NOTE: I WROTE THIS IN 1995 FOR AN AUTHOR THAT WAS PUTTING TOGETHER A BOOK OF FAVORITE SHOW MEMORIES/STORIES OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY. HOPE YOU ENJOY.
WELL NOW, SO YOU WANNA HEAR ABOUT THAT TRIP OR THAT "TRIP". LET ME SEE IF I CAN TIE IN A LITTLE OF BOTH FOR YOU FROM MY FIRST SHOW, VENTURA, CALIFORNIA, JUNE 14, 1987.
MY FRIEND ROD AND I HAD BEEN DISCUSSING GOING TO A DEAD SHOW TOGETHER FOR SOME TIME. HE HAD BEEN SEEING THEM AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I WAS NOT REALLY INTO THE BAND OR ITS' MUSIC BUT FINALLY, AFTER MUCH ARM TWISTING, I AGREED TO GO TO AN UPCOMING SHOW. HE TAPED FOR ME A COPY OF "DEAD SET", ONE OF THEIR COMMERCIAL ALBUMS, AND I LISTENED TO IT FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE SHOW. LISTENED INDIFFERENTLY, REALLY.
WE LEFT MY HOUSE FOR VENTURA SOMETIME IN THE MORNING. IT IS ABOUT A 2 HOUR DRIVE FROM HOME TO THE FAIR GROUNDS AND WE WANTED TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME TO GET THINGS "PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF" BEFORE THE 2:00 PM AFTERNOON EVENT. DRIVING IN ROD'S 1955 FORD FAIRLANE IS ALWAYS A "TREAT"(WRITER INTENDS SOME LEVEL OF SARCASM) AND OFF WE GO. THAT WE WERE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD, OFF TO OZ, I DID NOT KNOW.
SOMEWHERE ON THE FREEWAY, ABOUT HALFWAY TO THE SHOW AND ROD AND I VERY SUFFICIENTLY HIGH, ENJOYING THE BUZZ OF GOOD GREEN BUD AND CONVERSATION, ROD'S CAR MAKES A HORRENDOUS NOISE, A KIND OF LOUD POPPING SOUND, AND BEGINS TO SPUTTER. WE MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OPEN THE HOOD TO FIND THAT THIS "JEWEL" OF AN AUTOMOBILE HAS BLOWN A SPARKPLUG CLEAR OFF THE MOTOR! WE KNOW THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEABLE AND, NOT NORMALLY CARRYING SPARE SPARK PLUGS, WE DECIDE TO WALK OFF THE FREEWAY AND STUDY OUR OPTIONS. AND NO, WE DID NOT BELONG TO TRIPLE A.
JUST AS WE GET TO THE END OF THE OFF RAMP, FORTUNE SMILES AND A TAXI PASSES US. I LET OUT A LOUD WHISTLE AND THE GUY STOPS. WE HOP IN AND TELL HIM TO TAKE US TO THE CLOSEST PLACE TO BUY A SPARKPLUG. HE SAYS IT'S SOME 8 OR 10 MILES AWAY THROUGH STOPLIGHTS. WE SAY GO FOR IT AND HE DOES.
SOME 20-30 MINUTES LATER, WE ARRIVE AT THE LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE AND GO INSIDE, TAXI WAITING. ROD FINDS THE PLUG HE NEEDS AND WE GO TO WAIT IN LINE. EVERY CASH REGISTER IS BUSY AND ABOUT 10 OR 12 PEOPLE DEEP. AS IT IS ABOUT 2 HOURS TO SHOW TIME AND WE STILL HAVE MUCH TO DO, ROD RESORTS TO HIS RESOURCEFUL SELF AND "BORROWS" SAID PLUG FROM THE STORE. WITH THE FULL INTENT TO RETURN IT MIND YOU!
BACK TO THE CAR, $35.00 TAXI BILL PAID, SPARKPLUG REPLACED, WE ARE OFF TO THE SHOW. AGAIN. AND I MIGHT HAVE BEEN BITCHING AT THIS POINT AS WELL, SOMETHING LIKE, "FUCK IT, WE'LL NOT GET THERE IN TIME, LET'S JUST PACK A BOWL AND HEAD HOME." ROD SAYS WE'RE GOING AND WE DO.
ARRIVING IN VENTURA, 45 MINUTES TO SPARE, NO TICKETS IN HAND, WE SEARCH FOR THE FIRST GUY WE CAN SEE THAT HAS SOME "EXTRAS". NEGOTIATING WITH HIM AS BEST AS WE CAN, WE HEAD FOR SHAKEDOWN STREET, WAVING OFF THE "DOSE" CARRIERS THE WHOLE WAY.
WE APPROACH THIS GUY, A HIPPIE WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE YOU COULD NOT REMOVE WITH ANY AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND SMILING OUR GREETING TO HIM, ROD ASKS THE GUY IF HE HAS ANY OF THAT HAPPINESS TO SHARE AND WE BUY A FEW, A COUPLE OF BUCKS DONATION FROM EACH OF US AND DROP, ME FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE MAKE OUR WAY TO THE GATE, JABBERING AWAY, POSSIBLY EVEN EMITTING A FEW "MOOS AND BAAAHS" AS WE GO. FINALLY, INTO THE SHOW!!
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST SET, I SERIOUSLY BEGIN MY JOURNEY. TO THE EXTENT I HAD TO SIT DOWN, SLACK JAWED AND JUST FULLY DIG IT, IGNORING MY FIRST TIMERS SIDE EFFECTS OF INABILITY TO SPEAK AND RATHER POOR MOTOR SKILLS. I KNOW THAT SOMEWHERE IN HERE A GIRL OR TWO CAME UP, DANCING WITH ROD, ME STARING STUPIDLY, THEM TRYING TO TALK TO ME AND ME, REALLY, REALLY, UNABLE TO SPEAK, JUST STARING AND SMILING.
AT THE BREAK, I MANAGE TO MUMBLE A FEW WORDS, SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF "DOOOOOOOOOOOOD, FINKLE SPRUNK TA MUNFLE RUNK" AND WENT BACK TO THE VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS AT HAND OF SEARCHING, CHASING, FINDING, RELEASING. AND YEAH, MAYBE WE HIT THE HEAD.
THE SECOND SET BEGAN WITH THE THEN UNFAMILIAR SCARLET>FIRE. COMING BACK A BIT, I ENJOYED HEARING JERRY SING ABOUT SOME "VERY RED FLOWERS AND A CHICK WITH CURLY HAIR". AND THEN THEY KICKED INTO FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN. I REMEMBER LOOKING TO MY RIGHT FROM THE GRANDSTAND AS THE BAND PLAYED THIS SONG, SEEING THE SUN OVER THE OCEAN JUST BEGINNING IT'S JOURNEY TO THE HORIZON AND I WAS HOOKED!!! MAN, THIS IS IT!!! MY RELATION OF FIRE TO THE SUN TO THE BEAUTY OF A DAILY NATURAL OCCURRENCE ENHANCED BY SOME OF THE BEST VIBES, MUSIC AND A WELL SET HEAD WAS JUST WHAT IT TOOK FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT SOMETHING WAS INDEED GOING ON HERE.
AFTER THE SHOW, ROD AND I WENT TO THE OCEAN SIDE AND SAT DOWN, STARING OUT AT THE WATER AND SUN SETTING FURTHER. WE TALKED A BIT BUT MOSTLY JUST SAT, VERY CONTENT. ALL OF THE ROCKS ON THE SEASIDE WERE ROUND FROM THE OCEAN'S TIDE, ROCKS OF ALL VARYING SIZES. BUT I FOUND ONE THAT WAS NOT, A SOMEWHAT JAGGED STONE RESEMBLING AN ARROWHEAD. I STILL HAVE THAT ROCK.
WE SPENT SOME TIME ON SHAKEDOWN STREET, EATING A BIT, VEGGIE THIS AND THAT AND FINALLY MADE IT BACK TO THE CAR. HEADING NORTH UP THE COAST, WE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, FRONT OF THE CAR FACING TOWARDS THE OCEAN, ON A RISE ABOUT 40-50 FEET ABOVE THE WATER, MOON FULLY RISEN, READJUSTED OUR HEADS AND TALKED. AND TALKED. AND TALKED. ABOUT THE DEAD, ABOUT THE SCENE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ABOUT THE NEXT SHOW I HAD TO GET TO AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
THE RIDE HOME WAS QUIET. WE SPOKE LITTLE, MOSTLY WRAPPED UP IN OUR OWN THOUGHTS. ARRIVING AT MY HOUSE WE SAID OUR GOOD BYES AND I WENT INSIDE TO SIT UP FOR HOURS AND REFLECT ON THE GLORY OF THAT DAY.
NOW, 29 YEARS OLD AND MANY SHOWS DOWN THE ROAD, I STILL LOOK BACK IN WONDER TO THAT FIRST TIME AND FOR JUST THE BRIEFEST INSTANT, ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME, I CAN HEAR, AS I HEARD THAT DAY, THE BAND PLAYING FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN AND FEEL THAT MAGIC ALL OVER AGAIN.
MAYBE THIS IS WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND WHEN YOU PLACED THAT AD, MAYBE NOT. AT ANY RATE, I HAD NOT, IN THE ENSUING 8 ODD YEARS SINCE THAT SHOW, EVER WRITTEN MY EXPERIENCE DOWN. I MUST SAY THAT I ENJOYED RELIVING IT FOR A WHILE.
PEACE,
DAVID
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