rock n' roll youth

Back in my youth, my wild youth, I was the rhythm guitar player in the greatest air guitar band of all time: The Tubes. I know what you're asking yourself, "Aren't The Tubes a real band?" - yes, they were. They were a theatrical rock band of epic proportions led by the great (Omaha native) Fee Waybill. We (Todd, Skip, Jeff, and I - yes, two Todds) were enthralled with The Completion Backward Principle album and ended up translating our Quarters-playing, skirt-chasing, air-guitar rocking ideals into a band that, simply put, rocked. And rocked hard. We did air guitar festivals around the Omaha area, we did entire band sets with props and crew, we scored...plenty. After our first outing, we moved to full-on jumpsuits, punk-slit glasses, necklaces, and killer equipment. Back in 19-and-82 (or so...) you couldn't air guitar with actually equipment - you had to fabricate your gear and rock like a star simply based on your moves and your thrash. As you can see above, when thrashing was required, thrashing happened - that shot was me at the Howard St. Tavern (RIP) in Omaha in about 1983 or 1984 - rock n' roll can be fuzzy. This was no doubt during a rousing version of Talk to Ya Later...lordy, lordy, lordy.

What's brought this all on is a package of stuff that Melissa sent back from Omaha with L.: including, most importantly, three VHS tapes (how to play) of live performances from festivals, Skip's basement, and the environs of his foosball-equipped basement. I do believe that every piece of tape was from our pre-drinking days that were made up nothing by (original) Mt. Dew, foosball, ping-pong, and the original Atari game station.

I. am. old.

t

p.s. I believe on VHS tape includes the band in the guise of The Cars, The Romantics, my stunning turn as Rick Springfield, and a (should be censored) version of Steve Wonder and Paul McCartney doing Ebony and Ivory. Skip and I will NEVER be appointed to the bench with that video.