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Chance encounters

It's funny. Every time I meet sort of famous musicians that I don't recognize, they give me an assumed name. I met Sean Danielson from the band Smile Empty Soul at the bar formerly known as City Cafe after work last night. He changed his hair cut from the photo and he told me his real name was David and that his stage name was "My son is my music." (He wrote it down for me on the back of a Keno form. Really.) He shouldn't have been worried. I actually did lose track of big label contemporary artists in 1976 so I only recognize dead people, defunct bands and local musicians.

That being said, we had a very interesting conversation and I found him to be a surprisingly thoughtful young man. He had some great stories about meeting his heros and how it feels to meet someone that holds him up as one. I liked his take on his life and luck and his sense of responsibility to warn the upcoming generations. After hearing his story I understood how his words could resonate with a bewildered peer group.

"I tell them," he said "you have a choice. Don't become an asshole."

After that I didn't even have to read the lyrics to his songs to believe he was -- as he modestly claimed he might be -- a poet.