AUGUST 16  , 1997 . THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF ELVIS' DEATH (OR , some would say , disappearance.).  My friend , Msr. Jeffrey Evans , invited me to open a show with '68 Comeback (His post - Gibson Brothers outfit.)and Don Howland's post Gibson Bros. band , The Bassholes , at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago. There was a terrible storm that night. Jeff and the band barely made it. Evans told me they'd driven their van into a ditch , but , they were rescued by a Stripper ( Jeff , ever the gentleman , put her on the guest list , but , she did'nt show.). Meanwhile , Don Howland , well known for missing his own gigs by this point , had yet to arrive when I started my set. As it turned out , he never showed. I had to extend my set to about an hour to fill the gap. The audience was suprisingly calm about The Bassholes ' not making it , and having to listen to me play without a band as long as I did. I did have drums , and , by request , did a ten minute version of "Parchment Farm' , after which I was told "Blue Cheer should be backing YOU !". I was truly humbled by that.


So , I did my set , '68 Comeback did theirs , and everybody ,it seems , had a good time. OTHER  NO - SHOWS INCLUDED MY FUTURE GIRLFRIEND , WHOM I MET THAT WEEKEND AT A SCREENING OF J Michael Mcarthy's "The Sore Losers" (Featuring music by '68 Comeback and many others.) , who said she had thought about going , and a lady friend I'd known since High School , but , had'nt seen in 10 years . She had just moved to Chicago , as I'd find out the next day. The two of them actually met in a bar that weekend. Some no life lowlife dosed their drinks. Filmmaker , Jim Van Beeber , a Martial Arts expert , beat the living shit out him , and , when you beat the shit out of a "Man" like that , you ain't got shit left.