Butte Rock Fest and a rememberance of those we wish were there

Music has an uncanny way to connect events and memories.  Music has its own way of bringing together people with otherwise little in common, but this thread alone can spawn beautiful, lifelong friendships.  But with life, as it is with music, the song always comes to an end.  Last Saturday's Butte Rock Fest, a huge success in its own right, perhaps inadvertently reminded us that life is fragile.  The legendary Jeremy Scared put on one of the finest musical performances Butte has ever seen but they did it without founding member Jamie Adams who passed away a few years ago.  Front man Ken Rich led a heartfelt remembrance to his lost bandmate.  King Friday's John Stenson, who lost his dear son, Ryan, less than a half a year ago, earlier sang a tribute to his boy that was beautiful beyond comparison.  Indeed, Jamie and Ryan are sorely missed.

In addition to Jamie and Ryan, there is a long list of Butte musicians who should have been there but were called home too soon.  One reader wondered why Corey Curran's name was not mentioned.  Curran, while lifelong friends of King Friday and Jeremy Scared, was not a member of either band but played in other projects with many of their members.  You can bet that if he were still alive, there would have been reunions of Uncle Mary, Chain City, World Book 19 and Late Nite Radio at the Rock Fest.  He wouldn't have had it any other way.  Sonja Batterman would have been there.  Salvie Espinola would have had his acoustic guitar and ready to play at a minute's notice.  Aaron Nehls would have been behind the drum kit at some point, and you know that Joe Al-Nouri would have had some killer riffs and about a million jokes at your disposal.  We would have seen George Sampson again.  What about George Groesbeck?  Damn straight.  Of course, the legendary Bob Kovacich would have made an appearance. And I wouldn't have been surprised to see my old friends Dodd Hayden and Royce Foster rocking out as well.  Heck, for an event like this the ArchMan would have probably made the trip back home from Washington.  Bill O'Connor would have been behind the mixing board just like at Brew's and just like the old Brew's days there would have been a jam or two from John Pecukonis and his old band, AshCat.

This list is far from complete as far as names go and you cannot count the number of memories that were shared with these individuals.  But thanks to events like the Butte Rock Fest and the amazing people who made it possible, we can look back on their irreplaceable memories with a song in our hearts.