The Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — So, this is it. With 58 4-Points, countless Style stories and even a couple of awards under my belt, I feel like I actually accomplished something in my year at the Steamboat Pilot & Today.

I couldn't have had a better final interview than the one with Damian Marley, Bob Marley's youngest son, who is arriving Saturday in Steamboat Springs.

Talking to people like Marley and writing about them is the part of this job I enjoyed the most.

Whether I had listened to the bands before, each one gave me a story about their past, their future and their music. Some were jerks, some swore too much, some talked too much or didn't talk enough. But most were cordial, courteous people who are doing what they love.

Leftover Salmon was my very first band article and Damian Marley was my very last for the Pilot & Today.

In between I found people like Mem Shannon, who pulled over on the interstate with his cell phone to have a 15-minute conversation with me, and Zach Velmer from Sector 9, who taught me about living around the moon cycle rather than a calendar (does that mean they don't get presents at Christmas?). I've had the privilege of getting to know local bands, regional bands, national bands and even international bands.

Walking away from my interview with Merl Saunders calmed the butterflies in my stomach. He just makes you smile.

And I never got Ben Harper.

Anyway, I'm leaving you in the hands of someone who has coveted this job for a couple of years.

Doug Crowl is a Colorado native. He knows music, he likes art and he loves to write. I hope that you welcome him with the same generosity as you did me. He will be the new face that greets you every Friday.

Thanks to the community for all the words of advice and encouragement. I don't know where I'll end up or how I'll get there, but with a support system like the one I've found in Steamboat, I could never be lost.

Damian Marley would not say goodbye or see ya later or ciao but, "Irie." So, that's what I'll say to all of you.