We Die Young

In Seattle, there was a peculiar thing that happened in the late 80s and early 90s. The weather was always wet, the skies mostly gray, and the streets slicked with rain and possibility, though neither one seemed to go anywhere. And so it was, in the birthplace of grunge—when the amplifiers hummed with distortion and…

Expert in a Weekend

On Friday I secured an interview for the following Tuesday. The job requested expertise in a particular technical area I didn’t know anything about. If college taught me anything, it was how to cram. I went to sleep early Friday night so the weekend would be free. There was an online class with 33 hours…

Tom Petty Run Ragged

Pop musicians make almost all their income from concerts, so once a tour is planned it has to be completed no matter the condition of the performers who gradually deteriorate as it wears on. A famous frontman might already be wealthy enough to cancel concert dates and accept the loss of income, but other parts…