Chris Shinn speaks Options

[JonSnow]

https://m.facebook.com/ChrisShinnMusic/phot...7558713/?type=3

[JonSnow]

One of the people who went to the show, Windy, posted a good message in the Facebook group about her experience at the show and I think it relates in this thread:

Fair warning in advance, this will be a long read, because I have a lot to say. One of the benefits of such a long drive is the time to process the conflicting thoughts and emotions. Let me start with this, the first tattoo is a Live tattoo that includes Chris's lyric, not Ed's. This is a very specific piece with a very specific meaning. Those of you who mean enough to me to know what it means already do. I think this firmly shows who I'd prefer. The second tattoo is not a nod to the band, it is specifically dedicated to the fans, those of us who have come together and become a second family. I love ALL of you and cherish the impact you have in my life.

I had the honor of being invited to the private NYE party, the first performance of the original line up of Līve in 7 years, and I refuse to be ashamed that I went. My original motivation to go, and pretty much the sole reason I went, was because I terribly missed my friends. If I'm being entirely honest, though, I wanted it to be a complete failure, and I wanted to see the shit show in person. I'm hurt by all of this drama, too. I walked into that venue feeling completely conflicted and like I was betraying a friend (admittedly, that frienship is probably pretty one sided and all in my head). The vibe before the show was weird. Uber uncomfortable weird. Very quiet. Very elitist and not something any of us were ok with. Then the band took the stage, and as much as I wanted it to be a failure, it wasn't. At. All. It was phenomenal, mimd-fucking-blowing sizzling energy. I, along with a few others, cried during this show. More than once. Music can heal, if we let it, even as it conflicts. We can be a house divided, or we can choose love and light and forgiveness. After WD, I was completely drenched in sweat and out of breath, so were pretty much all of my friends. That is proof that the energy was all encompassing.

Divided houses fall. Period. While everyone is running around being "Team Chris" or "Team Ed" (Jesus, we sound like a damned Twilight movie), I had the epiphany that this isn't fair. It isn't fair to the band, it isn't fair to Chris and it isn't fair to us, the fans. I honestly had someone send me a message calling me a traitor because i attended and took a picture with Ed. Many of us have been so incredibly blessed to have been allowed so far in, that I think we lost sight of the fact that this is still a band doing what they need to do. They have been incredibly gracious and inclusive to some of us, but they don't owe any of us a damned thing. How could so many (myself) included forget that this band brought us all together in the first place?? You don't have to like Ed personally to still enjoy the band, I certainly don't, but he definitely poured every ounce of his being into that show, and I will give respect where respect is due. He is part of the original four, whose music literally saved my life at one point years ago, and I owe him that much. It's not fair to Chris to feel this way, either. I feel like Chris is someone who first and foremost respects and understands the power of music in general. Many of us would never have heard him if not through Līve. Now his solo album is the number one thing on my playlist. I listen to "We Had a Good Run" and "Afterlife" daily and just breathe. I was a fan of this band long before Chris, and hopefully I will remain one always. I'm not at all a fan of Ed's solo stuff, and I really tried to be, but it just didn't move me. Of all the things that Līve has given me, the connection with Chris has been the most important.

Does the band itself feel different with a different singer? Of fucking course, it does. They are both incredible frontmen, but have completely different personalities and motivations and that dictates the feel of the performance. This is a given. That is neither good nor bad, it just is. I can deeply care for someone or deeply dislike someone on a personal level, but I can still separate that from the product (the performance, in this case) in front of me and enjoy it. It was a Hell of a show. If the band can continue to bring it at that level, then so can I. If they create new music and I love it, I'll buy it. If not, I won't. This is not rocket science.

One thing that we all have to face is that we don't know what went down. The hows/whys/what ifs. And that's perfectly ok, because it is none of our damned business.

Līve, in all its aspects, has made my world an infinitely better one, and God willing, that will never change. Much love and respect to Chad, Chad, Pat, Chris, Ed and all of the Freaks.