Barone: Hitsville, U.S.A.

Don Barone can map his musical soul to four physical places on this planet...and Detroit is one of them.

“You know we've got to find a way…”

Dateline:  Motown

“Soul music is timeless.” ~ Alicia Keys

I can map my musical soul to four physical places on this planet.

#1:  The 45rpm record booth, Woolworths, Delaware Ave, Kenmore, NY.

#2:  The corner of Haight & Ashbury Autumn, 1973.

#3:  The Colored Musicians Club of Buffalo, 145 Broadway, Buffalo, NY

#4:  2648 West Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI, 48208…AKA Hitsville, U.S.A.

Detroit, my friends, owns a quarter of the music of my being.

And here we sit, final quarter of the regular Elite season, Lake St. Clair, the waves of which, wash Motown.

“…to bring some lovin' here today …”

Last night in a torrential downpour I jumped off some highway and drove down West Grand Blvd, something I do every time I come to the Motor City, 2648 is a permanent “Favorite” in any GPS I own.

I drive by just to say, Thank You.

Thank You for Marvin Gaye.

Thank You for The Four Tops.

Thank you for The Temptations…and on and on.

Music, I believe, is the one true language of this planet, the one “Universal,” all of us know deep down inside, the soundtrack of our lives.

It’s the song that plays in the supermarket that you sing along with.

It’s the song that makes you turn the volume knob, clockwise.

It’s the song on repeat while you clean the house.

Go ahead, start your soundtrack.

I’ll give you a minute….

I came here, the very first time, for a funeral.

Came from the west on a chopped Triumph Bonneville, Captain America helmet, brown fringed jacket, Dingo boots, green Aviator Ray Bans.

Came mad.

Came high.

Came because of a body bag from Vietnam.

Sat on the bike away from the family, just watched, engine off, helmet off, pizzed off.

I watched the family cry, I stood for “Taps,” bowed my head as they handed the mother the flag, and just as I thought it was over, the soldiers had left, the priest was leaving, just as I was about to jump on the start pedal, from down the gentle hill came…

“…mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong…”

…a lone speaker started playing the Marvin Gaye song…

…and as I sat down on the seat, foot still on the pedal, my friend’s mother, a lady I never met, turned in my direction, mouthed to me, “Thank You,” and then blew me a kiss…

…the soundtrack of life.

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” ~Bob Marley

“…oh, but who are they to judge us simply because our hair is long…”

Let me tell you a secret, something I did as a kid in Buffalo, something I do as an adult pretty much all over the world, it’s my most personal creative tool.

I drive.

To Music.

Last night, in a driving rain, I circled Detroit (as best I could with all the construction) just kept driving and driving all the while listening to music.

Listening to the music of this city.

I’ve done it in Chicago.

New York.

Muscle Shoals.

New Orleans.

Nashville.

On and on, round and round, just driving, listening, looking.

It’s how I introduce myself to the city, to the stories, pick up the vibe.  Put 80 miles on the Tundra last night, never left the highway, or town.

And if you drive 65mph here, and you listen to Marvin Gaye, pretty soon the beats of the song will match the beats of the highway pavement joints.

You get the little pavement bumps right as the drummer’s stick hits the hi-hat cymbals.

I do it all the time, because it helps me think.

And last night while driving to the music of this, our latest Elite Series town, a thought came to me…I think we should only have two days of practice…maybe only ONE.

Now I’m not saying this BASED ON ANYTHING TO DO WITH FISHING.

I’m not in any way qualified to venture down that path, but I am qualified to talk about music, and about soul.

“…oh, you know we've got to find a way…”

I would love, think it to be really important, that the Elites have one day, ONE DAY where they do nothing but embrace the soul of the community we are in.

Not a drive by day, not just think we know it from the one or two restaurants we eat in, the one or two grocery stores we shop in, you know nothing about the area from that.

My roommate out here, Paul Elias, tells me he’s fished the Potomac River a bunch of times but has never seen the Washington Monument, trust me, he’s not the only angler who could say that.

One day at every event to do something different.

One day at every event to meet the soul of our location, the soul of the people, the soundtrack of the community.

God forbid I get existential here, but there is something to be said about getting in the same groove as where you are at.

You are where you are going to be, be where you are.

Just a thought thrown out, a day away from the water, and all that entails, a day just on land, just in the city, just with the people of the community, a day to collect yourself, collect the local vibe.

I think the sport would be better for it.

I know the anglers would be better for it.

A day to add a new chorus, to the soundtrack of their lives.

“…to bring some understanding here today.”

What’s Going On

Marvin Gaye

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“Nowhere on earth has more soul than Detroit.” ~ Mayer Hawthorne