the tough part of telling this story is convincing anyone that it actually happened... but it did... and I'll never forget it. I'll keep this as short as I can.

I have never been good at tuning my drums.... lifelong struggle. Back in the late 80's I gave up, AND - came up with a fix. I bought an electronic drum kit. I located the kit I wanted up in the Sacramento area. One day I drove up there, bought the kit, and headed home.

If you've ever been to Sacramento you're aware that it has some of the worst traffic in the world. The freeways often come to a standstill. On my way home I hit a traffic jam... one of the worst I've ever been in. Dead stop.... and so long at a dead stop that I had shut off my engine.

I had been stopped... total stop... for 10 minutes plus and was listening to the radio. Steve Winwood came on.. "Back In The High Life". That song has a drum part that I loved.. had practiced many times. I had a pair of drumsticks with me so I grabbed them... turned my radio up to 11 and began rocking out.... using my steering wheel, the dash, the windows for cymbals. My side windows were partially opened to allow some air in so without doubt I was bugging the hell of my fellow stranded travelers... but I didn't care.

Can't remember how many lanes wide this section of the Freeway was but I'd guess at least 4. I was only about a quarter way into the song when I noticed, with my peripheral vision, a guy a couple of lanes over had exited his car, was standing on his hood, was staring straight at me, and was playing air guitar to his radio... which was playing... "Back In The High Life". I smiled a greeting, and got more animated.

Seconds later I heard a car honk... common in traffic jams, as if it would do any good in getting traffic to move. But this honk was not traffic related.... looking in my rear view mirror I spotted another guy, outside his car, standing by his car door, also playing air guitar to.... "Back In The High Life".... but playing the bass part, (I don't actually know it was the bass part but I choose to believe that)

Soon other's joined. All cranking their radios up to 11, rolling down their windows. Some played along... some danced. Some sang into "air"mics. Not sure how many joined the impromptu Steve Winwood concert but I think it was EVERY car in a radius 4 lanes wide and perhaps a dozen long. NONE of us holding back... letting it all hang out.

As the song was ending traffic ahead had started to inch forward.... but we, all of us, continued playing... right to the end of the song. When the song ended a cheer went up from all the stranded motorists. Laughing was everywhere.... horns started honking.

I fired up my pickup... and continued my drive home.

Almost sounds like a TV Commercial, doesn't it... but it wasn't, and it did happen. And I'm quite sure that today... 30 years later... probably on Facebook now... a few dozen other people are telling the same story I'm telling here today. It was a day to remember. - JamesJM