FanX, 2021 Edition...Day 3...The Final Day

To be fair, I did not spend all day at FanX's finale. I actually had to go a few hours in. Still, from what I experienced, it was another wonderful day.

Closing a con is bittersweet. 

On the one hand, your body is literally spent. From all the walking, standing, speaking loudly to be heard over all the constant background noise found in the vendor hall, the panel rooms, and every corner of the convention. When I leave a con on the final day, I'm exhausted, tired--but, it's a good tired.

But, on the other hand, for people like me enjoying being with friends, meeting new friends, and experiencing pure unabashed creativity makes it worth it. So when the final call booms over the convention hall speakers, it's a sad time--mostly because we know we won't get another opportunity to meet up and experience the same feeling for another year.

If we're lucky, that is. Before last year, I would be hard pressed to believe anything could stop such a successful franchise. 

I was wrong.

Day 3 came and went. I saw friends on our stage. I saw friends at their booths. I saw people loving the opportunity to be among those with like interests. I even saw a kid who made his homemade armor out of cardboard. Some might think it was lame, but I loved it...he put a lot of work into it. No, it didn't look like the armor worn by the professional cosplayers, but I think I liked his costume more.

Day 3, and this year's FanX has come and gone. I hope it happens again next year. Time will tell.

"Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage...Wonderfully Bittersweet

 I am not the biggest RUSH fan out there--that would take all of my time and a lot more money--but I feel like I am part of a specialized class of RUSH fan. I loved their music in the 1970s.

Yes, there are a lot of us out there, but not as many as those who fell in love with RUSH in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, or even 2020s. As a kid I attended several RUSH concerts, the cost of seeing a live show was around ten bucks.

Times have changed.

Yesterday, I came across a documentary of the band from 2010. The documentary chronicled how the band, RUSH was formed, how they began their music careers, how Neil Peart joined them and his influence on the music and their lyrics. I saw photos and video footage I'd never seen before. Plus, it made me appreciate the musicality and artistry of Alex Lifeson. I'd alway been in awe of Lee and Peart, but this film showed me the guitar skills and talent of Lifeson was up there with the other two.

And it was great, it brought back memories, it made me want to listen to every song they ever made.

But it also made me very, very, very very sad.

If you know about the RUSH and the events that happened after 2010, you know why I was sad. Because I knew more of the story, the story not yet having taken place in the film. I know how the story of the band's ending ended.

And I didn't want it to end. I still don't want it to end.

There are bands that disband, shows that end that we wish didn't. But, there can be reunion tours, reunion shows...there's always a chance the band can get back together.

But, not RUSH.

It's over and it hurts.

I guess life in the 2020s is what it's like beyond the lighted stage and we'll just have to get used to it...

Unfortunately.