November 1979:
I had been told by the GM of Bergner’s where I was working, that I wasn’t working out as an employee. I had worked in their electronics department since I quit ICC the previous February. Downtowns foot traffic was drying up anyway. People were doing their shopping in the Malls and moving further north out of the city.
I had just moved out of THE ORANGE ROOM and into a house with our drummer. Our band, Maiden Cane was playing regularly on weekends, usually out of town. I was getting home at 2 or 3 in the morning but always felt the need to drive to the Kollisium for a night cap. Sometimes, I’d meet friends, sometimes I‘d make new ones. When you're 20 you have no common sense. I was getting maybe three or four hours sleep before I had to be at work in the morning. Needless to say, I was missing work often. Stupid of me really!!!!
On my last night, about an hour before we closed, I dropped two hits of micro dot. Now, I'm not real proud of the drug usage of my youth, but it was a part of the life of a musician in the 1970's. A parent's nightmare for sure. I've always said it was more fun being a kid than a parent. Anyway, I remember the cash swimming in the register as I did my best to count it down and close out.
I was beginning to hallucinate when I walked back to my car about two blocks away from the Downtown store. Once in the car, I lit a cigarette and stuck Dark Side Of The Moon in my 8 track Player. It was at the very beginning of the tape, so I listened intensely while smoking my cig. I listened to Breathe - On The run and Time. I had never heard my cheap car stereo sound so glassy and rich.
Once the clocks rang, it dawned on me that I was tripping my ass off and needed to somehow drive across the Cedar Street bridge, through East Peoria and finally home!!!
I remember the music kind of guiding me home. “I like to warm my bones beside the fire. “ Yes, I would be home soon.
As I pulled onto the long Cedar Street bridge, Great Gig In The Sky was playing.... and I swear to you that the song was in perfect synch with me. The pointy lights of the bridge, the speed of my car... Everything!!!! While I was in the slow lane, Claire’s voice was calming and mellow, but as soon as I’d accelerate, her voice would get wild!!! I began laughing at the consistency!!! I’d pump the pedal and the song's intensity would rise. When I’d slow down, the tension would release. At one point, I needed to pass some cars and hit the off ramp, the song built to a cresendo...perfectly in sync with my speed!!!!
It was insane!!!! Once off the ramp, Money, took me all the way
home.
Somehow I made it home, our bass player was over.... I was trying to explain what I had just experienced. the guys listened and laughed then told me to get ready to hear this new album that had
just came out. It was called THE WALL. Pink Floyd was blowing my mind again.... but that’s another brink in the wall. Lol.
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