Room At The Top
Two years ago today Tom Petty passed away. That night, a year ago tonight and tonight I had a pour or two of Weller Special Reserve in his memory. Why Weller SR? Why not. The specific Bourbon isn’t the point. The point is remembering.
I’ve been kicking around the idea of writing about “pairing” music with specific Bourbons. I don’t know that if I had really thought about it I would pair Tom Petty with Weller. Instinctively, a Jim Beam product seems to be a better fit. But, Weller SR is my tradition and when you start messing with tradition you often end up losing something great (like Heaven Hill 6 year bottled in bond, but I digress). So, October 2nd I will sip some WSR and listen to the “Wildflowers” and “Damn the Torpedoes” albums from start to finish. Then I’ll mix in a bit of other stuff as the mood hits me.
“I got a room where everyone
Can have a drink and forget those things
That went wrong in their life”
Three Christmases ago, The Wife gave me tickets to see Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. In the Spring of 2017 we saw them in Nashville. It wasn’t the most technically perfect concert, but it had passion and energy and deep meaning to me. I didn’t realize how much meaning until a few months later and Tom was dead.
“I’m so tire of being tired
Sure as night will follow day
Most things I worry about
Never happen anyway”
Tom Petty isn’t the greatest rock-n-roll musician of all time. But, I’ve never met anyone that didn’t like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. He made music for 40 years. Like an old friend his music was something that every time you returned to it, it felt comfortable and would always inspire a smile, a little air guitar and nasally singing a chorus or two.
“Honey don’t walk out, I’m too drunk to follow.
You know you won’t feel this way tomorrow.
Well, maybe a little rough around the edges
Or inside a little hollow
I get faced with some things, sometimes
That are so hard to swallow”
So, take a moment today to raise a glass in memory of Tom Petty. Or, take a moment to appreciate something random that you may be taking for granted. None of it will be here forever.
I also raise a glass today to my ABV Crew Club friend, Lady Bootlegger. Her mother passed away today. Hug the ones you love, people. Hug the ones you love. Cheers, friends.
“Got my own way of prayin’
But everyone’s begun
With a Southern Accent
Where I come from...”
