Flashback!

Back in the 80s, I fancied myself the Royal Nonesuch's biggest fan ... although there was a thin line dividing fandom and membership -- Dr. Kurtis Strange and Howlin' Alan Wolf were probably bigger fans, but they were also for all practical purposes members of the band, whereas I was just a hangin'-around geek who was occasionally allowed to take over rhythm guitar for a two- or three-chord song that I wouldn't be too likely to screw up while Jon McKinney took a beer break.

Oh, and they managed to get me kissed by Judy Tenuta once in my role as occasional roadie (you ain't been kissed 'til you've been kissed by Judy Tenuta). And I can't remember for sure, but it may have been Jon McKinney who got me a job at the Regency Showcase, which proved a portal to edifying personal experiences like an audience with Jonathan Richman, getting snubbed by Aimee Mann, etc.

Anyway, now that I've got that cool high-speed Internet thing (as I've mentioned several times now, but bear with ... I'm still agog over it), I've been able to actually look at / listen to some of the cool stuff that I knew was out there ... and damned if it isn't still fantastic. The band went through various lineups, but the one I was around for included John Marshall on drums, Walt Paisley on bass, Bez Petefish on lead guitar and Jon McKinney on rhythm, with Howlin' Alan becoming a full member on harmonica toward the end.

Those were the days, man. Those were the days.