Deep Space Six

continued

Before very long I'm on the floor, too. There still are no spaces between the songs, just a seamless flow, like the long chiffon sleeves of the smiling little hippie girl on my right. We're all dancing in rank now, lined up carefully to give each other space. The band members have stopped interacting on stage and now look extremely focused. They must be focused, after an hour and a half of improv.

I'm not a Deadhead, so forgive me if these observations seem obvious, but I have performed improvisational modern dance, so I understand what it's like to "tune in" to others while performing. It's a high, like the one you get after running for forty-five minutes. And those guys are plugged in. So is the audience. It's easy to remember in a genetic way why music was first created: to sing for a spirit, celebrate community, and help the plants grow.

Deep Space Six is at TC's Speakeasy in Ypsilanti on Saturday, July 12, and at the Club Above on Saturday, July 19.   

[Originally published in July, 2003.]