Upstaged

From the day of its release to now I would guess that there are few music lovers out there that don’t have a Wipe Out memory.  It is a feel good son that begs to be danced to providing you possess the energy.
 For my late husband it was the standard by which he judged the quality of a band’s drummer.  No drummer passed muster for him if they couldn’t handle the rousing solo.  Over the years he casually tested many young groups we heard at various venues with simple request—play Wipe Out.
 Thus I wasn’t surprise as we were listening to our friend’s son and his fledging band practice when my late husband asked them if they could play the song.  Our friend’s son was the drummer.  As the only child raised by a doting father and grandmother, the young man was quite full of himself.  He was certain he could be the best at whatever he tried.  That night was no different as he boldly accepted the challenge as a piece of cake.
 They played well, but when it came to the solo the lead guitarist flipped his guitar and beat out the solo more effectively than the drummer.  Ricky, the drummer, was furious as we applauded his friend.
 To this day I never hear the song without remembering that night and thinking how appropriate the title was for what happened to the young drummer.  It also reminds me that one should never get too confident about their abilities even when we have proved ourselves many times before.