one version I tell of the origin story between ZiZi and myself begins on 6 January, 2021.

there I was, doing some research for whatever I was writing at the time--I was still getting paid writing jobs back then, what a world--when I saw her playing piano on the sidewalk outside a Washington DC coffee shop.

everyone was so distracted by her beautiful singing voice that they didn't notice the throng of angry dunces heading to the US Capitol for a scheduled tour.

they cursed and coughed little COVIDs as they came, waving weapons and laying waste to all in their path along the way.

me being one of the things they came to destroy, it was time to get tf out of the city and country...but I couldn't help thinking there was something about this bespectacled piano girl...something worth getting to know better.

thinking quickly, I seized her hand...for some reason an instant trust was established. it seemed, for a second, we shared a mind.

and so, we fled together, only barely escaping the deadly disaster of J6, and took to the tunnels beneath the city to avoid detection by thousands of weaponized D students.

eventually, we were able to make it through to the ocean. we swam around Florida to avoid every bit of that and rode the current across of the Gulf of Mexico, singing and bantering along the way to pass the time and keep up morale.

we made landfall on a dusty road south and made our way to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico one bracelet at a time, fomenting the pleasant uprising a short time later.

...or something like that, idk man whatever.

I do an equally fun reboot of my favorite storyline in what's probably gonna end up as track 3 of the album, "we share the night."

in this canon we met during a 2020 protest, when upon crossing paths we discovered our core values aligned beautifully and also she was kinda hot.

being a real-life vocal coach with years of formal training, she taught me both how to sing and speak Spanish so we could flee an imperial core on the brink of implosion to start a Spanglish-language party band on the Mexican coast.

...and so I wrote this song about the experience of knowing her.

sonically I aimed for the dancefloor again...rhythm-forward sound, hip-shaker bassline as cover to throw a musical Molotov or two...what can I say, in times like these even the love songs are pissed off.

I...also mighta borrowed a little synth riff from a certain cocaine-fueled roller derby program but hey the song's about sharing so anyway here's the lyrics yall:

[verse 1]

we sold the day and we got paid
now we share the night

poetry in motion
burning flame alight
show me your devotion
give this love a chance
put your hand in mine stay by my side
let's do this right

[chorus]
one two, you know what to do
we share the night

three four, we want something more
we share the night
we feeling so elated
don't make it complicated
ride the wave, come join the fight
we share the night

[verse 2]
the stars are neon overhead

your eyes are shining too
let's light up all the sidewalk
on this electric avenue
now everybody's dancing
that rhythm of the street
heady vibe, enchanting
that endless summer heat

[chorus]

[bridge]

don't have to work tomorrow
you came I hope you stay

if you got time I can borrow
we can share a better day
let's defy the expectations

build sand castles in the sky
we can't forget our dreams to let
this one night stand
for our whole life

[chorus]

...or something like that, idk man whatever.

point is I'm pretty sure we meet in most timelines...in many we are the same close confidants and co-conspirators we are here in this thread, in a few we're childhood friends, a couple of cursed ones have us as bitter enemies waging long campaigns of combat over small differences in religious doctrine, but I'm not here to talk about that.

I'm here to talk about the fact that we know each other here and now, and that's why the band exists at all.

through 3 years of load-outs, lineup changes and late cancellations, she's been right here at the front of the stage with me as co-captain of the team.

for a couple before that, we traveled a long and unfamiliar road together...at times, she was all I was certain about.

like, I'm cool af all by myself, I explained this to you at great length some time ago...but I can't lie, it's a lot of fun walking around this world with Zi at my side.

it's like we amplify the best of each other and people actively respond to it, they sense that we are somehow even more than the considerable sum of our parts.

so many of the best things in my recent years have come out of our collaboration. my book would not have been what it is without her. the band wouldn't be what it is without her. my life wouldn't be what it is without her.

we share the night like we do most everything else...to very special effect.

people just seem to believe in us together, and that's some seriously formidable energy. if the revolution starts in the mirror, and continues with those closest to you, then the more we continue to share the more I like our chances.

all power to The People.

--Flor!

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