Chapter 5: Coming Home

There was a festive atmosphere in the gym. West-Central had a pretty good football program and they had defeated their opening day patsy thirty-five to ten. Most home games had a dance afterward in the gym, and the band was set up to play for their own school for the first time. Everyone had heard of them, but most hadn't actually heard them play. Some eyes were to be opened for sure.

The band was first introduced by Jan Simmons who was the student council president. "You've heard a lot about these guys. They've been in the newspapers, on TV and on the radio. They've even been featured in a national magazine. Finally, finally we've got them to play for their own school. Please welcome Chaos home!"

Immediately the beat to Starship's Stranger pounded without mercy. It was much louder than anyone outside the band expected. A full spot came up on Jerry and there was no question that he wasn't playing, he was working. An equally prominent, though unsophisticated, bass-line joined for a full measure. Kyle was bathed in a blue light as he started playing. It wasn't subtle, but primal. It was an ear-splitting call to move. That was joined simultaneously by equal measures of wailing guitar from Dewayne and powerful piano chords from Rebecca which carried through the second bar.

Then the voices: two perfectly matched voices, except for their gender, created a driving yet eerie harmony. It was and it wasn't possible all at once, as brother and sister broke too many rules of song to do something different. It was an incestuous rock 'n' roll duet. It couldn't be scripted. Even Tina couldn't put marks on a music sheet to describe it. It was as natural as breathing to brother and sister, born in a place that many have simply never been. The harmony was so natural as to be surreal.

It was rock 'n' roll at a whole new level as Dewayne's constant screaming guitar pulled the perfect, distorted notes from the very ether at thirty-second-note intervals. The primal beat commanded everyone to dance, with one-hundred-and-fifteen decibels of authority.

In less than a minute it was clear that West-Central High School had never seen a show like this before. Then again, few high schools had.

It didn't rest as Tony started the staccato rhythm guitar intro into Back Where You Belong almost immediately. By the end of the song, three Fender guitars were so tied together it was impossible to comprehend who was playing lead, counterpoint, rhythm or even a counterpoint to the rhythm. Tina's onstage instrument of choice had become electric guitar recently and the three were creating something outside the normal lead/rhythm rock arrangement. None of them really knew yet where that was going musically, but it worked for them. Guitarists rarely play harmony for each other but it was easy for Tina. She could never match Dewayne's speed or technique or Tony's mastery of the simple rock power chord (simply because her hands couldn't do it), but her innate understanding of the notes made her guitar simply dance around, never where you'd expect it, but always in a right place.

And to prove you can't have enough guitars, or enough voices, Anita appeared onstage for the third song with her guitar. The little Framus was amplified with Tony's old clip-on module. When she was ready, Rebecca began a flighty organ intro into what would become Boston's Foreplay.

As she started Tony stepped up to his microphone and began introducing the band; "Give a big West-Central welcome to Chaos. On vocals, keyboards, and percussion: Rebecca Harris." By the time he was finished four guitars, each playing three power chords, cut off the complicated organ melody and then were silenced as Rebecca again picked it up. Jerry had started tapping out a high-hat accompaniment to Rebecca's quick melody and Tony spoke again, "On vocals and drums: Jerry Madsen!" Seconds later Kyle jumped in with a bass line following the same four note theme and was similarly introduced. Foreplay built and peaked to two more instrumental crescendos before it settled into the calm-before-the-storm.

"On vocals, keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and violin: the amazing Tina Smith!" Tony turned to Anita and said, "Our apprentice rocker, the pride of Oglethorpe Junior High, and our favorite baby sister, on vocals and guitar: Anita Breeland." A beat picked up from Jerry started to bring the storm, "and on lead guitar: Dee-Wayne Wade!"

The band Boston had a distinct guitar sound created by distorting, running through a Rockman, then re-amplifying. Dewayne's Fender cried it out purely. Having Anita pound out the acoustic chords on the first two bridges freed up Tony and Tina to use their electrics. And of course seven talented voices did perfect justice to the classic rock tune.

After that third song Tony was looking at around four-hundred slack-jawed students. He chuckled. "OK! I don't think I mentioned that I'm Tony, I'll play some guitar and the piano later. This is Chaos, it will rock and if you ain't ready for that," Tony pointed toward the exit, "there's the door. Our job is to move you and we take that seriously."

The set ended an hour and a half later with Tony and Tina pumping out the lyrics of Starship's We Built This City. Instead of moving someplace away from the stage the band just grabbed something cold to drink from the cooler behind the stage and mingled with the students at the front of it.

They sat on the edge of the stage and greeted the other students. Most of the band members were fairly popular students even before the band. Cheri stayed close to Tony and Rebecca. She was the obvious exception as she was a newcomer and there were just too many people, especially unfamiliar guys, around the group for her to feel comfortable.

It was hard for the band to fend off requests for the most popular songs on the radio. The band was determined not to play Freebird or Stairway to Heaven as they hadn't rehearsed them. It was hard to get through to the kids that you really needed to know what you were doing. They seemed to think holding an instrument gave you license to play just anything. Their own playlist of rehearsed songs was just over seventy now though, so they could honor many requests and promised to do so.

Anita was having the time of her life. As she learned more of the band's songs she was allowed onstage more frequently, mainly for vocals. She did get a second chance on guitar when four were really needed to do justice to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, actually playing the main rhythm guitar while Tony and Tina handled the other two acoustic parts.

The highlight of the second set was something entirely special that had been conceived by Tony. The school's old grand piano had been moved into the gym in front of the stage, slightly offset to stage right. As usual when Rebecca sang, Tony was her pianist. It was something that would just always be.

There was the spotlight operated by Jerry's twin sister Janie. When the idea was conceived a couple of rather expensive wireless microphones were procured from Moogie's.

Tony finished up Night Ranger's Sister Christian. It was a song they used to get him on the piano and stretch his hands out. It also allowed Rebecca to slip away for a costume change as they had done numerous times before. When the enthusiastic applause died down he began his introduction.

"At school, on the first day last year I met a girl. She was in a wheelchair. On that day I fell in love. Right from the start I was told I was a bit crazy. To most of you she was just 'that girl in the wheelchair'. Well she isn't, and after this you won't forget that her name is Rebecca. She's still here, but the wheelchair isn't. There was no magic wand that made that happen. I know. I watched it. Six days a week of physical therapy for almost nine months is what it took. No football player on our team has a fraction of the bravery and courage she does.

"We can't do this just anywhere, but I trust ya'll. I just want you to go on doing what you were doing. You'll understand in a few minutes. West-Central, please welcome not just the most incredible vocal talent we will ever hear, but my personal hero, Rebecca Harris."

Amidst polite applause Rebecca walked along the floor of the gym from the right side of the stage behind Tony and placed her left hand on his shoulder. She was wearing a knee-length white diaphanous dress with her mass of curly, copper hair draped behind her shoulders. As soon as she was in position, Tony began the piano intro into Up Where We Belong, a duet that always served to warm her up and help her to gain confidence. It was good, but it really wasn't the main event.