It has come time for another Rock In Detroit Manifesto. And I am the man to write it, apparently. I did write the first one, which was Wild, if you don’t mind me saying. However, it has spirit, and I think that may be the lesson of this particular manifesto: Having True Spirit.
Rock Spirit
And what is Rock Spirit? Remember the first song you ever requested on the radio? Can you think back to the first song you learned on your favorite instrument? What was your reason for listening to music, when it all truly began, or, more pointedly: Why did you listen to Pearl Jam when your parents disapproved? You blasted “Go” and “Animal” a bit too loud for their comfort. That intro bass riff just says, “I don’t give a f*%#!” No guitar in the verse? Who does that anymore? Well, no guitar is needed in the verse when you’ve got an Ament on the bass guitar.
Is this track even really a Pearl Jam track? This kind of spirit is lost to some of their later tracks, as well as a few of the former. What brings this kind of energy into a recording? They brought raw, focused energy and channeled it perfectly into something that sounds great even out of my iPhone without headphones or an external speaker. What really interests me is: what made those guys tick, in their lives, around the time they were making these tracks?
I will speculate, but I also did a little research. Think back to October 1993. Seattle. You’ve got Randy Moss (Brendan O’Brien) on production, and Reggie White on drums (Abbruzzese). You’ve got Eddie Vedder (Eddie Vedder) on vocals. These guys are characters. Did you see the way they used to dress? I tore my jeans because of those guys. On purpose. My parents didn’t like that much either. And they didn’t like the first tattoo.
I adopted a certain spirit at that time. And you know what? I WAS WRONG. It was suicidal. I was so depressed. I was loud in my mood, and in my clothes, and with my volume knobs, but inside I was dead. The only flame I felt was when I listened to that music. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters…even Nirvana . . . my least favorite of the bunch.
Why is Nirvana my least favorite? Because they were suicidal. Everything I regret about my life and my music came out of being suicidal. I had no spirit. The musicians had a lot of spirit in the 90s, but a few were heading in the wrong direction in their lives. You can tell who was and who wasn’t based on who is still around and thriving today. Vedder made it. Matt Cameron (drums) made it. Brendan O’Brien made it. Those guys probably carried the load of Faith, that people like Cobain and, no offense to the guy – I don’t think it’s really his fault – Cornell, did not and could not carry.
So if you are suicidal today, and you think it’s cool, let me tell you: it’s not. I urge you to just tell someone. Even if you’re frequently down and depressed, you’re heading there. That’s not the right direction. Nobody wants you to suffer. And if they do, it’s because they are suffering. Hurt people hurt people. Get it? I am not writing casually about suicide. If you are suicidal, you can call 988 and anonymously speak to someone within minutes over the phone about whatever it is making you want to end it all.
It’s people like I that are called now to adopt a Spirit of Health and Faith and Love in order to be there for ya’ll who WE (I . . .) potentially led astray, by example, in the first place. Pobody’s Nerfect. And Think for yourself! I wrote some dark lyrics, but you can still learn from those lyrics because you can tell I went through something, and you know what? I made it out the other side, not untouched, but certainly full of Life, Health, and Faith. That’s the spirit! I made it, not that I’m famous, or even special. But I made it in Life. I am Happy. I found the Divine. I have problems, yes, but that’s because we are not in Heaven yet. I made it through wanting to die, and you can too. It was those who were givers, and lovers, that showed me the Right Way. Thank you especially to Joel!
I had a song once and you know what it was about? Not having a Pep Rally, that’s for sure.
So let’s have one (a Pep Rally). Remember those? How stuffy and lame they were at school! But it made that nightly listen to 104.7 The Edge that much more sweet. THOSE guys in THOSE bands knew how to have Spirit. They were COOL. System of a Down, Rage Against The Machine. Sometimes you can say something Positive (beneficial) in a negative way “They’re trying to build a prison (for you and me).” Did those guys talk about suicide? Perhaps. But they are Anti-Suicide. They are the Antidote, to the depression that the system feeds us.
Why does the system want to keep us depressed and anxious, always the underdog? Because then we are 10 times more likely to buy their products (to revive our spirits, you see?). That’s why Pearl Jam was popular WHEN it was popular. People needed an uplifting, probably due to systematic oppression of the human spirit in the name of Capitalism and materialism.com and more and more people were turning to popular rock music for their fill of Free Spirit. It’s like Air.
Pearl Jam had it, and the record companies knew it, so they made records with these guys, and got paid potentially billions (over 36 years) while the band themselves got paid the equivalent of Breadcrumbs (figuratively) and Catered Party Platters (literally). But Free Spirit is that feeling of “You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire,” remember that track?
It’s that feeling that your Heart is Alive, no matter what else may be going on. If you don’t have bodily health, what about your mind? Is it Sharp? If not, you may still have Spirit. That’s the beauty. Anyone can have spirit, and spread it, and that’s what I believe this world is all about. Not to get into religion or philosophy too much, but we are here to make choices. Misguided choices and dark desires lead to dark and negative outcomes. Enlightened choices and benevolent (we will talk more about this word in a minute) desires lead to beneficial and positive outcomes. For who? You? Yes! For sure. But the point I am trying to make is – We are all in this together.
About Benevolence: When you uplift another, you are promoting health and wellness and the true power of life among your own vessel. When you praise another, you are uplifting your own “Mofo Party Plan.” Ah, The Red Hot Chili Peppers. That’s spirit! Those guys never talked about how great it would be to die. No! They talked about how sad it was that their friend Brendan (NOT O’Brien – Brendan, The Legend, Mullen; a key figure in the underground punk scene in Los Angeles) had died suddenly from a stroke. The song celebrates his life, while bringing a grateful tear to the eye.
About Brendan: “He gave the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers one of their very first major opportunities to perform live, helping launch their career . . .” says Google. That’s the Spirit! Giving!
I have a favorite Holiday, it’s called Thanks-Giving. We Give our Thanks, and we Thank those that Give. We also give our time, money, food, energy, jackets, and just about anything else that is needed this time of year. We remain Thankful in Heart hopefully until the holiday rolls around next year.
So as we approach this Fall Season 2026, I URGE YOU to consider your Spirit. Are you lively and in the Spirit of Giving? Are you thinking as much of others as you are of yourself? This world is a test. Can we outgrow our darker, lesser, animal natures? Can we truly transcend this world through Being There for Others, not just in the Fall but all year long?
But it is undeniably Now right now, and it’s Fall time. So let’s help those who are depressed, downtrodden, in a bad spot, sick, suicidal, mentally ill, physically limited or in pain, those that are worried and anxious, generally lost or striving, never thriving, under the weather, out of luck, in poverty, institutionalized, incarcerated, in a war or a victim of a war, away from loved ones, or completely isolated. There is One Who is Always There. From Him, I draw strength. The Strength to have Spirit this Fall, and to clean up a bit of my own Karma, for having wrote about dark things, potentially leading some astray from the Path of Light which is all of our Birthright and Inheritance in Nirvana (Heaven). I truly believe in the Goodness and Spirit in all of you. Bless you all as we Fall into Autumn – September, October, and November in Detroit. Wherever you are in the world, as RHCP said, “you can feel dutiful. Take a Wife ‘cause Life Is Beautiful.”
Here are some favorite Rock Spirituals that bring up a few other concepts that I should’ve mentioned: Gratitude, Connection, Freedom, and Redemption.
“Factory of Faith,” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Parabol,” and “Parabola” by Tool
“Easy Street” by Queens of the Stone Age
“Freedom,” by Rage Against The Machine
“Aerials,” by System of a Down
“Alive” by Pearl Jam
Rock On!
– Kevin J Knupp
9-28-2026
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