Coming out of the Lurking C

[Chet_Rogers-RPJG30@email.sps.mot.com]

                       Subject:                               Time:3:50 PM
  OFFICE MEMO          Coming out of the Lurking Closet...    Date:10/31/95
     I've been a lurker for around 7 months, but finally thought I'd throw in my 
worthless observations. George Coelho turned me on to this list and constantly 
implores me to say something, so here 'tis.
     My name is Chet and I'm a Whoaholic. I've been this way for 26 years; ever 
since George, Bob Poe (another lurker), his kid sister (upon whom a feel I was 
trying to cop), and I saw the REAL Who in November of '69 at Georgetown 
University, Wash. D.C. 
     George had seen them earlier that year; first, in May, at the Fillmore East 
in New York, when Townshend kicked the cop off stage as the shoe store next door 
was burning down, and later in June at Merriweather Pavilion, Va. (where he had 
expertly fielded a big chunk of SG Special that came flying his way and 
subsequently mounted it on velvet under glass, but later gave away to some 
bimbo) and came back raving about something called "Tommy", with songs like 
"Pinball Lizard" and "Diddle-Bop-Rock" (hey, the lyrics weren't out yet). I 
respected his musical taste, since I met him walking past my house, when we were 
both in Junior High, carrying the British version of the the first Pink Floyd 
album "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (good tunes!). Also, I was by that time 
rockin' to "Magic Bus" and "Sell Out". So he convinced me that it would be $7.00 
well spent, and we went.
     When the lights came on as Townshend flew through the air windmilling the 
first chord of "Heaven and Hell" I had a quasi-religious experience. During this 
epiphany I realized that I was in the presence of demi-gods! 
     I had snuck one of those (then-state-of-the-art) Phillips cassette 
recorders, about the size of a phone answering machine, into the concert under 
my coat, and recorded most of the performance. Terrible sound, but we adored it. 
(We are convinced that Tommy Keene later stole the tape from George's little 
brother, who had borrowed it.)
     Well, I was hooked. I subsequently purchased an SG Special and a Marshall 
100 (I had already been playing the axe for a year) and started on the road to 
Rock-stardom. George, Bob, and I played most of a Who set at some pool party 
these 14-year-olds were throwing (me ballparking Townshends' chords like crazy), 
but the music was too avant-garde for those times. They asked us to play 
Credence and such like. And, of course, "Happy Birthday".
     After a few years I came to the realization that I was sadly lacking in 
talent, so the road dead-ended. I still play, but sporadically. George, however, 
continued playing in a number of bands, least noteworthy of which was the "New 
Who", whose sole performance was playing all of "Tommy" at some High School in 
Gettysburg, Pa. (George; where DID you guys get that vocalist?). George is, 
still, a VERY good bassist.
     Enough. The other Who concerts I've had the honor to see were: June 1970 
Merriweather, Va. (the "Who's Next" tour); "A Day on the Green" (with the 
Grateful Dead) at Oakland Coliseum, Summer of '76; the Miller-sponsored concert 
at Tempe, Az. in October(?) of 1982, where Roger Daltrey ran in place for the 
entire concert, demonstrating the greatest stamina ever seen during a rock 
performance; and the Farewell concert at Oakland Coliseum in '89. 
     Favorite albums: Who - "Sell Out" through "Quad"; Townshend - all except 
"Iron Man" (George, Bob, and I saw "Iron Man" at the New Vic in London: nice, 
but is it Rock?) Entwhistle - "Smash Your Head".
     That's all, y'all.

     -"You know that's why they call me Lightning"-