Anybody tuning in to see local wonder boy Dan Mangan on the Today Show on February 26 was outta luck, sadly. “We get the Washington feed of NBC,” Mangan told the Straight. “There was a shooting in Washington State that day, and just as they went to our segment, it was, like, ”˜Breaking news!’ So we got bumped.”

The local troubadour was there to accompany poet and frequent collaborator Shane Koyczan, who was asked by the Today Show—which was broadcasting locally during the Olympics—to commemorate the end of the Games. The duo drummed up “We Were Here”.

“We went over it maybe half a dozen times,” Mangan said. “We’ve developed a bit of a knack for operating in the context of the other person’s craft. But this was very much Shane’s spotlight, and he chose to share it with me.” Luckily, you can see “We Were Here” at www.danmanganmusic.com/.