Last night, Anne and I took our friend out to dinner for his birthday. We invited Nolan to come with us, but he said it would be "boring grown-up talking" and even though he loved us, he’d rather hang out at home.
Allow me to translate: "Wait, I can go with three lame adults to a restaurant, or I can stay home, listen to music as loud as I want, and play Xbox the whole time? You guys have fun, and don’t worry about hurrying back on my account."
When we pulled into the driveway after dinner, I could hear very loud rock music coming from the house.
"That sounds like Wave of Mutilation," I said. "I love that he’s listening to the Pixies!"
I opened the door, and saw that Nolan wasn’t just listening to the Pixies. He was playing the Pixies on Rock Band. The song ended as I closed the door behind me and walked into our living room.
Anne said, "Will you come back to our bedroom and help me fold clothes?"
"Yeah," I said. "I’ll be right there."
I turned to Nolan.
"What the hell?" I said.
At this point, I should back up a little bit. I ask Nolan to play Rock Band with me every day, and every day he says he doesn’t want to, because it’s not that fun for him. I know, I know, I’m doing my best to correct this egregious defect in his personality, but I think we all remember how clinically insane we all were when we were his age.
"What?" Nolan said, innocently.
"I ask you every day to play Rock Band with me, and you always say you don’t want to play because it isn’t fun."
He put the drumsticks in his lap — oh, yeah, he was playing drums, which is my instrument — and deadpanned "Well, I’m not having any fun."
"I’m personally hurt," I said as melodramatically as I could. I put my hand over my heart. I sniffed. I pushed out my bottom lip.
I sighed, heavily.
"Would you like to play together?" He said.
"Heck yes I would!"
I ran to the back of the house.
"Hey," I said to Anne, "Is it okay if –"
"Did you want to rock out together before we put away the clothes?"
"Yeah," I said, "Nolan and I were — wait. Together?"
"I need more cowbell," she said.
And that is how, for the next hour, the three of us played Rock Band. Together. On a school night.
Discover more from WIL WHEATON dot NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I think there is a secret gang sign associated with “more cowbell”. Only those who really know how cool Christopher Walken is are allowed to prescribe it.
When I bought Rock Band – i also bought the super-cool – tricked out (stickers ‘n’ all) X-Plorer style guitar, so that, my son, wife and I could play.
Last week, I downloaded the entire Metallica pack and the new released Boston Pack … DL’d a little more Maiden, Sabbath, some STP and we rocked out for hours together!!!
With the wifey on Drums, me on guitar and my 7 year old on bass (on medium no less), we jammed away for hours.
RB is awesome as a family activity! Worth every penny.
Good on you, Wil, for likin’ the drums. As a musician myself (Guitar and Singing) i also dabble a bit in drumming, and find drums in Rock Band to be VERY DIFFICULT for me to play successfully within the game. Even my drummer in my band has a really hard time with it… you just have to unlearn all that you’ve learned and give in to what the game is asking of you …
SO my wife is the drum expert in our family — she RAWKS!!!!!!!
Rock on !!!!
Now this is the Wil we know and love! Pure gold! Enjoy the time while you have it, they leave all too quickly.
This post was the final kicker that got me to give and and pick up Rock Band. I need to be able to play “More Cowbell” plus I know there are lots of other great songs to donwload that I can’t with my Wii Guitar Hero III, and it’s time I finally used that Live Points Card that came with my 360 well over a year ago. And now it will be way fun when my brother comes over if we can both play at the same time. Plus my Wii GH3 is MIA until the replacement disc comes in the mail. I was afraid my band, TARDIS, would break up. “Time and Rockin’ Dimensions In Space.
Awesome! Sounds like such fun!
I’m wondering which instrument you played…
Anyway, this kind of story has the ability to make my day.
Oh, to have a wife that cool. You lucky, lucky man!
Somewhere around season 5 or 7, the sitcom family forms a band, and you know they’ve jumped the shark. Not sure if it works that way with blogs.
OK, I just waited for all the fodder to pass.
I have the PS3 Rock Band and Challenge you to a duel..
You have my type Info… e-mail me…
Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!