Random Universe, Part 2

Let’s see. We left the story off yesterday with me in LA a few weeks back, extremely happy to have seen friend and journeyman William Elliott Whitmore own the Knitting Factory in Hollywood- every time he tried to come off stage, the crowd pushed him back up. A lovely evening.

The next day, I was visiting with many people at the Whisky. I knew some of them, but not all. A drummer friend I met the first day of my trip came up, very excited. “You said your husband’s band’s name is Clutch?” he asked. I said yes, and his face lit up. “I have something so cool to show you!” he said, and we set off in search of the cool thing. Turns out it was a person, and his name is Jordan. He has two of the most amazing Clutch “Robot Hive” soldier tattoos ever- one on each leg.

In the course of conversation, I asked Jordan where he was from. “Iowa,” he replied. Now it was time for my eyes to light up. “You must know William!” I exclaimed, which is kind of like you saying you live in New York and someone saying, “Do you know my Aunt Tillie?” and expecting an assent.

But amazingly, without missing a beat, Jordan replied, “Oh, yeah, Whitmore, nice guy, he lives near me…we hang out.”

Seriously. How much smaller can the world get? Apparently there are just not as many degrees of separation as it looks at first glance. I love how music is a connector, a bridge between two people who have never met, but share a staccato code of instant understanding. I’m throwing in a Clutch video, “Electric Worry”, that embodies that old school blues wandering spirit that William represents to me. And Jordan, I lift my jug to the sky. Nice to meet you, brother.

Have you ever had an experience that left you shaking your head at the microcosm we call life? Or, as my twelve year old would say, “That’s so random!”