Time is Free

Downtown Macon, Georgia was alive and well for New Year's Eve, and Mom and Shuga D were grateful they swooshed in from Atlanta and nested at the Hummingbird Stage and Taproom. For Mom, it was like a rewind and fast forward in time.

First the flashbacks. Col. Bruce Hampton and the Quark Alliance were center stage. Colonel classics like "Time is Free" and "Basically Frightened," and the man himself looked like he was at least a decade-and-a-half younger . . . Which made Mom rewind to being 16 at Elizabeth Reed's Music Hall (with her dad, of course), and helping Col. Bruce apply duct tape to his shoes and jeans "because it was going to get them on MTV." Good thing the duct tape took him even further.

Then the fast forward. The 'Bird was slammed packed. Bottles of champagne were graciously given out before the clock struck 12, and the music-loving-super-sect of folks were sharing, toasting and having just an overall mighty fine time. Mom couldn't help but fast forward into the new decade and just imagined the day when Macon didn't need a New Year's or free bottles of champagne to pack the house at key live music venues, like the Hummingbird, all of the time. Maybe, just maybe, we will get to the day - to quote the Rabbi - "when you haven't made it until you played Macon" . . . or at least been a part of the crowd singing along.

Thanks to the Hummingbird team for making it a memorable (and hopeful) night. Here's to a new decade of bringing us live music in Macon.