A Peaceful Easy Feelin

Musicians - Bowie, Frey, Griffin - they come in threes or so it seems.  Here's one for ya... Circa 1993?? It's all a blur, anyway, with snorkel bag in hand, I was taking a 12 pack for a stroll well past mile marker 8, on a semi deserted section of Tunnel's beach in Kauai....

My Zippo had run low, and this would not be good, as it could step on my buzz, due to beer and smogs being tandem vices. However, I was fortunate enough to spy a grungy dude with severe facial overgrowth under the palms directly in front of Bette's beach front. 

I approached and Nattered while pointing up into the trees, "Dude, my Zippo's dry and the hoary bats are dormant, so we won't have to deal with them, got some spark for a PBR?" The dude grinned ear to ear, stood up, looked up into the palm and said "got it covered, no problem man".  

As we lit up in tandem, I pulled the PBR from my 12 pack which he cheerfully accepted and led to much quaffing and chatting.  About 100 yards out, the tide was just right as we watched a long haired surfer in board shorts seemingly "walk across the water" with his stick in hand.  

I Nattered, "Christ, those reefers out there can cause some mighty disturbing illusions, cuz it looks like tubular JC is tryin to get to his next set".  The dude cracked up, then pulled a guitar out from the backside of the palm and proceeded to belt out "Your Lyin Eyes".  It was only then that I un-mistakenly realized who this disheveled unshaven beach front troubadour was.

After the song, the dude quipped, "thought that might fit the moment."  I Nattered with a big smirk, "apropos and a much better rendition than the guy who wrote it", to which he howled "yeah Don might argue that, but I wont". As we laughed and clinked cans, I produced a hand rolled adult cig, much to his delight, and one of a few we shared that afternoon with the rest of the 12'er. 

Over the next two or so hours, between chatting about the origins of the universe, "cuchi-cuchi" Charo (who could be found singing at her own restaurant on Kauai), and the plight of man, (those last two could be one and the same?), the dude shared almost every song he had written and even guinea pigged the Nattering One on some newer stuff.  As it turned out, the dude was stationed at the palms directly in front of the Divine Ms. M's because he was renting there to "hide out and decompress", hence his dereliction with a shaver for a modicum of anonymity, for which the guitar did not help. 

Fast forward, as we were getting ready to call it an afternoon, I shook the dudes hand, thanked him and noted what a pleasure it had been.  The beach front troubadour noted the afternoon had been a pleasant surprise, "that wasn't how I thought today would shake out", and thanked me for the chance to "let down the vail, shoot the shit and hang" like a normal person. He then shot me a wise guy look and said with a rye grin, "your lucky you pulled out PBR, if it had been one of those yuppie beers like Heineken, I probably wouldn't have drank it, but then I might have missed out on the buzz and good company."

We both laughed and at the top of my lungs, I gave him my best Frank Booth imitation, which elicited one last mutual howl for the afternoon as we parted ways.  I will never forget that afternoon with one hell of a beach side troubadour, nor the "peaceful easy feelin" of hangin with such a down to earth person who clearly was "already standin on the ground". 

Here are some of Glenn Frey's most memorable music video performances.  This PBR is for you Glenn.