CALIFORNIA FIRES

Regular readers of Love Songs Etc have heard mention of Paul Bryan. Paul co-produced and played all over my forthcoming album, Fade Away Blue. Sadly, he lost his home and studio in the Palisades fire.

He was just finalizing a list of equipment to renew his insurance but hadn’t sent it out yet, so nothing was insured at the time of the fire.

His frequent collaborator, Aimee Mann, has created a GoFundMe to help him rebuild his studio.

Paul is an amazing musician, a killer producer, and a lovely human. Please consider chipping in.

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My thoughts are with everyone in Southern California impacted by the fires. Whether you’ve lost your home, been displaced, or are feeling the anxiety uncertainty brings on, my heart goes out to you. And to the first responders and others working to manage this crisis, thank you.

Here are a few links to support those in need.

Paul Bryan : GoFundMe

World Central Kitchen

MusiCares: Greater LA Fire Relief

To those who have lost their homes, I would say that I can’t imagine what you are going through, but to some extent, I can. While what I experienced was not nearly as catastrophic as what is unfolding now, even still, its impact was enormous on my young life.

When I was eleven years old, a house fire took the lives of both of our family pets. Butch was the lovable mut I’d known all of my life. And Charlie, our sweet cat, was my little buddy. He slept on my pillow at night. They found his body under my bed.

Our house was not lost entirely. Thankfully, cherished items like scrapbooks survived. Still, it was a profoundly traumatic experience. The memories are seared in my mind. Life was in slow motion as I walked down Penny Place and turned the corner into our driveway to see the still-smoldering ruins. I completely lost it.

A day or two later, we toured the wreckage. They placed a little fire helmet on my head and I entered the house. On the kitchen counter lay my math book. It was toast. (No big loss there.) All of the family vinyl survived except one. The only record that was outside its jacket was mine. KISS Alive. The heat from the nearby flames rendered it completely warped.

Our community was there for us. Family friends who were vacationing in Hawaii lent us their big, fancy house overlooking the water for the first week or so. I remember laying in bed looking out of the almost floor-to-ceiling window, watching the ferries come and go in the harbor while listening to music on the clock radio. I fell in love with Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door” that night.

We lived in a couple of different rentals while our house was rebuilt. My favorite was a beach house next to The Bloedel Reserve. I spent the Summer playing with our new dog, Rex, and skipping along the giant driftwood logs that littered the shoreline. This was the Summer I kicked my KISS habit in favor of Simon & Garfunkel. But that’s a story for another time.

I had not thought about the fire in a long time. Seeing the devastation in California brought it all back.

So many people, including friends who lost their homes, are finding their way through a remarkably tough time right now. To my readers who are dealing firsthand with this unbelievable tragedy, you are in my thoughts.

We’ll return to our regularly scheduled music programming soon.

Peace & Love Songs,

Pete