As soon as the three of us moved into our house in Creve Coeur, I painted my bedroom the same burnt orange paint to augment my furniture. I guess I wasn’t ready for much of a change yet. The familiar surroundings helped me with my first move.
I was playing in Maiden Cane at the time and working for Berger’s Department Store downtown. I was beginning to burn the candle at both ends without even being aware of it.
Working days and playing late gigs on the weekends BUT also responsible for being at work on Saturday mornings too. This was becoming difficult.
After a long week at Berger’s, I’d follow my written directions and meet the band already setting up gear in a town sometimes many miles away. After the gig and long drive home, I’d usually head out to the Kollisium and meet up with a young lady. I could count on the fingers of one hand how many hours I could still sleep if I went home now. I never did.
I met some wonderful ladies. We were young and I was in a rock n roll band. Most mornings I’d slip out of a door after a few hours only to barely beat the sun rise. I’d take a shower and head into work with a few winks. Then it would all repeat again.
One such weekend found the band at a wedding reception in Low Point IL. We were set up and ready to play at the agreed time. It was a wedding reception but the wedding party was late. Very late. So... to kill the time, we began drinking draft beer. A lot of draft beer. So much that I can hardly remember playing the gig. We weren’t the only only ones drinking mass quantities of alcohol either.
The wedding party was smashed and early.
The most vivid image that I can recall was the most infamous!!!! After the gig, I began to back my 1973 Maverick out of the lot and park closer to the building. Many of the wedding party were mingling in between cars. I started my car , looked briefly in the mirror and slowly put my foot on the gas peddle.
“DARREN!!!!! HEY!!!!!! STOP!!!! 🛑!!!!!!!”
I hit my brake and opened my car door wide open and hung my heavy head out of the car to look directly behind my car. Did I run over my guitar? Was there a problem? Yes there was a problem!!!!! As I looked closer, I could see tuxedo pant legs directly perpendicular to the back tires of my car. OMG!!!! It was the GROOMS Father!!!!!! He must have passed out directly behind my car as I was beginning to back out. Holy shit!!!! Was he dead? How far back did I go? I can distinctly remember the dark black stripe crisply running down the crushed blue velvet pant leg.
Lucky, he was ok and I did not go to jail that night..... at least for this crime!!!!! There was to be a jail run but for another incident.
But that’s another story from the Orange Room.
Σχόλια