Today’s track: Captain Badass — Songs: Ohia
“Captain Badass” was voted the number one make-out song of 1999. Seven minutes of nocturnal strums and brushed drums, and it just has all the good feels. It’s today’s track — go play it.
The man behind it is Jason Molina, one of my favorite song writers of all time. His rich imagery is unparalleled! Minimalist. Honest. Earnest.
Songs: Ohia. Magnolia Electric Co. Same guy, different names. He grew up outside Cleveland, in Lorain — a de-industrialized former steel town, all rust and quiet. His mother struggled with alcoholism. And unfortunately, he too succumbed to it. He didn’t drink a drop until he was thirty-five. Four years later, he was gone — multi-organ failure, March 16, 2013, at thirty-nine. One year older than me.
Think about that. Four years.
To the people who knew him, he was generous, goofy, dedicated, driven. He was also a liar, vain, and at times difficult. Annoying and great company in the same breath. A fully human contradiction — which, if we’re honest, is most of us.
His sound is hard to pin down. Indie rock, lo-fi, folk, blues, alt-country — he bounces all over the place, which I appreciate. My vinyl collection reflects it! Critics described it as indie rock blended with blues and alternative country, Rust Belt grit married to Americana’s pastoral imagery (Think Walt Whitman). Rust and farmland in the same song.
Steve Albini, who recorded him, said it best: “He had a way with words that made you imagine that the words meant more than they actually did.”
That’s the magic of “Captain Badass.” We get no second chance in this life, so a hot pulse is alright (it’s alright). That’s the line. That’s the whole feeling. Do the thing! Make the move! Take the risk! Do things to get your heart rate up! Remember, we get no second chance in this life!
And that song did something to me beyond the good feels. Around the same time, I read a book called Level Up Your Life, and the two fused together in my head. I built an alter ego right out of the song’s name — Captain Badass Rob.
The framework is simple. Good Rob swims twenty laps. Captain Badass Rob swims twenty-two. Good Rob reads ten pages. Captain Badass Rob reads five more, then picks up the weights on the way out. Just a little bit more, every time.
So whenever I’m deciding how hard to go, I’d ask the same question: what would Captain Badass do? And then I try to do that. The song and the book live together in my head now — you can’t pull them apart anymore. That’s the power of tying music to a moment. In my childhood many books were tied to cds I’d be listening to. Now, with Apple Music and Spotify it’s less of the case. More often it’s individual songs tied to books and moments.
There’s a Louisville connection, too. Songs: Ohia put out a split EP with our own My Morning Jacket in 2002. That same year he released a collaborative EP under the name Amalgamated Sons of Rest, with Will Oldham and Alasdair Roberts. The threads connect more than you’d think!
Essie Reilly (Colleen’s Mom) with Will Oldham at a private show just last week
I read the biography — Riding with the Ghost by Erin Osmon. And I don’t know. I just saw a lot of myself in him. Both our mothers, alcoholics. Both of us came up thirty minutes outside dying steel towns — him outside Cleveland, me in the stretch between Cincinnati and Dayton. Both moved away from our hometowns. Same quiet, same itch to make something. If you ever listened to his music and then listened to mine, you’d see exactly where I get a lot of my inspiration. He did one take for his songs. Just one. So do I (or two at most! He’s way more talented!).
Another fantastic tie is Winner Realty’s own Colleen Reilly!
She and Molina lived in Bloomington, Indiana at the same time.She worked at the bagel shop there, and she served Jason Molina. Went to some of his shows, too. The guy whose records I’ve worn out, life is magical! She served Jason Molina. I served Aretha Franklin. Both of us given the opportunity to serve greatness!
Have any stories like that?
If they ever make a biopic, I’m hoping it’s Jason Schwartzman who plays him. The perfect casting!
Happily,
Rob Bergeron
Owner–Realtor at Award-Winning Winner Realty
The Morning Bergeron daily track playlist: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/the-morning-bergeron/pl.u-pMyl2GlSW1N3qv
PS: My buddy Murphey Coy has been quietly building a sports analytics platform for gambling called Calculated Risk — expected value, line movement, the whole model. He needs real people kicking the tires before he opens it up. Free to try, just give him feedback. Sign up here: https://calculated-risk-1.onrender.com/beta.html
Murphey and I go way back! He taught me how to drive a stick shift in his Volvo during our time at UK. My friend Kate and I introduced him to his wife Christina (we invited them both to a charitable event for special needs adults). One thing I appreciate about Murphey is that he always has something spinning in his brain that he is excited about and working on. Always curious! An inspiration!