that guy and everything he represents.	Killing all the agencies that assist the weak and poor Indiscriminate firings Pushing veterans out the door “Hey this what we sold you no need to be so sore” and he smiled a shitty grin at the blood that’s on the floor

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

“Donny on Dementia” by Sapient Rain

Sapient Rain is a musical project that blends human creativity with artificial intelligence. It is a collaboration between lyricist / writer Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music engine Suno

You can listen to “Donny on Dementia” on the Suno App or Website here.

Donny on Dementia

I’m living with dementia
Life’s a grandiose summer cruise
Higher prices at the gas pumps
Let’s take an oval office snooze

I’m making up equations
A percentage paradigm
I got yes men all around me
To cover up the crime

I don’t know what I’m doing
I’m lost and all alone
With me in charge, the world is stewing
CAN’T TURN THE CAPS OFF ON MY PHONE

I’m Donny on Dementia
I don’t know where I am
A Commander in Absentia
My mind is on the lamb
Please invoke the 25th Amendment
To end this tragic scam

We’re trapped in his dementia
Like the tankers in Hormuz
Kash Patel has lost his marbles
Pete Hegseth wants some booze

They call me doctor Jesus
I think that’s kind of cool
The resolute desk
Is my safe place
Where I scribble and I drool

I have no idea what I’m doing
You’re all paying a steep price
I miss the days when I was screwing
Instead of being Jesus Christ

I’m Donny on Dementia
I don’t know where I am
A Commander in Absentia
My mind is on the lamb
Please invoke the 25th Amendment
To end this tragic scam

People try to shoot me
I’m in the Epstein files
Normal thoughts don’t suit me
I dream of glory and Sieg Heils

Phonemic paraphasia
I don’t know what that is
I hate shit holes like Nambia
I aced my IQ quiz

I’m sleeping till eleven
I pace around all night
I often think of heaven
And flying purple kites

I’m Donny on Dementia
I don’t know where I am
A Commander in Absentia
My mind is on the lamb
Please invoke the 25th Amendment
To end this tragic scam

The Writer

I wrote these lyrics this morning in the warm pre-dawn of hope and titled them “The Writer”. I used Suno to set the words to music under the artist profile Sapient Rain.

Sapient Rain is a collaborative musical project that pairs me, the lyricist, with the AI music platform Suno.

The Writer will be available on music streaming platforms on April 19th, 2026, but you can listen to it today on Suno.

The Writer

In a thin solitude of white noise
through a warm pre-dawn of hope
thoughts form in the steam
of his coffee through the haze
of the wine and the dope

An early draft barely breathing
faint notes in the margins await
he approaches with cold trepidation
and a fear that he’ll never be great

He knows he can’t dodge his compulsion
this obsessive desire to write
the rhythmic tap of the keys
a propulsion that’s too hard to fight

He bears witness to the chaos
around him he uncovers
with truthful disdain
a fact of the human condition
that we’re all in emotional pain

Words structured into an arrangement
together they swing and sway
they help him avoid a derangement
and usher the light into day

He knows he can’t dodge his compulsion
this obsessive desire to write
the rhythmic tap of the keys
a propulsion that’s too hard to fight

“Wounded” is Now Available on Music Streaming Services

Hello everyone,

“Wounded”, a creative endeavor between me and the AI Music Engine, Suno, and a follow-up to “Wisdom’s Water”, is available on iHeart, Apple Music, and Spotify.

“Wounded” presents an eclectic collection of songs spanning musical genres, from rockabilly and grunge-inflected bangers to melodic country western ballads.

The work appears under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”

The lyrics are from poems I’ve written that focus on individuals wounded by love, depression, and the whims of demented, power-hungry authoritarians.

I had a lot of fun crafting the lyrics and working with Suno to select the musical score for my poetry.

Wisdom’s Water is Now Available on Music Streaming Services

Hello everyone,

Wisdom’s Water, a creative endeavor between me and the AI Music Engine, Suno, is now available on Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify.

The work appears under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”

The lyrics on Wisdom’s Water come from poems I’ve written and published over the last few years, and center around themes of religion, violence in America, civic responsibility, and the fragility of democratic ideals.

The music is generated by Suno and adds a second consciousness to the collaboration, shifting from atmospheric tension to rhythmic urgency, mirroring the political and social turbulence the album explores.

I had a lot of fun crafting the lyrics and working with Suno to select the musical score for my poetry.

I’m inspired by all the artists and citizens who are speaking out and protesting in defense of our democracy. I believe this album will resonate with anyone concerned about the troubling direction in which our country is heading under Donald Trump’s fascist regime.

Not all of the songs on Wisdom’s Water are protest songs, but many are. I hope you download, stream, and share them with friends and family. And I hope you enjoy listening to them!

And finally, look for my second collaboration with Suno, titled Wounded, which will be available on streaming services on February 26th, 2026.

Click here to pre-save Wounded on Spotify.

My AI Music Project

For the last several weeks, I’ve been pushing my poems through the Suno AI music generator to see how they work as song lyrics.

I’m no Suno expert. In fact, I’m sure that I’m barely scratching the surface of its capabilities.

My process is simple (bordering on rudimentary).

I copy and paste a poem from my blog into the “Lyrics” window in the Suno song generator.
I enter a free-form description of the music style to use for the poem. For example: “Rap, Hip Hop, with Grunge Guitar licks, Female Vocals“.
I add a title for the song and click Create.

Suno generates two songs based on the criteria I entered. Next, I listen to the songs. I can tell right away whether I like what I hear, and often, I delete the song only after the first few bars. Other times, I find that some of my lyrics “work” nicely, while others don’t flow with the music and need tweaking.

I usually have the lyrics open in a text document as I listen to the song, pausing to rework my phrasing to better match the song’s cadence and rhythm. I add or delete verses, move chunks of text around, then have Suno create a new version of the song (with the same criteria). When I have the new songs with my lyrical updates, I go through the same listening and editing exercise.

It’s a very iterative process—and probably not the best way to use the tool. I haven’t managed to fiddle with the remixing and song editing features.

Poems don’t always have a verse-chorus structure commonly found in songs, so reworking these poems into lyrics often involves coming up with a memorable/catchy chorus. That has been the most fun and challenging part of this project.

Some poems that I envisioned as rap or hip-hop songs end up sounding better as rockabilly/country western songs. Switching the vocals from male to female can give a song an entirely new feel.

With Suno, I’ve repurposed my poems into thoughtful, memorable, and singable songs, even though I have no musical skills (I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s definitely a thing). The following table summarizes my “collaborations” with Suno that are publicly available for listening.

I’d love to hear what folks think of these songs or of AI music in general. Post your comments here or on Suno. And please follow me on either platform.

Song	About the Lyrics
Baby Teeth and Bullets	These lyrics are from a poem I wrote years ago after a spate of school shootings. I really like how Suno split the lyrics between male and female vocalists without me specifically directing it. I always heard this poem musically in my head, even when I was writing it. And, I always envisioned a female vocalist singing the “I see angels” part – it was like Suno was reading my mind on how to turn this poem into a song. Favorite Verse: I’m the isolated Incel The bullet in the gun The angry white American Who’s blaming everyone I’m the cryptic manifesto The video online The AR-15 lover-boy Who grew-up Columbine
Pierced Hearts and Sorrow	I wrote the poem “Pierced Hearts and Sorrow” after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. I also wrote a short story titled “That Final Hug” inspired by that horrible day. I’d gladly give up this type of inspiration if it meant fewer mass shootings where children are murdered in their classrooms. I hate that I feel compelled to write these types of poems. I think Suno captured the mood and tone of what I was trying to convey with my words. Favorite Lyric: We live in a land of pierced hearts and sorrow no shooting today? just wait till tomorrow In a fog of futility explicably numb we reach for our heartstrings but there’s nothing to strum
Hey Fascist, Catch	These lyrics are from a poem I wrote after the Charlie Kirk assassination. It’s about how dangerously divided America is and the potential for spiraling political violence that seems increasingly likely in the second Trump term. Favorite Verse: We ought to run from martyrdom not pin it to our chest not canonize the hateful guys who scream that they know best
Ashes to Ashes	I wrote a poem called “Ashes to Ashes” ten or more years ago. I fiddled with it and published it on my blog about 5 years ago. With some significant edits and a revamped chorus, here it is with Suno’s light touch. Favorite Verse: We stretch our souls tight on a drum We beat it bare till it goes numb We feel the eyes of everyone
Fury and Flow	Bored one afternoon, I challenged myself to write a poem about Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. With Suno’s assistance, here is the musical version of that poem. Favorite Verse: Tracing the stitch on her pillow she imagines the blood in her veins she chases the witch up a willow till the beat of her heart starts to wane
The Glen	I wrote the poem this song is based on about a month or so ago. It takes a familiar place for Portsmouth, RI, residents (The Glen) and builds a song about the realities of relationships around that place. I trimmed the poem quite a bit for the song and changed some wording. In fact, the verse about chasing fireflies does not appear in the poem at all. That verse came to me as I was listening to the rhythm of the music, and it turned out to be my favorite lyric in the song. I chose a country-western style, which I think works nicely. Favorite Verse: The fireflies we used to chase went dark forever without a trace and we chose to leave love’s warm embrace
Get a Load of Elon	I wrote the poem “Get a Load of Elon” after seeing the sickening footage of that smiling dirtbag laughing it up and swinging a chainsaw around like some fake-ass efficiency hero. Fuck that guy and everything he represents. I think Suno captured the tone I was looking for on this one. Favorite Verse: He pulled into Washington Black MAGA cap on his head He spent a ton of cash put a felon in our bed
The Orange King	Donald Trump is my fat, ugly muse. There, I said it. Shame on everyone who voted for this criminal, and fuck all the cowards in Congress who are failing to stand up to this two-bit thug. And that’s all I have to say about this song. Favorite Lyric: My heart is full of pennies there’s no light inside my eyes there’s only room for Donny and all that I despise My mind is fully tainted I can’t connect the dots I’m more and more acquainted with Russian drones and bots
Pandora’s Vox Pandora’s Vox (Blues Version)	I wrote a poem in May of 2024 titled “Bonjour, Borg”, which was about the headlong way we are embracing AI, without fully understanding the consequences. I reworked that poem, added a chorus, and handed it to Suno. I include two versions (a power pop version and a blues version). Favorite Lyric: We’re messing with knowledge we don’t understand playing our cards without knowing our hand A sprint to the finish But where are we going? Dimmed and diminished We’ve no way of knowing
New Boy Paranormal	I wrote a poem in May of 2024 called “Boys in Distress”. I took bits and pieces from that poem and wrote the lyrics “New Boy Paranormal”. It’s about young adult men in America not being able to find their footing socially to the point where they retreat into a digital world of grievance, anger, and misogyny. This is an example of a previously written poem serving as a concept for new lyrics for a song. I wrote this specifically for Suno. The chorus: Fiber-optic geldings alone inside their heads they bathe in Incel chatrooms masturbate beside their beds they’re the new-boy paranormal walking ghosts and talking shit the no-screw-boy semi-formal stalking post sand keeping fit is new and does not appear in “Boys in Distress” – I came up with it on the fly and added it after listening to Suno’s first attempt at creating the song from my poem. This song went through several renditions before I settled on a “Surf rock-influenced” beat. I smiled broadly when I heard the finished product for the first time. Favorite Verse: Fiber-optic geldings alone inside their heads they bathe in Incel chatrooms masturbate beside their beds
The Danger’s in Pittsburgh	I wrote this poem about the climate crisis about 4 years ago. I kept the words pretty much the same for the musical version – just adding a second verse to the chorus. I can see Greta Thunberg belting this out on the bow of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior, with a hard-rocking band of Norwegian’s backing her. Greta, if you’re interested, text me. 😊 Favorite Verse: The dangers in Pittsburg the dangers in Norway wherever we live it’s outside our doorway The science is speaking the numbers aren’t lying The danger is global With temperatures rising
The Orange Morass	I came up with these lyrics based on a poem I wrote in 2017 called “Resist”, which was about pushing back against Donald Trump and his policies, which I saw as an existential threat to America’s democracy. I added several new verses for the song and reworked the verse that would become the chorus. I can see the Dixie Chicks or Dolly Parton belting this out. I’m not a big fan of country or rockabilly music, but I think that musical style works well with the words here. Favorite Verse: He belittles and threatens those who oppose him He stomps up and down screams America chose him!
Love Grenade	The phrase “love grenade” came into my head when I was noodling around a text file. I created this song entirely around that one phrase. No previous poem for this rocker – it just came to me very quickly, all of it from that one phrase “love grenade” – I like the vibe of the music that Suno generated – it’s got a female punk energy that’s fun to listen to (at least to me it is). Favorite Verse: You’re the drunken saint of unrestraint the banger at the ball a bourbon shot without a plot a fist inside the brawl
Oligarchic Kings	Suno and I, channeling our best Pat Benatar impression. I wrote the poem “Oligarchic Kings” recently and published it on my blog. I changed it quite a bit for the song version. Favorite Verse: Oligarchic Kings are here to clip your wings to wrap a rope around your throat to cast dark shadows over hope to crush your dreams of better days to dress your colors in shades of greys
Neo-Fascist-Oligarchic-Expialidocious	When I wrote this poem originally, I wrote it to the cadence of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from “Mary Poppins” and included it in my book “Imagine There’s No Donald” (available on Amazon😉 ). I asked Suno to create a power-pop song from the poem. It’s the only poem I used as is (not changing any of the words). It’s a campy/poppy version of a Disney classic. *Favorite Verse:* Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious Elon-Bezos-Zuckerberg are really quite atrocious We need to fight them in the streets and call them on their grossness Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious
Seeped in the 70s	When I was a youngster (I’m talking elementary school age), I remember “feeling” the news of the times – Watergate and Vietnam were in the news all the time. And though I was just a child and could not comprehend the realities swirling around me, I could sense a tension in the air – parents and other adults in heated conversations, the constant coverage of Watergate and Vietnam seeping into our subconscious among all the wonderful distractions of childhood at that time. That’s what inspired me to write the poem that this song’s about. Favorite Verse: Watergate was all around in our sight and in our sound on the news and in the paper the Viet Cong and foiled caper It lurked and hovered overhead Pages written and words were said it wormed its way into our head that innocence was finally dead
Too Small to See Too Small to See (Surf-Rock) version	I wrote a poem titled “Too Small to See” some 20 years ago after reading Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice,” which is about “the destructive power of human emotions, suggesting the world could end through either fiery desire or icy hate, with both leading to the same annihilation, equating intense passion (fire) with destructive greed/lust and cold indifference (ice)” – I remember taking more literal slant on the subject of human mortality against the backdrop of an e-bola outbreak, which made me think that the way humanity ends is less likely to be from nuclear annihilation or climate-related disaster and more likely to be something “too small to see” – like a virus – When COVID came along it only reinforced my belief that our angel of death will be too small to see, killing us all, infectiously. I used to Suno to create two versions of this song with different styles (I’m not sure which one I like better). Favorite Verse: We’ll end with a whimper viral, tiny, and small from something we caught on our trip to the mall
Time Misspent in Wonderland	This song combines verses from two separate poems I wrote a few years back – one about regret and the other about a post-apocalyptic world. The result here is both bleak and sweet. Favorite Verse: Some people start to gather shake their fists and curse the sun while others mumble silently quoting Nietzsche and Carl Jung
Mangled by the Madness	This song is based on a poem I wrote, which was published in Beyond Words Literary Magazine a few years back. I did not change any words in the poem. I just added a chorus, and Suno did the rest. Favorite Verse: With a never-ending stipend of more than you can bear an abundant over-ripened softened fruit of deep despair

Russian to Ride

Sing to the tune of “Ticket to Ride” by The Beatles

I think we’re gonna be had
I think it’s today, yeah
The guy that’s driving us mad
Ain’t going away

He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
So, he don’t care

He said that tariffs will be
they’re bringing us down, yeah
And we will never be free
when he is around

He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
so, he don’t care

We used to be a nation of laws
The constitution
used to be alright by me
But now we got this guy and his flaws
He wants us living
under an autocracy

I think we’re gonna be had
I think it’s today, yeah
The guy that’s driving us mad
Ain’t going away

He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
so, he don’t care

We used to be a nation of laws
The constitution
used to do alright by me
But now we got this guy and his flaws
He wants us living
under an autocracy

This was the land of the free
’till he came around, yeah
And all the hypocrisy
it’s bringing me down, yeah

He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
He’s got a Russian to ride
so, he don’t care

That Donny don’t care
That Donny don’t care
That Donny don’t care
That Daddy don’t care
That Donny don’t care

The Best Concert I’ve Been to in Years

On April 3rd, my son and I attended a concert by The Breakers, a tribute band to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. My son and I are diehard Tom Petty fans – me from when they hit the airways in 1976, and my son through parent-to-child musical osmosis.

The Breakers concert was my first tribute band experience, and to be honest, my expectations were low. I envisioned a cheap and costume-themed knockoff of what I consider to be one of the best Rock and Roll bands of all time. For me, the night was more about spending time with my son than the show itself.

The Breakers started the show with Love Is a Long Road from Tom’s 1989 solo album, Full Moon Fever. That song was an interesting choice because it’s not a Tom Petty “hit, ” and non-Petty enthusiasts might even consider it a deep cut. The Breakers performed a blazing rendition of the song, and when they finished, my son and I just looked at one another, each of us with a “holy shit” expression on our faces.

The Breakers went on to perform brilliantly and passionately. Their musicianship was jaw-droppingly good, and you sensed they were true fans of the band they were paying homage to. Their performance was joyful and soulful with zero pretense. The songs were not “cookie-cutter” versions of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker albums. There were elements of creativity and artistry in every song they delivered that evening.

At times, I felt myself getting emotional watching and listening to the band play—I’m not sure why. Perhaps that’s the power and mystery of true art—it touches us in ways we can’t put a finger on. Or maybe a spiritually communal experience occurs when the musicians on stage and the fans in attendance connect emotionally through mutual love and respect—in this case, love and respect of Tom and his musical genius.

If you’re a fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, see The Breakers, you won’t be disappointed.

A Quantity of Quality

It’s been nearly six years (October 2, 2017) since Tom Petty died.

A few months before his passing, my son and I drove from Rhode Island to Philadelphia to catch Tom and the Heartbreakers on the final leg of their 40th Anniversary Tour.

On our way down to the show, we listened to every Heartbreakers album in sequence, amazed at the quantity of quality the band produced over their 40 years.

When Tom made his way to the microphone that night in front of a packed Wells Fargo arena — he seemed a little unsteady. His voice was thin and shaky when he addressed the audience, and I wondered if time had finally caught up to the rock icon.

That show was my sixth Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert. Like the previous five, I walked out of the arena blissfully. At 66 years old and on a fractured hip, Tom Petty remained true to his craft and the spirit of rock and roll. He and the band were brilliant.

For over 40 years, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers never cheated their audience with half-hearted performances or sub-par albums. They loved what they did, which showed in the studio and on stage.

That show in 2017 has me reminiscing on how and when I got hooked on the Heartbreakers.

The first Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song I heard was Refuge in 1979 as a junior in high school. That song jolted with me the instant I heard it. My reaction to it bordered on chemical, and for three minutes and twenty-two seconds, I felt true clarity, like the music physically pushed shit aside in my head – so it was just me and the song.

I’m not sure why that song resonated so powerfully. Perhaps it was the convergence of Petty’s aggressive-edged delivery frenetically stirred by the tumult of adolescence and teenage angst.

I don’t know “the why,” but I remember “the when” like it happened yesterday.

I’m not sure how it began for my son. Maybe it was musical osmosis from exposure to A LOT OF Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at an early age.

Perhaps my son connected with a specific song or album during adolescence and got hooked like I did.

Or maybe he saw Tom Petty as a musical bridge to span the sometimes-fractious waters between a father and son.

The most intriguing thing about this trip down memory lane is how Tom Petty evolved as an artist and the impact that had on me as a fan.

As much as I loved Refugee as a teenager, listening to that song as an adult was mainly a way of reconnecting with my youth. Sometimes, “reconnecting” is the extent of our relationship with an artist or song.

A more substantive relationship develops when the artist evolves – because that presents an opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level.

As Tom Petty matured, he became a master songwriter. His songs tapped into the complexities of human relationships with sparse and simple language. That’s what kept me tethered to him as an artist.

The way I connect with songs like Wildflowers and Square One is totally different than the nostalgic way I connect with Refugee or Here Comes My Girl – because I evolved as well (thankfully).

Tom’s evolution as an artist allowed his fans to grow with him — and most of us did.

And that’s why the relationship is impactful to so many people.

Reggie Lewis, AAU, and the Sultans of Swing

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I was driving home from Boston with my younger son today. We had spent the previous day in Roxbury MA at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center for and AAU basketball tournament. We had his iPod plugged in and jacked up. My son was almost fully reclined in the passenger seat, the window rolled up and the sun warming his face; he was teetering between wakefulness and sleep when the Sultans of Swing came on.

I was never a huge Dire Straits fan growing up – I mean, I liked them well enough, but I didn’t love them; but in my opinion that song comes as close to a perfect song as musically possible. Everything about it seems perfect to me – and I am not sure why. Whenever I hear it, I am transported back in time; and I do not mean in a general sense. I mean I am transported to a very specific memory of me driving my car, turning right from Union Street on to East Main road in Portsmouth RI, on a bright sunny day listening and marveling at how good a song that was. That was in 1979, 34 years ago – and the memory remains crystal clear for some reason. When I hear that song, I remember the warmth I felt from the sun that day; I remember greenness of the trees against the blueness of the sky as vividly as if I were experiencing them in the present.