A performance of “Do Not Go Gentle” by Dylan Thomas

Dan is a dear friend, Halcyon owner, Vietnam Vet, widower, and an all-around badass.

For a couple of years, we’d hoped to feature him somehow in a video, because his life story deserved some telling, and his friendship is dear to us at Janus. Dan would often mention how he earned the right to ride a motorcycle, even at his 70-something age, because it brought him so much joy and peace following some of the hardships and loss he’d been through. Grant and Jordan had the idea to film him riding his favorite rides, and then record him reading the poem “Do Not Go Gentle” by Dylan Thomas, because it encapsulated that same resilient, defiant spirit Dan embodies.

Our friend Ryan Blaske and the three of us (Grant and Jordan) travelled out to visit and interview Dan, and film the video. We laid out the storyboard of how we wanted to “reveal” the rider as the reader of the poem. Jordan flew the drone, and Ryan artfully and expertly executed the edit… we are very proud of this video!

The next part of the story was clearing the performance of the video with the Dylan Thomas Trust, which is managed out of the UK. We had a great communication with the managing attorneys there, and explained our vision for the project and how we’d like to honor Dan, the poem, and Mr. Thomas with our final product. They agreed to license the poem for this performance, and that was the final piece to fall into place!

We hope you enjoy this performance of Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle”, read by Halcyon 250 rider, Dan.

Read by: Dan M. | Halcyon 250 #110

Creative Director: Grant Longenbaugh

Cinematography: Ryan Blaske Jordan Swartzendruber

Edited by: Ryan Blaske