Hey now, friends,
On New Year’s Day this year, my musical brothers Eric Krasno, Reed Mathis and Todd Stoops indulged me in a casual, impromptu jam in my neighbor’s backyard. We didn’t really discuss it beforehand and we certainly had no real expectation. We gathered to watch the sun set over Hanalei Bay, and then instinctively picked up our instruments. Without saying a word; we just started playing. It was joyful, it was funky, it was jazzy, it was groovy, it was casual, and it felt like a wonderful start to a new year. It was our way of hitting the refresh button and washing 2016 off for once and for all, as well as setting our personal intentions for 2017. Music heals, inspires, and instructs us all; it still does that to me, even after all these years. That’s what this was about. I went home smiling.
The next day, January 2nd, I decided to treat the guys to true Hawaiian aloha — we met in the morning at my fishing boat and went on a tiny adventure. We snorkeled, shared some jokes, drank some beer, enjoyed the water and felt good about life and each other’s company.
When we got back to shore, I had a little surprise waiting for them — we all went over to my house, where I had arranged for instruments to be set up in my barn. My wife and I invited some of our local friends to come on over to hang. We cooked up some kine grinds (fresh fish!) and it was the kind of accidental luau that you’ll never see in the tourist brochures but which just occur organically when you live on Kauai. Your typical backyard barbecue, but island style.
Krasno, Reed, Stoops and I would periodically go into the garage and — just like the previous afternoon — pick up our instruments and play for a bit. Some of our friends fire danced, some hula hooped, others just sat around the fire…. smiling…. content.
We would break frequently so that we could enjoy the same kinds of things, before finding our way back to the instruments.
Given what’s happening in Washington DC today, January 20, I figure that we could all use as many positive vibrations as possible, and we should all be setting a positive intention for ourselves for the coming year and beyond.
So before we dig in and fight the good fight — whatever that may be for you, personally — I wanted to extend the spirit of aloha that I showed my musician friends when they came to visit me over the holiday. Please accept this gift of music from my house to yours.
With love,
Billy Kreutzmann
PART 1:
https://youtu.be/WvvOJGvl3HU
PART 2:
https://youtu.be/F8Fqa0mxsWE
PPS: Tune into Streamstock 2017 today — https://www.facebook.com/