Regular readers of the Morning Shakeout email presented by Mario Fraioli and his friends at Tracksmith® are well aware of his habit of sharing links to musical performances or running related video content. This week the link connected you to the intriguing journey of running influencer Casey Neistat standing atop the literal and figurative mountain of going sub-3 hours in the marathon.
Validating the algorithm is irresistible, nestled in the dancing thumbnail suggestions was a live performance of the always immaculate Foo Fighters and their 2008 performance at world renown Wembley Stadium, London. That bad boy was clicked and I was lost for 45 minutes after logging out of my remote work setup.
Fooies (Did I make that up?) are well aware that the ageless fount of youth that is beloved front man Dave Grohl and associates close their shows with the earworm anthem Everlong. I’d never personally sampled this performance though I was aware of the documentary detailing this concert in it’s entirety. No one can accuse me of being a huge Foo Fighters guy but, I can say the volume turned up when their stuff came on the alternative radio station in high school.
That night in Wembley, the band bade the 90k in attendance a fond ado by turning over their well warn classic to reveal an almost introspective atmosphere. During that dramatic lull before the final build up, Dave looked into the swelling masses and proceeded to tear down the proverbial house. I was blown away and emotional in ways that only a magical music performance can conger.
As has been the case for my nearly three decades, plus, in running, music immediately transported me to my experiences on the roads, trails and races across the country. TBH I can’t clap on beat or carry a tune with a bucket. Other than for those that run, I share little in common with the creativity of the musical artist. Yet for me, the effort of running has always satisfied the creative impulse. The need to make something from nothing via kCals and the Krebs cycle.
In summer, winter, joy, pain, bliss, loss and confusion running has created a venue for my mind to make something with my body the way I can infer music does for a musician. Cute, right? So what about Dave and friends?
On that night, in 2008, Dave Grohl, as close to modern, living rock legend as you can find, created something new out of something old. I’d venture Foo Fighters has performed that song over 5000 times, in concert alone. There is a likelihood they could play it in their sleep and parts of four decades performing it live has taken the original emotion from it’s current life. Not on that night. Not on Dave’s watch. Everlong he waited for that unknown someone and something as good as it gets, but the experience lives on like it was yesterday.
In a Minneapolis suburb, later this afternoon, I’ll put on some Atreyu trainers (if punk rock was a running shoe company) and catch a run. Not the same run I started four decades ago, but the same impulse. Not to win, compete, or transcend. To create, to be and I’ll wonder with every past version of myself and the miles accumulated over the years:
“If everything could ever feel this real forever? If anything could ever be this good again?”
Thanks, Dave. Indeed they can.
If you like delicious things CLICK HERE to watch the performance and may the algorithm be with you.