Yesterday I played host to a friend’s 21 year old brother who was in town. My friend was stuck in a business conference, so I had his brother all to myself.

He’s from Macon, GA and his name is Darrin.

Macon, home to Allman Brothers lore, is in some ways a sweltering asphalt armpit of a city. Kids and dogs die in locked cars there regularly. Duane Allman is the regional God, and he should be.

Darrin is a Southern Metal Gangster Video Gamer. He wore his black NY Yankees hat tilted over a doo-rag. White wife beater offsetting jeans worn below his ass, medallion chain, and fake Rolex. He had tribal woodblock earlobe piercing, and a septum hoop. He was heavily cologned.

Darrin was amped to see Seattle. Nirvana, grunge, grunge and Nirvana.

Like many of us, Darrin is ruled by music. His headphones are a sanctuary and muse. He sees things through the filter of the band he’s currently into.

Right now, Darrin is into Pantera.

Darrin’s also into weed. It’s all he talked about. He identifies himself by and through how fucked up he gets. Often he said, “Dood, we broke off the hugest nug and fired it to the ground.”

He also kept saying, “Blaring! Dude get blaring.” With a drawn peach fuzz dip spit accent.

I was right there with him, blaring, fully wanting to facilitate the enjoyment of his Seattle day.

So I took him to see the shoes.

Across from the magic shop in the mid level of the Pike Market, there is a Giant Shoe Museum. You put a quarter in and can see big shoes. They even have one that the 8’11 Robert Wadlow wore. If you haven’t seen this, get down there immediately.

Darrin was unimpressed. This was it? We had spoken on the phone a few days earlier and I had promised rock shows and beer.

Then he needed weed. He started asking people at Victor Steinbrueck Park if they knew where to score. He called it ‘Boom-Boom Gump Plug.’ He got in a Hacky Sack circle and his pants fell down. No Boom-Boom Gump Plug found.

EMP was the next stop. On our way, I asked him if I could look through the CD’s he had brought with him:

Kid Rock
Nickleback
Pantera
Tupac
Modest Mouse

And REM’s Reckoning.

I understood the Modest Mouse, but the 1984 Reckoning? Darrin and Michael Stipe getting contemplative and bookish? Macon is close to Athens, so it makes sense that way. I just couldn’t see Darrin actually liking it though and figured it was one of those CD’s placed to make it look like he’s well rounded. The Reckoning was too out of place for someone who enjoys meth and hunting animals with antlers.

Darrin got on the drum set at EMP. Though he wasn’t high, and though the kit didn’t have antlers, he killed it. The footage of old Queensryche was also a highlight.

Darrin, I had a great time hanging out with you. I’m sorry you didn’t score. I hope the rest of your trip and life go good. Aim well, aim high.

Reckoning will come in time:

“Seven Chinese brothers swallowing the ocean. Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain. She will return, she will return.”

M. Stipe