The show: Climax or Anticlimax? The night of the show was finally at hand. As I dressed for the event I felt the old tell-tale butterflies in my stomach, a condition that has plagued me since my first gig 38 years prior. You would think that at 53 years old I would be able to overcome that nervous reaction by now. But it was in my DNA and probably would be a reoccurring distraction as long as I perform. The drive across Pierce Street reminded me of the old days. I met Dave Autin in Buddy Guy’s store for the first time on the way to the forum. He joined myself and Ike in Earl Boutilier’s car for a crazy drive up past the train station. Buddy’s store was gone but that didn’t stop me from smiling as I passed by the spot where it stood. When I reached the end of Pierce and stopped the car in front of the old forum, I was overwhelmed. The journey my life had taken, the things I experienced, the people who became part of my life and just as quickly evaporated into thin air like they never existed. All those things combined to put me at this spot at this particular time of my life. I left the car running as I stared at the old weathered front of the historic building that had been a big part of my youth. I thought back to my first summer with the Saints, that fateful summer of 1965. Ike and I met Sam Scott at Stagg’s Taxi on the corner of Blower and Commercial; Sam had the keys to the Forum. When Sam unlocked the padlock on the big gray double doors and swung them open, the first thing I noticed was the distinctive musty smell of old wood and dampness. When we walked further into the building stopping on floor where the ice is during the winter, I caught my breath at the sight of a huge wooden platform that would serve as a stage. It was 10 feet off the floor and had to be 40 feet wide. I then looked up at the ceiling and figured that to be 100 feet high. It was definitely the largest building I had ever been into and I could almost imagine that I could fit every hall I ever played into the forums interior and still have room. That night we set up our 200 watt sound system with two column speakers and played music for over 600 kids. Over 34 years later I walked through those same front doors to celebrate an inconsequential event that took place so long ago that it could actually have touched so many lives. Taking to the stage that night and playing music with Roy Batherson, Paul Dunn, and Ike Keating, along with Jimmy, Cyril, and Ward brought me great joy. The crowd was appreciative and their energy fed back to the stage lifting us to heights we could never have imagined. The night was a huge success and the intention was to put the genie back in the bottle and continue on with our lives. And that’s exactly what happened? Not quite. After my trip away: Making a CD and Rockin’ Saints II: a lesson on revisiting the past and trying to turn it into the present.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 05:03:33 +0000
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