How Green Becomes Wood

"I'm not really familiar with Coheed," Milo admitted, "but I can probably do Hand of Doom. I'm at least familiar enough with it to muscle through it," The fact they seemed pretty satisfied with his skill made him comfortable enough to take risks, although he did a little bit feel like Alec and Peter were treating him with kid gloves, but he supposed he couldn't fault them, really. He was anxious and they were beacons of positivity. They'd be good elementary school teachers, he thought.
 
"Your lead then," Peter offered, tapping lightly on his drum head.

"Your choice, you gotta sing it," Alec told Xander.

"Hell no," Xander said flatly. "Just enjoy the music, man. You can't do that with me caterwauling."

Alec laughed and plucked a few notes before looking at Milo. "After you, Sir Bassist!"
 
"Don't rag on an instrumental cover," Milo dared himself to joke, "Lyrics aren't everything." After thinking for a little while to remember how the song started, he did as he was told and started them off, grinning a bit as he heard the other instruments join in. That was a really cool part of playing with other people.
 
Alec laughed, a little startled but pleased by Milo's joke. They waited for Milo to start and then joined in. None of them knew the song perfectly, so there were some mistakes here and there, but it was undeniably the right song. Peter especially seemed to enjoy grooving along, and Xander leaned back against the wall on his stool playing along. Alec stood up, moving to the rhythm and really enjoying himself.

Next was Peter's turn to pick, and he chose a bluesy jazz song that was half improve, half structured song. Alec didn't like improve songs, surprisingly considering his usual temperment, but he was happy to do it with his friends. Alec picked a much more poppy song next, and then it was Milo's turn again.
 
Milo was surprisingly good at keeping up with Peter's improvisational style. He had spent so much time on his own and been so many places, he had developed a strange music taste, and listening to as much experimental music as he did meant that when he was just going for it, he had a good handle on it. Alec's more pop song, though, he found a bit boring, considered the brighter sound meant there was less for him to really mess around with.

When his turn to pick came around again, this time he named an actual song, suggesting they play Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz.
 
Peter didn't know the song at all, but the beat was simple and easy to follow once he listened to it a bit. Drumming for a large majority of songs was just as boring if not more so than the bass line. Not always, some songs really stretched a drummer's skills, but a lot of songs were pretty simple to pick up. The true skill in a drummer lay in keeping up the exact same beat without wobbling for five minutes plus. This song at least had some variation.

When it was Xander's turn, he picked "Come Together" by the Beatles, one of Beatles' bassist Paul McCartney's best songs. Alec gave him an odd look, but Peter readily agreed, happy to play Ringo Star's part. He made a joke about being nearly as well known as Pete Best. A joke that flew right over both Xander and Alec's heads.
 
Milo did laugh at Peter's joke and easily played along to the song, actually knowing that one well. At its conclusion, he said, "It always makes me mad when people earnestly say Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles and ruined John Lennon's creativity. She co-wrote Imagine and that's probably his most famous solo song."
 
"I hate that song," Xander grumbled.

"I hadn't heard the bit about her ruining Lennon's creativity," Peter remarked, "but it doesn't surprise me. There were a lot of bitter people over that break-up. Ono didn't exactly help, but it wasn't like she was telling him, 'dude, let's break up the band!' More like she was the inspiration to go farther in a direction he was already leaning. If it hadn't been her, it would have been someone else, and if no one filled that role, then it still would have happened, but a lot slower."

"So Yoko Ono was to Lennon what Candice Night was to Richie Blackmore?" Alec asked.

Peter looked at him blankly. "Um. Sure?"
 
"I think people forget that their long-time manager had died and everybody except for Paul wanted to sign with this other guy who had already screwed over... I think it was the Rolling Stones, and that already makes it nearly impossible for a band to stay together. Plus Paul and John weren't letting George have more than a few songs on the albums, so he was itching to do solo work, so he actually left first, not to mention a million other things," Milo huffed, "It's like when people say Courtney Love had Curt Cobain assassinated. It's just what people find easier to cope with."
 
"People always need a place to blame, even if that place is upon themselves. It makes it easier to handle, at least in the short term, even if they are way off base," Alec agreed. "I do rather like some of Harrison's solo work, like What is Life."

"You want to play that next?" Xander asked.

"Actually, that is a good song. We should add it into the rotation for our next gig," Peter agreed.
 
"I don't know how you can all just... be in front of people like that," Milo mumbled, thinking about how often they had gigs, "With your faces out, and everything. I really understand the bands who all wear masks or heavy makeup and use fake names."
 
"Well, for me, I am pretty used to being in front of the crowd thanks to my family's connections. I've spent a lot of time standing and smiling in front of crowds for various reasons. Plus, it's far easier when you're behind the drum set," Peter said cheerfully, tapping out a quick trill on the drums.

Xander shrugged as he picked at the strings of his guitar idly, unconsciously matching Peter's trill. "Just kind of do it."

Alec grinned and twirled on his stool. "I love it! It's terrifying, and I always feel a little sick before, but then I get into it, and I love the energy and the passion! The way the crowd can get into the songs and go with it, and sometimes sing along! It's so much fun!"
 
Milo looked at the three of them, then down at his bass, trying to imagine what it'd be like in front of a crowd, with people actually looking at him and knowing who he was. After a moment he nearly shuddered and said, "I don't think I could. Not if they knew who I was. I bet if I was like... Tupperware Remix Party I could, but not if people watching knew who I was. I don't like people knowing who I am."
 
Alec grinned. "Oh! You're like Buckethead! I don't know if he was shy or not, but I do know that for whatever reason, he absolutely did not want any kind of fame whatsoever. So! For his first time on stage, he was kind of freaking out, so he took an empty KFC bucket and put it on his head. From then on, that was his thing. A bucket on his head and a plain white mask and I think a wig. He was a part of some different famous bands in the 80's, but he's most known for his solo work. I think he finally allowed his real name and face to come out a few years ago, but he was almost entirely a secret for most of his career." He struck a few notes on his piano lightly.

"You have the most random of knowledge," Xander said, still picking out notes on his guitar.
 
"Or Daft Punk," Milo nodded, picking idly at his strings, trying to find the groove with what Xander was doing, "but yeah, keeping myself obscured is what I'd do, if I ever performed. Because I like music, but... I don't need the rest of it. I don't want people looking at me or anything. It's too much."
 
"After years of people only recognizing me as the twin or a potential problem, it's nice to be known for something positive," Alec said.

Xander shrugged. "I could go without being recognized."

"I'm used to it," Peter admitted. "I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't, but it might be interesting."

The three, especially Xander and Peter kept up the quiet but upbeat tune. Alec had less to contribute with the piano, but he still found places to add in a few quick scales. Sometimes, Xander paused, letting Milo have a solo with his bass.
 
When he was given a solo, Milo took it and went just a bit funky with it, his unique music tastes and years of practicing alone coming out when he improvised all on his own, but he didn't keep it going for long. He didn't know how long he was supposed to play solo or if he'd start being rude and hogging it, so, maybe more quickly than he needed to, he ended it so everyone else could come back in and take their turns. It wasn't about him, anyway, he was just playing along.
 
The others didn't mind how long Milo took. None of them had expected him to be the type to take over the session, and he did not disappoint in that way. Peter like Milo's style and was actually disappointed when Milo didn't go longer. Still, it was fun while it lasted, and Peter used his turns for impressive jazz-style drumming. Alec's turns on the piano were happier pop stuff that still somehow fit. Xander took his turn when given but didn't look for them. He kept things simple, nothing fancy.

Eventually, things had to wind down, and Xander started bringing things to a natural end with Peter following. Alec took the cue and let the song end.
 
"That was really cool," Milo mumbled, fiddling with anything he could find to fiddle with because now that they weren't playing, he was himself again. He didn't have to speak when he was playing music just like he didn't need to speak when he was taking pictures, and he liked that. The rest was harder. "It's, um, really fun playing with you."
 
"Yeah, man, you've got some skills!" Peter praised. "I like your style. Real unorthodox. Good for funk, but have you ever tried out jazz?"

"You're determined to get a jazz convert, aren't you?" Alec laughed.

"Hey, if I can get another band member who likes Jazz, maybe I'll actually get to play some of the songs I like," Peter huffed, pretending to be more offended than he actually was.

"Your songs are like ten minutes long!" Alec complained, used to this conversation.

Xander leaned back against the wall, not really paying attention as he idly plucked a string, muting the sound with his other hand.
 
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