Rocked Up

I join her on the chorus, the crowd are perfectly unified, Switch and Calvi are in the pocket. We sing together:

An emptiness, I need a companion In the dead of the night I can find reasons too And there is something in you that turns me on

The way Lael says the last few words makes me wish I could record the song again. She makes the song sexier, she makes the band sound better. When the song ends the crowd tells her she did a good job. It’s a challenge to keep that energy up for the rest of the show. If we ever do that again we would close with it rather than open.

Lael is a tough act to follow.

But we manage.

We blow the crowd out of the water with each and every song.

It’s one hell of an amazing show.

When it’s over, we leave the stage and the crowd thanks us with a roaring applause that lasts longer than usual. I feel like they know it’s a special night.



“Wow, that was a good one, mates!” Arnie says to us. “Let’s get the VIP stuff out of the way so we can celebrate.”

Lately we’ve been doing all the meet and greets after the show. I prefer it that way. I can’t say I ever feel like doing it after the show but it’s a hell of a lot better than before when it takes me out of the zone. And sometimes the fans can really vibe you out.

Arnie guides us to where the radio winners and big spenders wait. We round a corner and I’m not only surprised by the amount of people waiting, I’m surprised at how many of them are teenage girls with teal hair.

I think we’re all taken aback.

“Look at all the mini-Laels,” I say to her.

I can tell she’s both flattered and embarrassed but she takes on the role well. I can’t think of a better mentor for these young girls to have. To me Lael is strength, she uses her feminine energy in a beautiful way that empowers her. It looks like she has some followers that feel empowered by her, too.

We all stand abreast as usual, the teal-haired young ladies skip right past Calvi, Switch, and I to meet Lael.

They look up to her with wide eyes. Lael becomes a slightly different version of herself when she greets the young ladies. She seems tougher in a way and I feel like she knows her manners are going to be emulated by these girls and she only has a moment with them.

I like her message; the world treats you like you let it, be tough.

I’m beyond proud. I’m not happy this is the last show with Lael for this tour but I couldn’t ask for a better send-off.

Lael takes pictures with all of them. There is a nice moment when a teal-haired young teen does a little princess pose for the camera and Lael shows her the rock and roll symbol with hand and demonstrating how to scowl. That little girl is still a princess when she leaves, but instead of a wand in her hand she carries a sword.

I’m high from the show in the best way. But what goes up must come down and when Lael gives me the look that she is leaving, I come down hard.

I crash.

“Alright partner, I will see you in a week,” Lael says with half a smile.

“Now, you’re leaving now?” I question.

“Come on, walk me out,” she says.

She exchanges hugs and goodbyes with Switch and Calvi. Her hug with Calvi was awkward and hard to watch. She laughs it off and we head down the hall, and we stop at a metal door that leads to the loading area.

“I have a ride waiting for me,” she says.

“So this is goodbye.”

“For a week,” she assures me. “Actually less than a week. You better come straight to my place when you get back to LA.” Her voice is soft and caring. “And text and call me whenever you can. I’ll update you with any baby news.”

“I’m going to miss you” I say. I am trying not to be over the top, I don’t want to freak her out.

But the truth is, it breaks my heart that she’s leaving.

Somehow, though, I keep it together to save face. I wish I could find the words but they’re just not there.

She opens the door and I hold it while she goes outside.

There’s a black limousine waiting.

Fuck. This is all happening so fast.

“Don’t forget about me Snyder,” she says as she struts away.

“Hate to see you go but I love to watch you leave,” I call out to her.

She turns her head and laughs.

We’re both grinning at each other.

It would be as good a send-off as I could ask for but then it happens.

This limousine door opens and Ronald steps out.

He’s wearing a long black trench coat and his lips are in a closed grin.

My smile disappears when we briefly make eye contact.

Lael doesn’t look back at me, she gets into the shiny black limousine and Ronald follows her.

As I lean against a post in the dark loading area and watch the limo drive away, I think about a song I released on an old album called Spaceship Limousine. It’s about a young limousine driver that modifies his limousine so it can fly to space in order to impress a woman.

It’s a song that wasn’t well received but it’s still one of my favorites. When you are in love with a gal, you will do anything to impress her. I’m in love with Lael and I will fly to the moon for her.

This is going to be the slowest, longest week of my life.





Chapter Twenty





Brad




“Thank you! We are And Then, you can buy our albums wherever you buy music. This is the last show of an amazing tour, so this is a special night. I hope we made you feel good. This last song is called ‘Shut the door, have a seat,’” I shout into the mic, addressing the sold-out crowd. The audience is a sloppy bunch; Vegas is always an interesting show. The people eat too much at the free buffets and drink more than they ever normally would. They are mostly all fans, but you will always find a handful folks that are just looking for some entertainment. They could have seen a magician or Celine Dion, but they came here.

I don’t hate playing in Vegas, but it does feel more like work sometimes. The crowd is there to be entertained, unlike somewhere like Portland where the crowd is there to participate and create an experience.

I make it through our last song. We politely wave and leave the stage. Bruce Ross doesn’t have a fraction of the energy that Lael brings to the music, but he is a pro and I appreciate him helping us out. I put my guitar on its stand next to a smiling Arnie.

“This was a hell of a tour my friend!” Arnie says to me.

“Yes, it was,” I answer. I raise my arms and give Arnie a hug. “Until the next time,” I say, then quickly add, “But next time no charter planes.”