Chapter 42: Burn It To The Ground

Althouse College Gymnasium, London
9:11pm, Friday, December 28, 1979

When I pulled into the parking space reserved for us behind Althouse College, a security guard came running up to my deep purple Barracuda. As Wayne and I got out, this rotund man yelled, “Hey! That spot is reserved for members of the band playing, tonight. You’ll have to find some other place to park.”

“If this spot is reserved for the band,” Wayne calmly replied as he walked to the front of my car, “then we’re in the right spot. My friend here is ‘the‘ Mike, of Mike and the Time Bandettes.”

The security guard gave me a slightly menacing look and then asked, “Can I see some ID, please. I’ll need to verify what your friend just said.”

I immediately reached in my back right pocket for my wallet and said, “I have the parking pass that Devin gave all of us on the dash, but here’s my school ID card for you.”

The security guard took my picture ID, and quickly scanned his clipboard to see if it matched up with the names on his list. It didn’t take him long to say, “Ah, I’m sorry for stopping you, Mike, Mike Nevins, but I have my...”

“You don’t need to apologize for doing your job, my good man,” I interjected with a smile as he handed me back my school ID card. I then added, “I’m actually glad you checked on us, ‘cause if you weren’t here doing your job, I’m not sure where I could have parked to get here on time.”

“Okay. Thanks for not getting all ornery on me for that,” he said as we walked towards the back gymnasium entrance. He then added, “Ah, I know I probably shouldn’t ask you this, but, uh, I knew I was working your show, tonight, and I brought my daughter’s No Fear! album with me. After your concert, I was wondering if you...”

“I will, and I’m sure the Time Bandettes will be happy to sign your daughter’s album cover,” I once more interjected on the security guard’s request. “If you can have it with you at the end of the concert, come find me inside, and we’ll get it signed, pronto.”

“Oh-man! I’m gonna be ‘father-of-the-year’, twice in less than a week!” he exclaimed and patted me on the shoulder.

“Twice?” Wayne asked as we got to our entrance.

“Yeah! The first was when I surprised her with your album on Christmas Eve, and when she sees the signed album cover ... Gawd! Her room will be spotless ‘till at least Easter time!” he laughed. He then knocked on the entrance door for us, and waited for the inside security person to open it. “Ray, this is Mike, from the band and his friend. Let them through, please.”

“Thanks, guys,” Wayne and I both said as we were waved on into the packed and noisy gymnasium.

“You guys made it!” Eda called out as she bounced over to see her boyfriend and me.

“Never a doubt,” I laughed as E and Wayne shared a quick kiss. I then added, “I thought Shania’s band would be playing by now. Anything wrong?”

“Nah,” Eda quickly replied. “They just want to avoid a mad rush of people when the music starts. They’re still trying to get all the players, friends and family in the gym.

“I take it everyone is up on the stage area?” Wayne asked as we moved to the stairs off to the side of the main stage.

“Mostly. Your school’s Jazz Band members are warming up in a classroom down that hallway,” E replied with a smile. “I think Jennifer has your saxophone with her, back there, Sweetie.”

“No sense in me heading up on the stage, if that’s where I need to go to get ready,” Wayne said. The two lovebirds shared another small kiss before Wayne veered off down the hallway. Eda and I climbed up to the side stage area.

“There’s our MVP,” Devin laughed as we walked in the crowded backstage area. “Congrats on winning the ‘P and W’ tournament. I hate that I couldn’t see you play, but your friends have filled us in on yours and your team’s performances.”

“Thanks, Devin. We played well and I, uh, did, too, I guess,” I replied with a smile.

“A cute AND humble rock star. I can see why he’s got five girlfriends,” Shania laughed as she and Paul stood arm-in-arm with their guitars around their necks. Cathy laughed, too, as she twirled her drumsticks with her skilled fingers.

Steve, Shania’s keyboard player was nervously bouncing on the balls of his feet as the noise level grew in anticipation of our two bands’ rehearsal concert. Steve had on a pair of black Chuck Taylor shoes, black denim pants and a shiny, metallic silvery button down, short-sleeve shirt. He wore an Oakland Raiders’ ball cap to complete the ‘silver and black’ theme of his outfit.

Kalena, with her Stradivarius and bow in hand, was as calm and cool as the water in the Dnister River at the moment of her conception. She had her honey blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, held with a metallic blue scrunchy, which matched her sleeveless blouse. A flowing pair of black slacks completed Kalena’s outfit.

“Devin, we’ve got most of the folks inside, now. I think you’re good to get things underway.” We heard that unknown voice came over the walkie-talkie that Devin held up to his ear.

“Roger that. I’ll head out to the control booth. I’ll give you a heads-up prior to letting Shania’s band start,” Devin replied.

“Copy that. Wish the kids good luck from the security staff. Over.”

“Okay, folks,” Devin said and let out a sigh. “I’m heading out to the control booth. I’m going to make an announcement over the speakers about how this is a true rehearsal concert, so that everyone knows we may need to stop, redo or adjust something to make it right for our big concert next Friday. I don’t expect anyone to get their panties in a wad over this, but it is better to give folks a heads-up on our plan for tonight. When I get that out of the way, I’ll introduce the Shania Twain Band, and then we’ll be off to the races. Remember to have fun and enjoy yourselves out there.”

We were all giddy with excitement as we were about to play for real on this massive stage, with all the incredible lighting effects and video screens. I watched my friends’ band as Devin’s voice came through the speaker system to inform the crowd about our rehearsal concert’s plan.

Paul was his usual jovial, jokester self, messing with Steve and Kalena but knowing full well to stay away from his twin sister prior to performing. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans and his autographed ‘Dave Keon’, #14 Maple Leafs’ sweater. I was a little surprised to see my best friend in a pair of black and tan alligator skin cowboy boots. I guess he was getting into the spirit of Shania’s band (or Shania probably helped dress him for their shows). His purple and black, Alembic 8-string bass hung down over his lower pelvis. The only sign of nerves he showed was his occasional fidgeting with his wireless earpiece monitors.

Cathy was an absolute knockout in her black, mid-calf length, ‘painted-on’ running tights. She had on a pair of pink flip-flops, which I knew she’d kick off prior to moving behind her drum kit. Her white satin, sleeveless shirt, with large red stars ‘strategically placed’ was barely able to contain her large, firm breasts. The beautiful drummer girl had her shoulder length raven hair hanging loosely down around her face as her head bobbed up and down to the imaginary beat running through her mind. Her makeup had a red-theme to it as her eye shadow and lip-gloss were a close match to the stars over her breasts.

Shania Twain was a doll, pure and simple. Her dirty blonde, mid-back length hair was teased for a Farrah Fawcett type look. She wore a layered look with a mid-riff baring, crimson tank-top overlaid by a red and pink plaid shirt, knotted below her medium-sized breasts. The white denim jeans Shania wore were beyond skin-tight, but appeared to be very flexible as she stretched and did a few leg kicks to limber up her muscles. The red and pink cowboy boots she strutted around in capped off her killer country girl outfit.

Things got suddenly still backstage when we heard Devin say, “So, without further delay, please welcome ... from Timmins, Ontario ... The Shania! ... Twain! ... Baaannnd!”

“Let’s do this!” Shania said and then led her bandmates out onto the stage as the crowd erupted in noise. The five band members were lite up with the spotlights, as the mobile laser lights and overhead lights created a myriad colors. Looking around to see if her partners were ready, Shania waved once more to the cheering crowd and said, “What’s going down, London? We’re real happy to be here playing for you. So, uh, how ‘bout we start this show off with something you may have heard on the radio ... something called, Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares!)“

Shania immediately started to strum out the opening chords on her six-string acoustic guitar with two front and two overhead spotlights focused on the young singer. With a true ‘twang’ in her voice Shania sang out the slightly modified lyrics I wrote a couple of months ago when Paul, Cathy and their mother, Bertha were down in London. The other STB members joined in after Shania sang the first verse. I was amazed at how Kalena’s violin beautifully replaced the ‘expected’ electric guitar riffs to create a rich country sound. My friends were well able to create true music with this future country music star.

The first ‘glitch’ or hiccup in the show occurred about half way through this song. Shania, because she was playing her guitar needed a mic-stand to sing her lyrics. As she was walking around the curved walkway, whoever was in charge of having the mic ‘pop up’ at the apex of the walkway didn’t hit the button. That left Shania without a microphone to sing into at her obvious vocal entry point on this song.

About two measures after that equipment malfunction, Devin lowered the speaker system and Phil brought the stage lights up to signal to the STB members that the boss wanted to redo this song. As the audience murmured at this unexpected stoppage, Shania stared back at the control booth from where the microphone should have risen from the curved walkway.

Devin’s voice came over the speaker’s saying, “And that folks, is the first sign that this is a true rehearsal concert. We’re sorry, Shania for not having that microphone ready for you. You all sounded great, by the way! That was totally my screw up.”

“Do you want us to start from scratch, Devin; or possibly at the start of that instrumental portion with Shania walking out on the walkway?” Cathy asked through the system’s speakers as Shania still was without a microphone to square things away.

“I’m good with you starting at the instrumental portion, but what is your feeling on this, Shania?” Devin asked to the leader of this band.

Shania hustled back around to the main stage. When she got to her center stage mic, she waved to the clapping crowd and said, “I’m good with starting at the instrumental section, Devin. I’m glad we got that little bug out of the way here, instead of on national TV.”

“Hoo! Me, too, Shania! Me, too,” Devin laughed with his reply only heard through the band members’ wireless earpiece monitors. He then ‘privately’ said, “Cathy, give your band mates a four beat stick rap as a lead in ... when you’re ready. Again, sorry ‘bout that.”

The partially repeated Here’s a Quarter was completed without any additional hiccups, and the crowd of almost 850 volleyball or basketball players, girlfriends or boyfriends, parents, family members and few of our Medway friends gave the STB members a huge ovation. The next two Shania Twain Band songs, You’re Still the One and Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under, also ran smoothly and sounded awesome.

Shania and her four band mates couldn’t get the grins off their faces as the Althouse College gym exploded in raucous noise at the conclusion of their humorous ‘man-trouble’ song. Shania then turned to her boyfriend and whispered, “Do you wanna introduce your best friend and your, ah-hum, ex-girlfriend to this wild crowd?” Shania gave Paul a kiss to let him know she was just messing with him regarding that ‘Sammy’ dig.

Paul shook his head at Shania’s playful dig and then said, “I thought you just sung, “You’re still the one” to me a moment ago?”

“You ARE still my one ... Now go, introduce Mike and Sammy to the crowd for me.”

“Mike, Sammy, are you ready to go?” Devin asked through our wireless ear-monitors. Sammy and I both gave him an affirmative response. Devin then asked, “Who’s going to intro these guys?” through the monitors. Paul immediately waved back at the control booth to answer Devin’s question.

“Hey, London! First off, I want to offer a big congrats to our undefeated Medway Cowboys on winning both the Saunders Volleyball Invitational, and Western’s Purple & White Basketball tournaments.” The crowd erupted in cheers, along with a small smattering of boos at Paul’s words. My friend paused for a moment and then added, “My sister, Cathy and I are glad to be back in our balmy hometown. Yes, twenty-four degrees is balmy compared to minus six freckin’ degrees with thirty-miles-per-hour wind gusts like it is up in Timmins! We’re even happier to have our good friends, Mike Nevins and Sammy Labatt, you know ... from that other band playing later on tonight.” The crowd roared at Paul’s partial introduction, and he turned to wave us out onto the stage. “We’re super happy that our friends are going to play guitars with us on these next two songs. The first is called, Before He Cheats. Sing along with Shania, if you’ve heard it before!”

Sammy wore her six-string acoustic and I had my new ‘Cuda Fender guitar around my neck as we walked out onto the main stage to the roar of the crowd. My redheaded bandmate surprised me when I first saw her backstage. She was wearing a pair of somewhat baggy black slacks with tanned cowboy boots, and a crimson, silk blouse. I was surprised, because this was far from her normal ‘rock-goddess’ attire I had assumed she be sporting, tonight. Walking onto the stage, she whispered to me, “Like my country-chick outfit, Cuda?”

“It’s definitely not your usual performance get-up,” I laughed as we moved alongside Shania at the front of the stage.

“That it ain’t,” Sammy laughingly replied before she gave Shania a hug and waved to the crowd.

With four raps of her drumsticks, Cathy got us going on the song she ‘co-wrote’ with Shania earlier in the fall after a bad break up with her first boyfriend up in Timmins. The five of us joined in with Cathy to bring Before He Cheats to life on this massive stage. Shania was really in her element being able to strut around the stage with a wireless mic in her hand. She played to the crowd like she was born to be on a stage as she sang the lyrics to this cheating boyfriend song. I was still a little mesmerized at the visual spectacle created by Phil’s lighting crew, as well as the montage of short video clips of scenes associated with this song.

Playing alongside Paul as Shania and Sammy wandered out on opposite sides of the curved walkway, Paul touched my shoulder with the head of his bass to get my attention. With a head nod to the big video screens, we saw the name, ‘C-A-T-H-Y’ being carved into a pickup truck’s leather seats as Shania sang those lyrics. The video then showed our smiling drummer with a Louisville Slugger as she unloaded on a truck’s headlights to match the chorus.

Kalena skipped over beside me just as Shania finished singing the second chorus to this song. My beautiful ‘daughter’ then gave me a wink and we had a back-to-back ‘booty-battle’ as we jammed a short guitar-violin instrumental section. Shania came and wrapped her arms around our shoulders before she finished off this hard-driving country song.

During a Shania rehearsal that I wasn’t able to attend due to a basketball game, her band members determined that Kalena was going to introduce her mother to crowd prior to playing Don’t Be Stupid. Sammy waved to the crowd as she walked off the stage. Our ‘country’ redhead gave Viktoriya Kharlamov a hug as she passed Kalena’s mother, and then scurried down the stairs out of my sight.

With her Stradivarius in hand, Kalena moved beside Shania at the center of the main stage. When Devin said, “Go to go, Kalena,” through our wireless ear-monitors, the honey blonde beauty said, “Ей, Лондон. Будь ласка, вітайте мою прекрасну матір! Oh, wait! I’m not in the Ukraine anymore, am I Shania?”

Shania laughed and gave a quick, “No, K-K, you’re not!”

“I guess I better do this in English, huh?” Kalena chuckled as Shania hugged the petite blonde. With a wave of her violin bow, Kalena then said, “Soooo! I previous said, ‘Hey, London! Please welcome my beautiful mother,’ and now, this is part is new ... my beautiful mother, Dr. Viktoriya Kharlamov to the stage!”

Viktoriya confidently strode out onto the stage and waved to the wildly applauding crowd with her violin bow in hand. I’m sure most of the high school guys and maybe a few of the dads in the crowd appreciated Viktoriya’s beauty as much as I did. The thirty-eight-year-old blonde beauty looked heavenly in her body hugging red dress. There were four diamond shaped cut-outs in her mid-thing length, red-velvet dress. Both of her shoulders were exposed by two of those cut-outs, as well as her toned, tanned belly and mid-back areas. After giving her daughter the ‘customary’ kiss to each cheek, Kalena then said, “We hope you like our new song. It’s called, Don’t Be Stupid.

The crowd really enjoyed the violin oriented song as the two Ukrainian ladies tore into Shania’s newest song. I really enjoyed it when Viktoriya came down off the elevated corner platform and mimicked her daughter’s prior back-booty dance with me in front of Cathy’s drum platform. The three main performers on this song, Shania, Kalena and Viktoriya ended this song spaced out evenly around the curved walkway.

Shania waved towards her two violinists in recognition for their fine performance, and said, “Not from Russia with love, but the Ukraine with beautiful music! Give it up for Kalena and her mother, Viktoriya Kharlamov!”

All three blonde beauties made their way back to the main stage. I slipped off to the side during their return, while at the same time the rest of Shania’s band moved out from behind their instruments. The crowd roared their appreciation as the six performers on stage lined up and took a well-deserved bow.

“Thank you! Thank you, so much!” Shania cried out after straightening back up with her band mates. The five full-time band members, plus Viktoriya waved as they bounced off the stage, and the lights dimmed.

“You guys were awesome!” Lisa called as she moved over to give Cathy a hug and then reached for Kalena’s hand.

“Yeah, guys. I really liked how you handled that mix up on your first song,” Eda said as she pulled her fellow drummer girl in for a hug. “I’m not sure how I’d have reacted to having to stop in front of crowd to redo a song.”

“Hey, we’ve screwed up like that and had to start over, E,” Wayne laughed and pointed to Cano, whose eyes went real wide when she figured out what E’s boyfriend was referring to in her statement.

“That was a different kinda screw up, Wayno,” Lisa countered. “Cano messed up on a song Cuda just tossed out there at us. I’m like E, I’d be mortified if we had to stop in front of a crowd on a song we were expected to do well on.” The girls and Wayne were referring to our Christmas concert in St. Thomas when I spontaneously decided to perform Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

“Hey, at least we got that first rehearsal redo out of the way for ya,” Paul laughed.

“Yeah! Now, if it happens to you guys, it shouldn’t be a big deal,” Steve added as he rested his hands on Eda’s and Cathy’s shoulders. “The crowd was pretty good with us stopping and restarting in the middle of a song, so you’ll be okay, if it happens to you guys.”

The stage crew released the brakes on both portable platforms, and were almost done pushing them over into their separate storage spots. Because we were following the Shania Twain Band’s show, tonight, instead of leading off the concert like we’d be doing next Friday, we weren’t going to get a chance to rehearse the opening sequences of our concert before a live crowd. Therefore, the stage crew didn’t bother with setting up the dividing screen at the front of the stage in preparation for our opening song sequence.

“Mike, Sammy, can you get Lisa, Eda and Lynette to turn there ‘ears’ on, please,” Devin’s voice came through our wireless earpieces.

“Will do, Devin,” I replied through my headpiece microphone.

Sammy and I both touched our earpieces, with Sammy adding, “Devin wants your monitors turned on, ladies. I think we’re close to lift-off on our super stage.”

“Test. Test. Do I have all the Bandettes with me, now?” Devin asked. Lynette and Lisa quickly nodded at Devin’s words, with Eda replying through her own wireless mic, “We’re all good with our monitors, Devin.”

“Good! We really didn’t talk or plan a special intro to your part of this concert, so how about just letting Mike have at it with his opening riff to Anything For Love. Then, you ladies walk on out when you feel like you’ll have enough time to get set with your instruments ... that’s mostly for Lynette and Eda.”

When I saw Sammy, Lisa and Lynette nodding their okay to that, Eda and I simultaneously replied, “Sounds good / We’re good with that Devin.” I then laughed, “Just give me the okay when Wilson, Phil and his gang are set for me to begin.”

“Will do. Give us another moment and I’ll get back with you,” Devin replied.

I smiled at my four bandmates, as well as my friends in the Medway Jazz Band, and our music teacher, Mr. Ballows. Those guys were waiting in the side-stage area with their instruments. I gave Ian, a trumpeter, a fist bump, and his fellow trumpet player, Beth Grayson a hug around her shoulders. Lynette and Sammy both welcomed Katie Van Dorn and Paul McKenly, the band’s trombonists, as well as Christa Fallon, the Jazz Band’s soprano saxophonist.

“You have these guys all set to play, Mr. B?” Cano sweetly asked.

“I sure hope they’re ready. They sounded good on your True Love song in our practice,” Mr. Ballows replied with a smile. He then added, “Congratulations on your victories, today.”

Lisa couldn’t help herself as she gently pushed the diminutive teacher on his shoulder, and playfully said, “Eda and me didn’t win a darn game, today, so we’re bummed out.”

Our teacher suddenly looked flustered and he stammered, “I’m sa-sorry Ms. Lisa and Eda. I, uh, wasn’t thinking...”

“We’re good with you, Mr. B. I’m beyond happy that Cano’s and Cuda’s teams won their tournaments,” Lisa laughed and gave the five-foot-three-inch teacher a hug into her bosom.

While I was playing my double-necked guitar on Shania’s, Don’t Be Stupid, Sammy must have hustled off to change from her country chick outfit into her current rock goddess guise. She now had on a short purple mini-skirt with black fishnet thigh-highs. I knew they were thigh-highs, as I could see part of the top band of clingy material just at the edge of her tight mini-skirt. She wore a black ‘Joan Jett and the Blackhearts‘ tee-shirt which she had knotted under her medium sized breasts, baring her alabaster white mid-riff. She completed her goddess getup with her trademark black fishnet, fingerless, forearm length gloves. With Zupena’s handiwork, Sammy’s makeup was striking. She had a skirt-matching shade of purple eye-shadow, with faint silver dust streaks ‘dripping’ down from the outer corners of her eyes. Sammy’s beautiful, mid-back length, curled auburn locks were flowing loosely around her shoulders.

My other three bandmates were equally gorgeous and dressed to ‘rock-out’. Lisa had on a pair of clingy, royal blue running tights. She must have been wearing a tiny, butt-floss thong as there wasn’t a crease to be seen under those snug tights. She had on her favorite Toronto Blue Jay jersey, which she obviously had knotted under her large, double-Ds. Similar to Sammy’s, Lisa’s makeup was impeccably done. Zupena had matched up Brick’s eye shadow to the blue on her jersey. Instead of ‘dripping’ streaks of blue-silver dust, Lisa had an upward swirl flying from the corner of her eyes.

Cano wore a body hugging metallic green, sleeveless mini-dress, which highlighted her long, lean legs and slender torso, which was further emphasized by a three inch gold colored belt. From the look of her medium-large sized breasts, I guessed she was wearing her Victoria’s Secret push-up bra under that stunning dress. I was slightly surprised that my soulmate’s long brownish-blonde hair wasn’t teased up in her normal ‘Farrah Fawcett’ style. Lynette went with a simple high ponytail look with a few strands of hair hanging down alongside her beautiful face. Zupena had Cano’s hazel-brown orbs highlighted with a pale green eye shadow. Unlike with Sammy and Lisa, Zupi used simple gold flecks on Lynette’s high cheek bones to add a faint touch of elegance to her striking features.

Our drummer girl, Eda was the least ‘rocked-up’ girl as she would be the hardest working and sweatiest member in our band. She did look awesome in her tight navy volleyball style shorts and a tight Carolina blue tank top. As always, she had on her black flip-flops, which she would kick off once seated on her drum throne. Zupena used a combination navy blue-Carolina blue eye shadow with Eda to bring out the true beauty in E’s blue-green eyes. As she normally had it, Eda’s mid-back length, wavy brown hair hung loosely around her shoulders. She loved how wild it looked as she rocked out on her throne.

“Okay, Mike. We’re all set for you out here,” Devin said through our ear monitors. He then added, “How about playing the first six to eight measures of your solo back stage, so Phil’s lighting crew can frantically pretend to try and find you with their spotlights before you walk out on stage?”

“That works for me, Devin,” I replied. I smiled at my bandmates and mouthed, ‘Let’s have some fun.‘

Both Lynette and Lisa stepped up to me and gave me a medium-pressure kiss on my cheeks. Sammy’s and Eda’s smirks let me know I was ‘tattooed’ with their lip-prints just prior to going on stage... Oh, joy!

The crowd’s mid-level buzzing suddenly exploded in a roar of anticipation as the gym lights dimmed and the four spotlight operators whipped their beams around the stage and over the crowd to build up the excitement. Right after I double-tapped the ‘G’ string on Silverburst, which was still my favorite axe to play, I saw the mini-spots in front of E’s drum kit light up her double bass drums. The first spot painted the left facing bass drum with, “Mike and...” in silver and purple script, and a solitary guy with a guitar. A split-second later, the spot on the right facing bass drum illuminated it with, “The Time Bandettes” in matching script, along with four girls standing with their arms crossed in front of their torsos. Looking up at the video screens while I continued to play the intro riff to Anything For Love, the images of those two bass drums filled the large screens.

Just before I walked out onto the stage, I pointed to the screens for my bandmates and friends to see. Most were already looking up at them from their side stage vantage point. With my classic Silverburst guitar howling out the intro, I walked out to the middle of the stage. I couldn’t get the massive grin off my face as the 850+ crowd tried to lift the roof off of Althouse’s triple-court gymnasium. Just as I got to the far junction of the stage and walkway, the overhead spotlights captured my body, as the ‘manned’ main spotlights quickly moved to capture the four beauties, who had just bounced out onto the main stage to an equally impressive roar from the crowd.

Our opening songs, Anything For Love and Life is a Lemon went off without a hitch. The crowd loved the dueling sax interlude between Jennifer and Wayne, after I sang the second verse of Lemon. Both of them had previously entered the stage from the upper level and walked down the curved stairs to the main stage. The loudest response of this second song occurred when both Jennifer and Lisa held out their wireless microphones to the crowd so they could sing the famous vocal response, “You can shove it up your ass!“ to finish off the series of question-response pairings for us.

As I fully expected, the place went ballistic after I introduced Lisa ‘Brick-House’ Masciotro to them. The roar never dropped a decibel as she played her bass solo, dancing around the curved walkway. Standing beside Sammy, in front of E’s elevated drum kit, we stared up at the video screen as Bricky played and made her way back to the main stage. “Jesus, Cuda,” Sammy said in my ear, “There is gonna be at least ten-by-ten feet of Lisa’s naked boobies bouncing on those video screens, next Friday.”

I laughed at Sammy’s words, touched her shoulder and then replied, “All your bare boobs will look massive at one point or another up there, Sammy.”

“Oh! God! You’re right,” Sammy laughed before I left her there to follow Lisa back across the main stage.

Our revised order of concluding solos to Rock On sounded great, and looked even better as the spotlights were adjusted to match each of the girls’ outfits; greenish on Lynette, light blue on Eda, purplish on Sammy, and royal blue on Brick. The spotlights were pure white for my starting and ending guitar riffs and vocals, as I had on my white with green and gold trim, London Knights hockey jersey for this concert. It was during the girls’ brief solos that I caught a glimpse of my face up on the video screens, and I confirmed that I indeed had a matching set of bubble-gum and hot pink lip prints on either cheek.