Power Trip's Grammy nomination and the pride that trails behind

“ Ya know, I never thought that I would see an organic Dallas hardcore/ crossover band get nominated for a Grammy,” I told myself as I entered my house after a short day of work this past Tuesday afternoon. The lighter shade of grey filled the sky as if it was getting ready to pour rain upon us but it wasn’t in the forecast. I stared at the screen on my phone, my eyes were fixated on the image that Riley Gale’s close friend James Khubiar posted on his Facebook. The image contained a deep purple, accented by the vibrant gold color that matches the physical characteristics of the Grammy award itself. The left of the image was the most important text for me. In the top-left position of the image read “Best Metal Performance” and the corresponding list under it read:

Bum- Rush- Body Count

Underneath- Code Orange

The In Between- In This Moment

Bloodmoney- Poppy

Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe) -Live- Power Trip

It was as if I was having trouble believing what I was looking at so I stared at it for a little while longer. Although I said it out loud to myself, the astonishment that trailed behind caused me to question the image I was looking at. For a brief moment, I wondered if this was a real image. Some kid could’ve easily opened Photoshop that morning and created this image and posted it online. It would be a sick, twisted joke but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. “Fake news is posted online all the time Chris, let’s not fall for anything that you see just because it gives you joy,” I told myself as I continued to glare at the image. As I stepped into the house, I immediately told my girlfriend what I was looking at because I wanted to say it out loud to someone else just to see how believable it would sound in a conversation. At that same moment, I questioned myself for questioning the image, “Why wouldn’t Power Trip receive a Grammy nomination? Power Trip is one of the best crossover bands of this generation. Sound quality, lyricism, live performances, Power Trip is the total package, who would be better to receive this award than Power Trip? ” The strong aura of pride was beginning to settle in and it was growing by the second. It caused me to stick my chest out a little more, the tone in my voice raised a little and a small burst of excitement had taken over my Tuesday mood. Shortly after coming home and changing clothes, I stepped out because I wanted to spend time with a friend while relieving myself of stress. At a stoplight five miles from my home, I looked at Facebook and quickly noticed the article that friends were sharing. It was the article written by LambGoat with the headline stating “ Power Trip nominated for a Grammy Award”. The light turned green and the joy that I felt 14 minutes ago was heightened in spirit. “It’s real!” I yelled, “The homies win Grammys around here!’

3 days later/post-Thanksgiving/ 9:30 am

It was a quiet holiday for me. I had to take my daughter back home to visit the other half of her family for the holidays and my girlfriend had to go to work so I spent my Thanksgiving alone. With the rising cases of COVID among us, I felt it was better to stay inside to enjoy solitude. Most of my day was spent reading, writing, and plotting for the uncertain future. Being a vegan around the holidays was tough at first but not so much anymore. As I get older, I look at holidays as another day off. Before I was able to blink. I found myself waking up this morning from a restless night with my girlfriend by my side after a 12-hour shift. Oe of our cats was a menace to its sleeping humans as he made the conscious effort to disturb our slumber but after a bowl of his favorite food, I haven’t heard a meow from him, yet. My girlfriend left in a hurry to attend her early morning workout that she dedicates her time to. The amount of discipline she possesses is motivational. I ignored most of my business calls today, I didn’t feel like hearing any other voices this morning, it felt necessary to silence my phone. Moments later, I caught myself searching the internet for every article written about Power Trip’s Grammy Nomination. After reading The AltPress , The Brooklyn Vegan and Blabbermouth, I glanced to my left at my favorite canary yellow chair that sits adjacent to the computer table and noticed the two unopened packages with my name on it. In each of those packages contains a RIP Riley Gale t-shirt. Up to this point, a high level of hesitation has prevented me from opening up the packages, simply because I distanced myself from the harsh reality that Riley’s physical being is gone. Although I am aware and have come to the conclusion of the truth, I struggled to face it. This time when I glanced over at the packages, a huge smile appeared on my slim face with prominent cheekbones and jawline covered by my chocolate brown complexion. The Dallas, Texas pride that I cherish with my heart made its overwhelming appearance again and I welcomed it with honor and ease. This time, my eyes didn’t swell with tears of sadness, they were filled with a small number of tears of joy but quickly ended. I was done with being emotional, it was time for me to move forward and celebrate. I couldn’t help but wonder to myself, “ I wonder what Riley’s first reaction would’ve been if he were alive today to hear the news that Power Trip is a Grammy-nominated hardcore band.” I’m sure many musicians across the world don’t think ( or even care for that matter) about the possibility of winning or being nominated for a Grammy, but to know that someone from my city, a band that I have seen live countless number of times, a person that introduced me to literature and knowledge I use to this day being nominated for a prestigious award is amazing to say the very least. A strong sense of inspiration swept over me like the winds of the tornado that took place a couple of days ago. Shortly after, my attention converted to the acoustic guitar that I am currently practicing with. “ Anything is possible”, I said to myself, “The homies win Grammys around here.”

Riley Forever

Power Trip Forever