Topper

Mom and I decided to have a night out at the casino last night. So I grabbed my free room comp and we headed out! We had a total blast...Thelma and Louise baby!!! WOO WOO! And what happens at the Pearl River Resort when Thelma and Louise go to party....STAYS at the Pearl River Resort. Except for one event. Topper.

At around 9:30 last night, Mom...err...Thelma and I decided to head over to the Xenon lounge to grab a couple of alcoholic beverages and listen to some live music. I had been sitting at the penny slot machine near the lounge earlier and heard the band start up with "Working For the Weekend" by Loverboy. I found my head starting to bob a little bit like Chris Kattan's on Night at the Roxbury. So, I cashed out...even though I was winning...and headed over to the bar. Thelma and I grabbed a table close to the bar and within eye-shot of the band. Thelma got her brewski...Louise (me) got her White Russian. The drink...not the dude. Ahhh...let the jammin' begin! The name of the band was Topper. 4 guys in their...mmm...I'd have to say late 40's early 50's. Could be more or less on each individual...but I'm bad at guessing ages. And I must say, that despite his age...or maybe because of it...or screw that...because of his VOICE...the keyboardist and lead vocalist, Pete, was uber sexy. And I don't even like long hair on guys. Uhh...anyway...that's getting into the what happens at the casino STAYS at the casino...nevermind. So...the guys start playing all kinds of music...all different genres...from The Drifters to 3 Doors Down to Journey to Blake Shelton and Willie Nelson. And let me tell you...Pete can turn on the Willie Nelson voice like you would not believe. At one point, David, the lead guitarist walked around the entire bar "serenading" all the women with a fabulous Santana song.

But here's the thing...here's what truly truly got to me. This is why I am writing about a band called Topper tonight. And many of you may say this is cheesy...many of you may roll your eyes and say, "Oh Mare...you're just being too sentimental and over dramatic." Well...get the hell over it. This is MY blog...and you're the one reading it. So shut it and read on.

There were only about 40 people or less in the Xenon lounge at any one given time in the hour and a half that we sat there. Most of those people came and went and most of those people were either sitting at the bar playing video poker or sitting at tables chatting up their pals and drinking. Not paying a lick of attention to a band called Topper. Let me now give you a little background on Topper. Between the years of 1979 and 1984 Topper toured with The Drifters and then Jerry Lee Lewis. They also worked with Ozzy Osborne. The 80's were the time of these guys' lives you're thinking. And maybe you're right. You won't see these guys headlining in front of thousands of people. Last night, they played to a crowd of less than a hundred people at a time and half of those people didn't even look at them. And at first, I didn't look at them either...but then, I started to listen...I really listened. And what I heard was absolute passion in music. These guys didn't care WHO they were singing to. They were keeping their dream alive. There was a row of seats that were right up next to a little "space" by the stage. An old skinny redneck cowboy and 2 very vivacious and lovely sistas just so happened to be sitting next to each other in these seats. They were watching the band. They were listening to the band. They were freakin' lovin' the hell outta some TOPPER BABY YEAH!!!! Pete would belt out a Willie Nelson song and the cowboy would grab the sista up and try to show her what two-steppin' was all about. Then David would break it down with some KC & The Sunshine Band "That's The Way I Like It" (Uh Huh Uh Huh) and that sista would pull that ole cowboy out on the dance floor and grind it dooowwwwnnn!!! At this point, I not only started to watch the hilarity out on the dance floor, but I really started to pay attention to the band. Really looked at the joy on their faces that their music had made this totally unlikely pair get their groove on on the dance floor. That look of satisfaction that they were giving it all they had just to bring some happiness to a few people. They didn't have to do that. They didn't have to give it all they had to such a small crowd of people. They could have come out there...sang a few good ones guaranteed to get the crowd going like Jimmy Buffett or Sweet Home Alabama and called it a night. But no...the next thing I saw drove it home for me that these guys really still had it in them. The band started playing "Rock and Roll Fantasy" by Bad Company. Pete left his keyboard...took the mike out of the stand and started belting it out. And I do mean this man poured his heart into this song. Rocked the FREAKING HOUSE! He ran from one side of the stage to the other...sang to each person that was there...climbed behind the drummer and jumped back down onto the stage. The only thing that was missing was the pyrotechnics. It didn't feel like it was too much because we weren't in some huge venue...it didn't feel like too much because there weren't a lot of people there. It felt just right because he put so much passion behind it. You just knew that this man loved what he was doing. You knew that this man wanted you to feel this song and sing along with him. Before this moment, I had almost felt sorry for these guys. And in some people's eyes, maybe it would seem a little sad that these guys have been playing their hearts out for over 25 years and they've never made it "big"...they're still playing to small crowds in smoky casino bars instead of stadiums filled with thousands of screaming fans. But I wonder if you ask them now what they would say. I know back then they would have rather had that rock-n-roll lifestyle. They definitely tried for it. And most definitely got a very big taste of it. But if it weren't for bands like Topper...if it weren't for guys like them who play so passionately...pouring their hearts out for the "little people"...for the small smoky casino bars...that old cowboy might've not had that fantastic dance. That sista might not have learned how to two-step. I might not have learned just how much I love "Rock and Roll Fantasy." Hey...I might not have figured out that long hair on guys might not be such a bad thing after all...it can actually be kinda sexy. And I may not have gotten to have just a small glimpse of dreams and perserverance and passion and all out "giving it all you got" in such an unexpected place.

Rock on Pete, David, Matt & Lacy. Keep on rockin' Topper.