Some of our passions are fairly transparent here at hse. Luckily two of these passions are our core business and reside right there in our name; sports and entertainment. Monday saw Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals roll through Dallas for a show at the Majestic Theater. One of these so-called Innocent Criminals is guitarist Michael Ward. When you hear him play, it's blatantly clear that he's passionate about his music. This is where entertainment and endurance meet. Michael is unique in that he doesn't leave his bike behind when it comes time to hit the road on tour. A dedicated cyclist, he explores each of the many cities he visits by getting out on his bike and putting in the miles.
My phone rang around 11:00 am. Michael tempted me to head out for a quick ride, it just wasn't gonna happen with the current workload. I gave him some rough directions to get up to White Rock Lake safely. Understand that between the Majestic and the lake there are a few stretches that many wouldn't want to ride a $5,000 bike through while wearing a colorful lycra outfit.
Undeterred, Michael set off.
The day went just as most Mondays do. Then...
5:00 pm -- Ring...Ring. It's Michael verifying the number of tickets needed for the show. Jokingly I ask if he made it back from his ride unharmed.
"Ha...I'm actually just leaving the ER right now."
Here goes. Bracing myself, I'm expecting to hear that infamy is before me for aiding in the untimely ending of Ben Harper's tour.
"No man. I was at the Lake, riding no-hands for just a second. I reached into my jersey pocket to find the map. Next thing I know, I'm going over the bars."
The diagnosis: Road rash and a softball-sized knot smack dab on the front of his head. After the requisite x-rays, CAT scans and who knows what, he took the stage, though for the first time on this tour with a hat.
The show...Unbelievably Powerful are the only words I have to describe what we witnessed. If it's a measure of anything at all, the contents of the office's Recently Played Playlists are top to bottom, Ben Harper.
Where does such power come from? Perhaps it's the collision of endurance and entertainment...I'd like to think so.
-Simon Essl






