Presenting this contest truly was my favorite part of the show, as I was remembering how cool it was to stand right beside Alex as he was “gently” and “lovingly” introducing this Little Red Wonder to Moose’s cymbals! I even had to put my feet on the cymbal stand sometimes as it couldn’t handle Alex’s passion on its own!!! I miss being on the road so bad which makes this contest even more exciting as it carries so many unforgettable moments and emotions with it! This electric mandolin is so singular, so meaningful, something above and beyond a musical instrument, which would already be quite amazing, but this one in particular has so much history attached to it, it simply makes it priceless!

This instrument truly is the extension of the powerful connection Alex had with you who were there every night during the past tour. How this passion was materialized wasn’t about breaking something beautiful, but about bringing this connection to the next level! We’ve been craving this human connection for years, and you’ve been so generous with us night after night, that this was Alex’s very passionate way to say “thank you so much, this is what it feels like to be alive after those years of human connection deprivation and total absence of what’s more than necessary!”