My heart aches as I muddle through this "get ready for the holidays" mode after the tragic shooting Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT (about an hour from my home). As a participant in the Million Mom March in Washington, D.C. after the Columbine massacre, I had hoped to see the change necessary to prevent such violence. There are no words to express the sadness, and my constant companion of music is just a slight salve. Over the weekend, Fitz and The Tantrums offered a free song download to fans on their website and I was happy to oblige with my email in exchange (they have it anyway!) The song, "Santa Stole My Lady," is classic Fitz, an old school jam with a comforting retro sound.
There's also a message from Fitz and Noelle Scaggs about a new album coming early next year. They are backstage at Madison Square Garden, about to open the show for Jason Miraz. I'll always have a soft spot for this band, since Fitz (neé Michael Fitzpatrick) was my first interview as a "music journalist" back in May 2010. (Link to interview/review on PopMatters is listed on their Wikipedia page -- photo here taken afterwards in the rodent-ridden basement of Mercury Lounge.) That night, the band killed it on the small, crowd level stage as captured in the video below. I even became dancing buddies with Noelle, even trading high fives at one point. I wish them all the success in the world, and appreciate their gift of song -- especially in these dark days of unfathomable news.