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Because 2 people are on vacation and another 2 left early because of their babies are stuck in trees or sumthin' and I don't feel like caring about commercials right now.
5/24 - 45 Grave @ The Slidebar (chon-chon pending)
6/15 - Rhapsody of Fire @ The Grove of Anaheim
Or
6/15 - Jesus and Mary Chain @ Hollywood Park
7/3 -Barry Manilow @ The Hollywood Bowl
7/21 - Ray Davies @ The Wiltern
8/8 - The Dickies @ The Slidebar
8/9 - Iron Maiden @ Irvine Meadows
8/16 - Neil Diamond @ The Greek Theater
10/5 - Nightwish @ The Grove of Anaheim
Or
10/5 - Furthur @ The Greek Theater
10/6 - Furthur @ The Greek Theater
11/5 - Leonard Cohen @ The Nokia Theater
11/17 - Rush @ The Honda Center
Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.
or
chon-chon?
Bros before Bears?
See one of the ultimate TITO/GUY bands play for free across the street from my house?
or
chon-chon?
Danny and I got in a fight earlier in the afternoon. I was already upset about something else. Something that really shouldn't be a big deal. Something that I keep telling myself isn't a big deal but still really hurts my feelings. The actions of certain people have upset me for the past two years and it gets in the way of what's really important in my life. I GET UPSET BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN MATTER IN THE FIRST PLACE!! That topped with the fight with Danny was enough for me to want to stay home.
At four o'clock I climbed into bed and buried my head underneath the covers. The Roger Waters light wasn't completely shut off in my head so when 530pm rolled by I thought about getting on that train and going to the show. I didn't. I got out of bed and had a smoke and started crying instead. I didn't want to go to the show but I didn't want to stay at home either. I thought about going to Disneyland but I'm over going to Disneyland alone. It was 6 o'clock and I got dressed and hopped on the train to Downtown LA. I had the ticket in my wallet but I still wasn't sure if I wanted to go to the show. I didn't want to go to a bathhouse either because anonymous sex would make me feel a lot worse and that would be 'alcoholic' sex anyway. I got to Union Station and I hopped on the Expo line to the Coliseum. The ticket said "SHOW STARTS PROMPTLY AT 8" so I thought I would just see the first half and go home after intermission. I was so not up for being out late.
I got off at USC/Exposition park and the scene was a madhouse. Hoards of stupid drunk people and these redneck ravers. Picture Jugalos into Deadmau5 and you're close. It took a half hour to get into the Coliseum itself and another 20 minutes to inch my way through the tunnel to my seat. I got to my seat. OH I HAD A GREAT SEAT!!! The Olympic torch was lit and everything!
The people around me were already drunk off their asses and saying the stupidest shit. Normally I could handle these sorts of situations but the fact that there were 50 thousand of them and I was already a ball of emotion made everything more vivid.
8 o'clock rolled by. No show.
8:15 rolled by. Still no show.
I thought if the show starts at 8:30 I'll leave after "Goodbye Blue Sky".
830PM. No Show.
845PM. Still no show.
9PM. No show. A fight breaks out in front of me.
I left.
ROGER WATERS - THE WALL @ THE LA COLISEUM - TOMORROW
Round three of The Wall. I had to see this show one last time because after all I've waited more than half my life to see this show.
- Music:The Happiest Days of Our Lives
BENEFIT FOR LEONARD PELTIER (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE/BEASTIE BOYS/CYPRESS HILL/X) @ THE OLYMPIC VELODROME, CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS - 4/29/94
DAMN! The Olympic Velodrome is to the Beastie Boys as Winterland is to the Grateful Dead!!
BENEFIT
This was a benefit for Leonard Peltier's legal defense. If it weren't for the Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine and bumper stickers on VW buses I wouldn't know who Leonard Peltier is. Yes I thought it was cool that these bands were raising awareness but honestly, I wanted to rock.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
I went to this show with my brother, Angel, Angel's little brother Danny, Amanda and I think that skinny little bitch Vanessa went too.
JAMES JONES
I don't remember much about the going ons between me and the people I went with because a couple of really big things happened (better yet ALMOST happened) to me at this show. The first was James Jones. We got to the floor to see X and one of the first people I recognized was a guy that I have not seen since high school, James Jones. James was a year older than me and I thought he was so awesome. He was a big, tall, chubby white dude with big blue eyes and an amazing smile. He was really nice to me. He was into punk rock and goth (it was called DEATH ROCK back then) but what I loved about him the most was that he liked to hug. When I would see him during lunch he used to hug me and lift me up off the ground. I'd like to think he only did that to me but he hugged everyone. My friend Trinity was friendly with him but her and a few of her friends thought he was annoying. She said, "I don't like him! He's overly affectionate with his friends! I think he's gay too!" Oh yeah, Trinity was a terrible homophobe back then. She once said, "It's not natural!" I wanted to say, "He can hug me all night long!" but I was still in the closet. To this day I wonder if James ever felt one of my boners against his belly.
ANYWAY, he was there. He was tattooed and looked a little rough around the edges but I could still see that beautiful baby face underneath those shades and goatee. It's been a few years since I last saw him and he wasn't as smiley and laughy as he once was. We did catch up and we ended up spending most of the day together. I'm pretty sure he was (is) gay especially from seeing the HUGH rainbow colored dragon on his arm!
X
This was on of my first times seeing X. This was the Tony Gilkyson/Unclogged/Hey Zeus era of X but they were still good. I really don't remember much from their set because I spent most of the time asking James about his tattoos.
"OOH! What's this?"
"When did you get that?"
"That shamrock on our neck is RAD!"
CYPRESS HILL
I don't remember anything from their set. I think around this time James and I were at the merch booth. T-shirts of the event were 10 dollars but I only had 6 or 7 dollars on me. James ended up buying me a t shirt. Looking back on it now I knew that should have been a clear sign that he wanted to be gay with me.
BEASTIE BOYS
I was still sitting in the bleachers talking with James. The Beastie Boys were about to go on and I left to join Angel and co. on the floor. James said that he was going to watch the show from the bleachers and that he would wait for me here.
I remember there was moshing and crowd surfing before the Beastie Boys went on and when they did finally go on it was a madhouse on the floor. The Beastie Boys came out dressed up as UPS delivery men. Brown outfits with shorts and all. The sea of kids were pushing towards the front of the stage and I heard reports from people around me that the barrier had collapsed. The Beastie Boys stopped the show and told everyone that they needed to step back because the fire marshall was about to stop the show. The show started again and the craziness continued. I was dancing, slamming and crowd surfing and I made my way to the front. At this point kids were jumping up on stage and climbing on top of the PAs. It looked like ants climbing an ant hill. I was at the barrier and security could not handle all the kids spilling over the barrier and running onto the stage. The stage was just a mess of people running around and stage diving. I managed to get dumped over the barrier. When I did I started climbing the PA tower. The PAs were covered with kids. We didn't know what we were climbing for and what we would find when we reached the top. About half way up I had a moment of clarity.
"What the fuck am I doing?"
I looked out onto the Velodrome and saw the entire floor was a giant mosh pit from the front to the very back. I was way to far up to jump like Eddie Vedder in the Even Flow video so I carefully maneuvered my way back down. I ended up on the stage and I politely walked myself out through the back stage area and back out to the general population.
The show was stopped a few more times but the Beastie Boys eventually finished the show.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Yes I liked Rage at the time but I didn't think that first album was as ferocious as their first demo. I got their first demo when I saw them open for Pearl Jam in May of 92. SHUT UP! Yes I saw Pearl Jam at the Palladium in 92! Rage opened up and me and most of the people there that night haven't heard of them. After the show Zack was in the lobby handing out demos. I got one and for some weird reason I still have it!
MATCH IN TACT! It took me a couple of months before I actually played it but when I did I loved it.
ANYWAY! So yeah, I wasn't crazy about their albums but I still saw them live whenever they played.
MY BRUSH WITH DEATH
If the Beastie Boys set was crazy then Rage's set was psycho-mental patient-pit bull nuts! I don't remember what they opened with, what they played or what Zack's sermon to the crowd was I just remember crowd surfing on the compacted audience below me then falling in between a slot of bodies and hitting the concrete. I tried to get up then I got swept away by the audience shifting from one direction to another. I was on the floor and I couldn't hear anything, only the sound of thousands of feet stomping on the concrete. I couldn't even hear music. I tried to get up again and before I could cut through the bodies and get my head above ground I was toppled by falling BODIES. I was underneath this pile of kids and I couldn't move. I felt my chest being crushed. I couldn't inhale because the weight on top of me was getting heavier. My breath was being crushed out of me and that feeling of not being able to breath was one of the worst things I've ever felt. I began to panic. I thought, "HOLY SHIT! I CANNOT BREATHE! I AM GOING TO DIE! I DO NOT WANT TO DIE!" Then my survival instinct kicked in. It's like I was charged with a bolt of adrenaline. I became the Incredible Hulk and screamed, "GET! THE! FUCK! OFF! OF! MEEEEEE!!!! RRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!" I managed to move some bodies away from me and I crawled away on my hands and knees. I was completely disoriented. I didn't know which way was the stage or the back. I managed to stand up and when I did I took the deepest breath of fresh oxygen. Like a war refugee I staggered my way back up to the bleachers. When I regained my composure I saw James Jones walking up the stairs and he sat down next to me. This all happened in a matter of like, THREE MINUTES!!!
He told me he was leaving. I thanked him for the shirt which was in my underwear but stupid me didn't give him my phone number and stupid James didn't give me his! HEY! I've never had a boyfriend before so I didn't know how to play this dating game. I thought maybe I'd see him again somewhere but that was the last time I saw James Jones.
THE NEXT DAY
The next day for some reasone me, Angel, his brother and my brother went to the La Brea Tar Pits. We were talking about the show while waiting to see a film about saber toothed tigers.
Angel: What was the first song they did?
ME: SHAKE YOUR RUMP-PAH!
THE WHEREABOUTS OF JAMES JONES
I always knew that James Jones sold pot. Over the years I heard from different people that he began dealing in larger quantities of pot and other shit. Sometime around 2000 Amanda told me that he got popped by the feds and he is now doing prison time.
Posted via LiveJournal app for iPad.
- Location:US, California, Fullerton, Orange, Village Ct, 187
- Music:The Tim and Eric Movie
A DAY AT THE RACES
My original plan was to meet up with my friend Trinity in Pasadena then boogie down to Hollywood Park and meet up with my brother, Stoner Bud #1, Trish, Lisa and her boyfriend David. Trinity called me at the last minute canceling. So Trish met me in Fullerton and I rode down with her. I love Trish. She's the female version of my friend Guy, she plays the best music in her car and you can smoke in her car.
I was excited to go to Hollywood Park because Trish and my brother saw DEVO there two years ago and have been raving about it ever since. Horse races, free parking and a DEVO concert for TEN BUCKS!!! You cannot go wrong. We got to Hollywood Park right at 8 and already Trish is saying that there are way more people here than two years ago. The parking lot was filled with Alterna-people, hipsters, old punks and Energy Domes. Hollywood Park is HUGE! When we entered we managed to get lost in this Spinal Tap maze of tunnels and wound up on the track itself. "I don't think we're supposed to be here!" On our way back we ended up in the winners circle and we were face to face with one of the horses that had just won a race. Me, Trish and these other stragglers were all, "WOW!!! HI HORSIE!!"
The handler was really cool and let us pet it and take pictures.
I wish I wore my Energy Dome. That pic would have looked so much cooler with an Energy Dome on the horse.
THE PEOPLE OF THE PARK
We managed to find our way to the stands and immediately I was blown away by the mix of people. Alterna-people, hipsters, punks and Energy Domes mingling with the race track regulars. People who practically LIVE here and gamble their live savings away on horses daily. Drunk old Mexican men chomping on cheap cigars. Old black men who look like pimps and white dudes who look like Rodney Dangerfield. Everyone stayed out of their way because after all, THIS IS THEIR TURF!
There was already a race in progress when we entered and I started singing Patti Smith's Horses. I would drive everyone all crazy because I sang "HORSES! HORSES! HORSES! HORSES!" all night.
We met up with my brother and Stoner Bud #1. We then met up with Lisa and her boyfriend by the gourmet food trucks set up by the race track. We all talked about our families, Hyperthymesia (AKA superior autobiographical memory disorder LOOK IT UP!) and Sting. Usually these gourmet food trucks are a rip off but I scored chimichuri & bleu cheese fries, some spinach empanadas and an Inca Cola from an Argentinean food truck for under ten bucks. We also goofed on the names of some of the horses like, "Enduring Promise" "Warren's Wild Thing" and "As Tender As I Wanna Be". We managed to turn away from our conversation for a bit and see a couple of races. We all jumped up and down and cheered as the horses raced. It was cool hearing the roar coming from the stands being that most of these people have money on these horses. The biggest bummer of the night was waiting for the next race to start. The Devo show begins immediately after the last race which is around 1030PM but intervals between races can be 30 to 40 minutes.
We made our way to the grassy field which was about the size of the Greek Theater. They had full bars set up offering cheap spirits and the crowd was getting a little drunk but everyone was still mellow and happy. DEVO had a merch booth set up selling 20 dollar t shirts. That's cheap nowadays! I wanted the DEVO wrestling mask and this autographed drum head:
The last race ended and we all mugged it up for the camera.
DEVO AT THE RACES
SETLIST
DON'T SHOOT
PEEK-A-BOO
WHAT WE DO
GOING UNDER
FRESH
THAT'S GOOD
GIRL U WANT
WHIP IT
PLANET EARTH
SATISFACTION
SECRET AGENT MAN
UNCONTROLLABLE URGE
MONGOLOID
JOCKO HOMO
SMART PATROL/MR. DNA
GATES OF STEEL
DEVO CORPORATE ANTHEM
FREEDOM OF CHOICE
I wish they would have done:
Gut Feeling
I Must Do What I Must Do
I Desire
Explosions
Praying Hands
Blockhead
Yeah, it was the exact same show they've been doing for the past two years but it was still great seeing one of my favorites bands live with my rock and roll family. I still shouted along and shook my ass. Horse races, free parking, cheap food and DEVO for TEN BUCKS (no service charges either!)! You really can't complain. This is now my new favorite venue!
Next rock shows at Hollywood Park:
Jesus and Mary Chain - 6/14/12
X - 7/13/12 (but I'll be at Comic Con!)
Next Rock Show:
Roger Waters @ The LA Coliseum - 5/19/12
- Music:Horses - Patti Smith
The week in starfucking.
Courtney Love was scheduled to be in the studio on Tuesday. She cancelled at the last minute. She's a wack job but I did want these autographed being that I am a fan.
GREAT JOB!
Tim and Eric were at Amoeba singing copies of their new movie "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" I made up some bullshit excuse and left work early. The signing started at 6pm and it was open to the 1st 200 people. I got there around 5 and I was one of the first people in line.
I got my movie signed.
We were allowed to bring one other thing to have signed so I brought Season Three of Awesome Show. I brought that because the DVD artwork is super cool.
Then I got a picture.
Then I split and caught the 7pm train back home. I watched the movie as soon as I got home. I laughed so hard that I watched it 2 times that night. I love Tim and Eric so much.
SEDAKA'S BACK!
My spy called me personally letting me know that Neil Sedaka was going to be in the studio. I said:
ME: Doron, don't play with me like that. I love me some Neil Sedaka!
Doron: I ain't playin'! I miss the Hungry Years!
ME: Doron, that's why I love you.
That and I think you're fucking hot!!
Wednesday I was too lazy to dig into my vinyl collection for my "Hungry Years" and "Sedaka's Back" LPs. I did manage to find a "Best of" cd and my "Love Will Keep Us Together" 45.
My spy called me at 2 saying he was in the lobby. I introduced myself and told him how much I love his music. Neil thought Doron and I were the segment producers.
Neil showed up by himself and he seemed very happy that we were familiar with his work.
He signed the crap I gave him.
Then I got a picture.
Then Doron and I escorted him to the news studio.
Jeff: So who was that you were talking to?
ME: Neil Sedaka.
Jeff: I don't know who that is.
ME: Go to Hell you lousy pig fucker!
Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.
Disclaimer: Before I hit "post to titoagogo" I realized that I went to another Beastie Boys show before this one. Rather than post this later I'm putting part 4 before part 3. Shut up.
I remember the full page ad for this in the LA Weekly saying that this show was presented in Quadrophonic sound with "joystick action". My brother and I liked the Beastie Boys but what really got us to this show was that the newly reformed Bad Brains were opening up. We recently discovered the Bad Brains after years of putting them off and at that time The ROIR Sessions was probably thee most played cd in the Gutierrez household. The ROIR Session/Self Titled LP is still the greatest collection of punk rock jams. It is the punk rock equivalent to Elvis' Sun Sessions. To this day whenever some young whippersnapper asks me what punk album they should get I tell them to get that first self titled LP or the ROIR Sessions cd immediately.
We got tickets at the Tower Records in Montebello the minute they went on sale. We were still living at home at the time and our mother was giving us shit for going to too many rock shows. We were 19 & 21 but it was still her house so we told her that we were going to a friends BBQ instead! We're good boys but we weren't up for an earful of her bitching for something that really wasn't a big deal. HELL! We did worse thing when we were at home!
JOCKS
When we parked the car (a blue '86 Cadillac Fleetwood "Mac" d'Elegance) we knew we were in trouble because the first thing we saw were a pack of fratboy jocks tossing a football back and fourth. Yes, the Beastie Boys were huge and this is a giant venue but those people suck! Take that shit to a USC game or a Metallica concert! There was a lot of fratboy trash at this show.
INTERVENTION MEMORIES
I forgot about this for the longest time but my brother brought this up during my alcohol intervention. During my intervention my family and friends were asked to tell me their most memorable and loving moments they've had with me. My brother described this story:
The first opening act was original Beastie Boys DJ, DJ Hurricane. I remember seeing his video for "Gimme Some Elbow Room" on Yo MTV Raps! and I liked it. We were interested so we moved up to the front to check him out. As soon as he played our section became a giant mosh pit and we were caught off guard. My brother was suddenly knocked face down onto the concrete floor. I freaked out and thought, "Holy shit! My brother's hurt and who ever did this is going to pay!" So I picked him up and held him with his back against me. I still had him up and I yelled in his ear, "I got you! Just start swinging and kicking, OK?!" I was in the middle of the pit holding my brother up while he was swinging and kicking his arms and legs, deflecting those who ran towards us. My eyes were bugged out and I was laughing like a crazy person as the dudes who ran towards us were flung to the other side of the pit. I was swinging him around in circles using him as a deflector shield! That got really tiring after a while so I flung my brother to my side and held him like a notebook while we made our way to the bleachers.
During my intervention he said that it was then when he realized that whenever he was in trouble he knew that I will always be there for him and no matter how bad the situation is, I can turn it into a laugh.
GREAT! Now I'm crying and typing at the same time. Excuse me for a minute.
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OK
BAD BRAINS
The Bad Brains were alright. Yeah, they were good and they played their hits but seeing them in a huge outdoor arena really isn't right place to see the Bad Brains. This is how they should be experienced:
The Olympic Velodrome was set up in a way where you can walk around the arena and see the back stage area. My brother and I leaned on some railing and surveyed everything that was going on. Roadies moving cases, musicians drinking Heinekens and Ad Rock having a conversation with HR. My brother and I were like, "WOW! There's HR!" My brother started with the yelling:
"HR!"
"FUCK YEAH! HR!"
HR turned around and acknowledged us. Then my brother yelled:
"RASTAFARI!!"
HR nodded in approval. Then we yelled:
"ONE LOVE!!!"
"JAH ALMIGHTY!!"
"ROCK FOR LIGHT!!"
HR started to jump up and down and whipped his dreds back and forth! That little moment we had with HR was so awesome for us.
This was before we knew how much the Bad Brains hated fags. I still love them. Those smelly-ass rastamen have a legion of faggot fans whether they like it or not!!!
BEASTIE BOYS
I remember everyone was handed a newsprint tour program when we entered. Billy Joel was on the cover of the program and the first article in the program was an essay written by the Beastie Boys saying how much they love early Billy Joel. I still have that program stashed away somewhere in a box in the garage. For this show there were PAs equally set up on every corner of the arena. I watched most of the show from the side bleachers. Of course I stood up and danced the entire time. I remember the sound being awesome. That 'humpty-hump' bass part of "Shake Your Rump" sounded like it was circling the velodrome. It was a sonic version of 'the wave'! I'll never forget that or the Beastie Boys individual voices bouncing from one side of the arena to the other. It was almost like you could catch it. I don't really remember what else they played that night but I do remember enjoying the show.
HOME, HOME AGAIN
We were nervous when we got home. It was late and we were ready for our mom to start bitching. When we got home our mom didn't even ask why we were so late. She just asked if we wanted ice cream.
- Music:Shake Your Rump - Beastie Boys
This was my second Lollapalooza. I missed the first two because I had no money each time. I remember hearing rumors earlier in the year that Nirvana were to headline this Lollapalooza. I remember thinking that was cool but I was still a little jaded by Nirvana. They blew up so big and when your parents and little kids liked Nirvana it's pretty much over BUT I STILL LIKED THEM! I liked In Utero and I saw them at the Forum the previous December so sure... I'll stay for them!
I remember getting to Tower Records in Canoga Park at around 6AM for tickets with the usual crew of my brother, Angel, Angel's little brother Danny, Amanda and stupid Vanessa (more on that skinny bitch in a later post, maybe!). There was already a long line when we arrived. I couldn't tell you what we did to pass the time.
1994
1994 was an important year for me. It was the year that I got my first checking and savings account. It looked like I was going to actually finish community college. I learned that I liked alcohol a lot better than pot. I could play Reining Blood on guitar. I came out of the closet. I had my first real job working for my mother's company and I was working with a guy who would turn my life upside down. Juan Carlos Arce was the son of my mother's friend. Juan Carlos worked with us that year I fell madly in love with him. I've always thought guys were cute and had little crushes here and there but from the moment I first met him I was overcome with this feeling of needing to be a part of his life. He was around 6'4" 280lbs had big brown eyes, a big hairy chest, a great ass, a belly you could fall asleep on and a smile that lit up the room. He occupied every part of my thinking and I actually enjoyed going to work because I knew he was going to be there. He was 22. A whole TWO YEARS older than me! To me that seemed like a much older man! BUT HE WAS STRAIGHT!!! Maybe! The jury is still out on that one as I write this!
ANYWAY I asked him if he wanted to go with us and that I would get him a ticket. He said he couldn't because he would be in El Salvador that week. I was crushed! I remember waiting in line and thinking, "Juan Carlos isn't going to be there so what's the point?"
YOUNG LUST
OK back to Lollapalooza! I remember my brother and Amanda had a falling out because my brother liked Amanda but she didn't like my brother that way. My brother's reaction to that was to cut her out of his life completely so it made that Lollapalooza awkward to say the least. I had the choice of either going to the show with Angel or Amanda. To this day I still feel a little guilty for going to the show with Amanda. So this was a weird Lollapalooza. I was heartbroken that Juan Carlos wasn't going and I rode with Amanda because I thought my brother was being stupid for not talking to Amanda. WE WERE YOUNG, STUPID AND VERY NEW TO THIS 'LOVE' GAME!
GREEN DAY
I remember when I got there I wanted to get fucked up. Amanda had some weed but I passed because weed made me paranoid and I knew I would freak out being in that large crowd. We managed to run into some friends of ours in the parking lot with a hatchback full of beer and cheap wine. I downed a bottle of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and had an awesome buzz going. When we got in Green Day were playing. I wasn't into them but I slammed and crowd surfed anyway. I remember Amanda and I worked our way to the front and we saw my brother. Amanda said, "Hi Erik" but my brother gave her a mean look and crowd surfed away. I was too drunk to care. I was actually enjoying Green Day's set. When they finished Amanda said, "Wasn't that awesome?!" I had to agree with her. They were.
L7
L7 were awesome. I loved me some L7. I remember them being very loud and them having giant snowflakes on stage.
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
Loved Tribe Called Quest. The Low End Theory was and still is one of my favorite hip hop albums but their set consisted of material from their latest album Midnight Marauders which I wasn't into. I walked around the grounds instead and checked out the various booths during their set.
THE BREEDERS
I loved (still love) The Breeders! I remember screaming along, jumping up and down, moshing and crowd surfing for their entire set. Last Splash was in heavy rotation on my Walkman that year. I went apeshit when they did Safari from the Pod album. I grooved and shook my ass frantically!
I brought a disposable camera to this show and I snapped a bunch of pictures that day. Just now I managed to find ONE picture from that day!!
THE LAST POETS
RAY MANZAREK
I was a HUGE and I mean HUGE fan of Funkadelic and Parliament so I was really excited to see George Clinton. On my way to the big field where the main stage was I walked passed the Spoken Word tent. I stopped because I saw Perry Ferrell on the stage. I walked in and Perry introduced the Last Poets. Around this time my brother and I were really into black militants like your Huey Newton's, your Angela Davis's and your Black Panthers. We were getting into Gil Scott Heron, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Invisible Man, Dashiki's, Bean Pies, Blaxploitation and somewhere along the line we managed to stumble upon this album by a group called The Last Poets. We assimilated suburban Salvadorans LOVED IT!!
So when Perry Farrell introduced them I HAD TO SEE THEM! They were much older and were wearing dashikis, kufis and big wooden African beads. They had a bongo player and were doing this sort of stream of consciousness spoken word thing. Honestly, I had no idea what they were talking about. I was a little too over the top for me.
After they finished roadies set up a Fender Rhodes keyboard on the little stage and out came RAY MANZAREK playing 'Riders on the Storm' solo on the Fender Rhodes!!!! My mind was officially blown! FUCK GEORGE CLINTON! I'M STAYING FOR THIS!! After he played "Riders" he introduced a 50's beat poet. I didn't know who he was because at that point in my life I didn't give a shit about beat poets. This guy recited poetry while Ray Manzarek played various bits of Doors songs on the keyboard. Ray even said, "This was one of Jim's favorite poets!"
After that was over I saw Perry Farrell again walking the grounds. Kids were asking for his autograph but his body guards pushed them away every time. FUCK PERRY FARRELL!!!
BEASTIE BOYS
I found Angel and my brother and we clawed our way to the front for the Beastie Boys. Yes we liked the Beastie Boys but at this point in our lives we still went to show to slam and crowd surf and we were fucking ready for it! The Beastie Boys came on and I remember they had a big backdrop of a three headed dragon which I thought looked super cool. As soon as they went on the entire fucking field of about 20 thousand people were jumping up and down. It looked like waves on the ocean. I remember crowd surfing (we called it 'floating' back then) for the entire 60 minute set. I was still around 120 pounds back then so it was easy for me to stay up and maneuver around the bodies below me. It was so awesome being passed around from one side of the audience to the next and having the Beastie Boys on one side of me, the audience below me and watching the sunset in the sky. While I was floating around I would see my brother pass by then Danny and then a friend from high school.
"HEY!"
"HEY!!"
"WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAHHH!!!"'
"YEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!"'
"WHATS UP BEEEEOOOTTCCHH!!!"
BITCHY COREGAN
We all regrouped, my brother and Amanda included, and watched the Smashing Pumpkins by one of the exits. I liked Smashing Pumpkins but Billy Coregan was being a little bitch that night.
Billy Coregan: It's really weird for us to be here. These types of tours really aren't our thing.
ME: BULLSHIT!!! FUCK YOU!! GO HOME THEN!
We stayed for about three songs and left.
I remember on the way back to the parking lot I said:
ME: Man, why did Kurt have to off himself! Thanks to him we're left with a lecture instead of a rock show!!
- Music:When All is Said and Done - ABBA
GIA
I went to this show with my brother, Angel, Angel's brother Danny and Amanda. I posted this on Facebook and Me, Angel and Amanda are still trying to figure out who drove to this show.
When we all got to our seats we noticed Gia from Request Video was sitting directly in front of us. Before we could all say "Oh my God it's Gia!" to ourselves we said directly to Gia:
"IT'S GIA!!!"
"HI GIA!!!"
"WE'LL MISS YOU!!!"
Request Video ended production the week prior. I remember Gia being very nice to us and saying Thank You. It was either Angel or Danny who said, "CAN YOU GET US BACKSTAGE?!!!"
ROLLINS BAND
The Rollins Band played all of "The End of Silence" and as far as stage production it was just white lights on them and nothing else. Someone spit at Henry Rollins and Henry whipped the guy in the face with his microphone.
Henry Rollins: You're a fucking cop!!! I fucking HATE cops!!
and WACK again.
CYPRESS HILL
There was a giant hand holding a smoking joint on stage. The cherry would light up and puffs of smoke would come out. The first thing B Real said when he got on stage was, "EVERYBODY MOVE FORWARD!! EVERYBODY IN THE BACK MOVE UP TO THE FRONT!!!" Cypress Hill were very popular back then and of course WE ALL RUSHED THE STAGE!
The mob mentality took over. We didn't say, "Should we do it? Should we try and get closer?" we just went for it and before we knew it we were running with hundreds of other kids down the aisles. I never forget this. When the mob got to the orchestra pit a security guard jumped in front of this stampede of wild teenagers and yelled, "I DON'T THINK SO!!!!" God bless that security guard but he didn't stand a chance against the fat Mexican chick who flicked him to the side like a booger. Next thing I remember was being smashed in this mob of kids and jumping up and down while yelling "I'M THE REAL ONE YES THE FUNKY FEEL ONE!!"
BEASTIE BOYS
This was my first Beastie Boys show. I was excited because Check Your Head was one of my favorite albums that year. What stands out the most from that show was AD Rock was wearing a ski mask for most of the show and everyone going nuts during their punk rock set. They even did a cover of Minor Threat's "Screaming at a Wall". I also remember there being plenty of screaming, yelling, ass shaking and jumping up and down.
FLANNEL
The thing I remember most about this show was when the show ended. Everyone calmed down and exited with no problems. Me and Angel got separated from everyone else so we waited in between the orchestra and mezzanine section. We both leaned on some railing and I watched the people as they left. I noticed that EVERYBODY was wearing flannel. They were either wearing it or had it tied around their waist. ANGEL was wearing flannel! It didn't even look like kids leaving it looked like a blanket of plaid flannel continuously flowing through the Universal Amphitheater and changing color every few seconds! This was 1992! This was at the height of Grungemania! Pearl Jam could do no wrong!
THE CHRONIC
After the show there was a guy in front of the Universal Amphitheater passing out stickers/flyers for Dr. Dre's forthcoming album. I grabbed a sticker. The sticker was black, had a pot leaf on it and said, "Dr. Dre - The Chronic". I said, "What the fuck is this? Fuckin' Dr. Dre's tryin' to be all Cypress Hill n'shit!!"
Epilogue
As I'm writing this I'm thinking about that time in our lives. Back then I wasn't thinking about the past or the future. I was IN THE MOMENT!!! I'm not sure what that moment was or what it meant but I was definitely in it!!!
