Page 74 of Mason Wilder
The rooftop deck at the top of Lucas’ apartment building had been transformed into an amazing concert venue. The stage was seven feet in the air with a huge bandshell behind it that bore Prodigy’s logo and would turn into a video monitor once the show started. Tessa stood back, in awe at the set up. It was everything she imagined and more. They’d spent a lot of money on the elaborate display, but it was all for charity, and two that were near to her heart. Proceeds would be split between God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit that provided healthy nutritious meals to those with HIV, AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses, and the Bowery Mission, a nonprofit soup kitchen for the homeless.
“It came out so much better than I expected. I wish more people could see the show from up here,” she told Mason, who was standing next to her tapping a drumstick on his thigh. Due to capacity restrictions, there were only a limited number of tickets sold for the rooftop, but still enough to afford 200 fans an up close and personal view of Prodigy. The rest of them could watch on giant screens from the parking lot for a donation.
Mason flashed her a smile that filled her with life, clearly not paying attention to what she was saying, so she poked him in the ribs. His smiled never waned, but his laugh floated in the air around them.
“Sorry. I was too busy admiring my beautiful fiancé,” he said. “What did you say?”
She gave him a “yeah, right” roll of her eyes. “I was commenting on how awesome the rooftop stage looks.”
“You did an amazing job with production, Tess. And you did it all by yourself, without the team’s input. Your creativity constantly astounds me.”
“I wanted to cut costs. The production crew carries a hefty price tag. This is for charity and we’re not making a dime. I got their input, though. Just to make sure everything was doable.” She had a clear vision of what she wanted. A rooftop show demanded an artistic visualization from the ground. There were giant screens in the parking lot, but most people wanted to watch with the naked eye. Due to the position of the heightened stage, they were visible from the ground, but probably would look like pinpoints. The larger-than-life theatrics would do the trick.
“Tessa, are you insane?” Sindy already had her Strat across her shoulder, ready to rock. “This must have cost a fortune. Why didn’t you let me pay my share?”
“Because it was my vision. BGW Records paid for the stage set up and permits, so technically we split it four ways. I paid for everything else.”
Sindy pursed her lips to the side. “I’m not broke anymore. I can pull my weight financially.”
“I know. It has nothing to do with that. I wouldn’t let Lucas or Mason pay for the extras either. This is for two charities that I’ve supported for as long as I can remember. This is my baby.” Although Sindy was financially secure now that Prodigy had taken off, it hadn’t been that long ago that she was practically penniless, sleeping on Tessa’s couch. Production would have taken a nice chunk of Sindy’s savings, even split four ways, and she wouldn’t do that to her best friend.
The hum of the amplifier vibrated through the air, making their heads turn to the stage. Lucas rattled off a string of notes, just to rile up the crowd below, and their screams rose up to the sky like thunder.
The excited chatter of fans made their way onto the rooftop deck, escorted by security, and they screamed when they saw Mason, Sindy and Tessa between the railing and the stage.
Lucas rattled off a quick intro and screamed, “It’s showtime! Are you ready to rock?” into his mic, sending the crowd – both on the rooftop and on the ground – into a frenzy.
Tessa, Mason and Sindy walked up the stairs to join Lucas on stage, ready to start the show. Tessa picked up her blue-green Quantum Modulus bass from the stand and slung the strap over her shoulder, stuck her headset with the hands-free mic onto her ear and turned it on so the amps could broadcast her voice to the crowd. She approached Lucas and placed her balled fist on her hip. “What do you think you’re doing, big brother? I’m the frontwoman of this band. If anyone is going to get this fabulous audience riled up, it’s me.”
The fans screamed louder. “Hello, Long Island!” she yelled into the microphone as she walked to the center of the stage. “We’ve traveled the country for the first time as a band this year, but there’s nothing like playing a hometown show!”
The fans cheered.
“Let’s hear it Long Island!” she coaxed the crowd. “I want your voices to carry across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Connecticut!”
This time whistles sailed through the air, and someone blared an air horn. She laughed. “That’s more like it!”
Lucas leaned back, away from his mic to address Tessa and Sindy. “Hey, you two. Stay away from the edge of the stage,” he cautioned.
Tessa nodded, fully aware of the height.
Sindy, clearly annoyed at being addressed as “you two,” scrunched up her features and cupped her ear as if she couldn’t hear him, which made Lucas mime an imaginary line in front of him and then point to the edge of the stage, before he realized Sindy was only messing with him and he rolled his eyes at her. Tessa laughed again. She loved that Sindy always gave Lucas a hard time.
Tessa turned to look at Mason, and they paused to share a smile. It wasn’t just singer and drummer connecting on stage. It was two people who loved one another, doing what they loved. She nodded, and he counted off four beats on his sticks. The rooftop exploded with the high-octane energy of Prodigy’s latest platinum single,Rock God.
Tessa growled into the mic while she thumped out a beat. The excitement of playing live sparked new energy inside of her, but it was following Mason’s drum beat that always made her feel as if she was about to combust. This was the first live show they’d played together since they were a couple, and it somehow fueled her performance and freed whatever little bit of restraint hid inside of her. Strangely, they’d played together their whole lives, but never had she felt so connected to the music as she did today. She fed off the crowd and engaged them with the stomp of her foot, the sway of her body and by projecting her voice at them. She even knelt at the apron as she growled heart-stopping lyrics at the fans below, until Lucas, the ever-protective brother, pulled her away from the edge of the stage by the back of her guitar strap.
Playing in the light of day opened Tessa’s sightline into the crowd. She saw faces. A guy pumped his fist in the air, mouth wide in the midst of a war cry. Another guy was trying to throw roses on stage at Sindy’s feet, but they kept falling short. Finally, one landed on the apron and Sindy picked it up and threaded it into the head of her guitar. A girl screamed her head off on the other side of the stage, professing her love for Lucas Blade. Two guys at the center shot rock and roll horns into the air and shouted. Back further, faces were finally discernable. She saw people singing along with the lyrics. Smiles. Laughter. Shouting. Fists held high punching the air.
A quarter of the way throughLive Fast, Lucas went down on his knees at the edge of the stage, causing near pandemonium as a group of girls pushed to be closer to him. He rocked back on his knees, his long blond hair falling down his back, and let the music fly from his fingers. The air carried the notes high into the sky and the ocean pulled them across the sand. Tessa looked toward the beach where a huge crowd had formed on the boardwalk, enjoying the concert at a distance. She jumped onto the drum riser and shouted. “I see you Lido Beach!” while waving a hand at them high above her head.
A cymbal crashed next to her and pulled her gaze to Mason. He beat his drum skins with so much force she felt the breeze his sticks created and the vibration knocked against her chest. He knew she was next to him, but he was lost in the beat. His eyes were glazed over with enjoyment perpetually etched on his face in an open-mouthed smile. This is where Mason was most comfortable. Where he let go of all his troubles. Where nothing else mattered except the beats that his mind created. It gave his hands and feet the power to turn the beat in his head into tangible sounds that he could share with the world.
Mason twirled a drumstick, threw it high in the sky, caught it and bashed it into his tom. All of a sudden, his foot rose above his kit and he crashed the side cymbal with the heel of his boot several times in succession, causing the sound to shatter through the air with angry defiance. He abruptly stood up, knocking his stool over which then slid off the riser and onto the stage floor. From a standing position, he pounded on his drums then he leaned toward Tessa and hollered the lyrics back at her – something he’s never done before. The stagehand brought a mic to Mason’s lips and they shared an unprecedented hardcore duet. The showy drums, combined with the impromptu vocalization, were met with loud cheers of approval from the crowd. Even Lucas and Sindy were watching them in awe.
The stool returned to the drum riser, courtesy of the stage crew, and Mason continued assaulting the drums from a sitting position. “Mason Wilder!” Tessa screamed over the roaring crowd and bestowed him with a prideful gaze. “He’s incredible!”
She jumped down from the riser and walked to the apron. “We have a surprise for everyone tonight. A new song and you’re the first to hear it!”
