There Is No Substitute For Reality

It's so cold I don't want to go out. But I know that up on the hill there is live music. Dont' get me wrong. Live music is something you get when you can. Car is freezing cold. No heater. I can see my breath. 16 degrees. Parking lot is full as we pull in. Dr. Diana and my self. The building looks a little beat up. As I walked into Durham hall on the campus of Casper College tonight the first thing I see is this ancient picture on the wall of Lee Alley. Dust every where. Hunks of metal in wrapping. I felt this vibe like I was in Beirut. Stuff hanging from ceilings. What was once a beautiful concert hall was now a construction site with reams of metal, sheet rock, and construction every where. The only thing that seemed like a representative of the past was a picture. Go up stairs. I greet Chuck a guy that has been involved with Art Core for ever and the founder of Art Core, Carolyn Duelle. The mother of the Arts in Casper. Chuck and Carolyn let me and Professor Bergie in because were from the radio station. I didn't have money for tickets any way. The stage is covered in white tarps. Because of the construction. I greet Carl. Hell of a sound man. That gives me faith that at least the sound will be good. Nothing has been done here artistically for months. I grab a seat. Place is packed with Casper's finest.  Nice to know Professor Bergie is even hanging with me at this point. Reminder to self. Don't bring a PhD. as a date. As Inda and her group walked out on the stage the vibe shifted dramatically. People around me actually rubbed thier hands together as if they were about to open a present. I've never seen Inda nervous for a Casper show. She was that. It took a while for her to get "settled" on her own stage. Inda has been recovering from a serious car wreck and it appeared that she wanted this night to be special. Off we went. Her patter with the crowd initially was tight. But her home town began to melt her nervousness.  Her stories were funny, enlightening, and heart felt. Inda touched me, and the crowd, right off the bat. Starting strong is something all artists want to do. Inda started in like third gear. She utilized two of her older songs to in her words "lets get familiar again and then we'll move on." Which is what she did. After the third song she looked over at her percussionist Jeffery Smith, as if asking for acceptance, and he nodded. Then things took off for one of the most amazing Art Core/Inda  Eaton shows I've ever experienced and I've been hanging with this artist for 16 years. After her "get to know you songs" Inda brought out classically trained "fiddle"/violin player from the Casper Symphony  Jennifer Cowell. Who Inda pointed out wanted "charts" or some kind of paper instruction about what the hell to play. Inda said "let's take that classical training of your's and see if we cant meld it with "The Wyoming Way." It was awesome. I'm sitting in my seat with my palms sweaty from memories of the bike store across from NCHS where Inda played guitar in Jim Halsy's bike store. This artist has matured. Grown. The next segment of Inda's show was what  the artist said was "Wyomng" work. Songs that featured Inda's life in a small town like Casper. The third set was a  mix of classics with some newer material that showed that Eaton's artisic growth has matured significantly. Her newer material was truly an artistic leap from her older material. Emotional and Intellectual.  A remarkable night. There was a group of pre-teens in the front row that Inda talked to through out the night. Giving knowledge of life on life's terms. "This show wasn't like the shows I went to growing up." She said to the pre-teens in the front row. "There is no substitute for reality." she said. In discussing her art she said "responsibility kills creativity."  For the older fans in the back there were tears, smiles and a sense that this artist was one of us. Jeffrey Smith and B. Rehm-Gerdes only added to the mix of serious emotion that came from Inda Eaton. Jeffery has been here for a day. He's rock solid. Like having a best friend who you can call when shit hits the fan Jeffery is there.  For a night in a building that has hosted many artists. Tonight this artist brought us all into her soul. Shared her heart.  Know that you are special Inda. Forever.