Charlie and the Contact Highs

My band Jersey Calling had a show last Saturday at Harper’s Pub. Our drummer couldn’t make it, so the other bandmates & I worked out some arrangements for an acoustic three-piece, with Josh banging away on the cajon on a few songs. Because we simplified the arrangements, we invited my 13-year-old son Charlie to join us for a song. Charlie’s been taking drum lessons for the past six months, and I thought the a simple beat on the cajon would be a great way to introduce him to a live-show experience.

He was a bit shell-shocked hanging out at the bar before our set. Our bass player Randy bought a round of drinks, including a lemonade for Charlie, and Charlie had me taste the lemonade to make sure it wasn’t spiked. At one point he was sitting on the side of the stage with his head in his hands, feeling a little lost among a sea of adults, and he definitely used the bathroom within seconds of people hot-boxing it. (If we ever play in this configuration again, I’m renaming us Charlie & the Contact Highs. #FatherOfTheYear)

But when it was time to call him up to the stage, Charlie plopped himself on the cajon front & center, with a quiet confidence and laughed gamely during our banter. We played one of our old songs, and he kept a simple beat we had practiced on the way to the gig. His percussion was soft, and unfortunately you couldn’t hear it in the audience mix, but through the stage monitors it was clear, and steady.

Playing with Charlie was special, in a way that caught me by surprise. I was having fun, just bopping along strumming through the song, but I kinda teared up when we came to the end of the song and Josh gave Charlie a congratulatory fist-bump.

Obviously there’s the parental pride I felt, and I think that was amplified by what I love about playing music with Josh and Randy. I love that I’m still in the same band with the same friends, I love the feeling of creating music with people who have known me half my life. And now I was getting to share it with my son.

Of course, that’s all about me. Charlie might like all that, or he might not. Being in front of people might not be his jam, and playing his dad’s music is probably lame by default. I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns down another invite to play with us - we’re not his style, we’re not his age, and we’re not nearly as cool as we ever let ourselves believe we were.

But in the video, I can see Charlie smile to no one in particular. And I hope that smile meant he was having fun, at least in the moment.