If you've ever walked into a Dalton show and enjoyed it, you have Pat Stevens to thank.
The day that he walked in the Playwright, I was considering stopping playing music. I had done so the year prior but was convinced to come back. It wasn't going particularly well and there were no indications that it would.
But Pat walked into an empty bar and everything changed. He became the first Dalton captain, getting all of his friends to show up every Sunday. All the stuff I love about Dalton shows (the sing-a-longs, the comradery, the drunken joy) are reflections of the way that Pat lived his life.
It changed my life in real time. It brought me lifelong friends and a special Notre Dame connection. I've always felt like he helped make sure that Tommy got in.
It's his birthday today. Can't think of a better way to honor him than starting back at the beginning with the resumption of Bell Thursdays.
(And I'm 100 percent opening tonight with Hold My Hand.)
Below is what I wrote after he passed. It resonantes even more today than it did then.
[From Dec. 29, 2021]
I know this for certain: you would not be reading this post if not for Pat Stevens.
The biggest single asset that this band has is the culture shared by those who sing along with us at shows. Pat created that culture.
I had been playing unsuccessful shows for a decade. But one day, at The Playwright, Pat showed up and decided that he liked what I was doing. He invited his friends. Four weeks later, there was a line down to the library. He created a safe, accepting environment where great people could have a great time.
I am not the most important person in Pat’s life, but I can tell you — definitively — that he was the most important person in the life of this band. Rest in peace. Thank you for our career. We will miss you forever and we will protect and keep well what you built for us.