Hollywood Nights...

You may remember me telling you a while back about a band caalled "Junkyard" and how much I love their music, well a few weeks ago I got to see them perform live in Hollywood. This was the first time I had seen them since 1991, when they opened up for Lynyrd Skynyrd. I spent the ride up there wondering how the show would go and hoping I would get a chance to meet the band.
My wife & youngest son went with me. My oldest had to skip because I forgot to list the date on a conflict sheet when he signed up to crew his High School's musical.
We talked a lot on the way about the memories I have of the band and their music... Funny how music & memories seem to accentuate one another, huh? I played some of their song's for my wife the night I met her... I also played a lot of their music when I was dealing with my divorce...
I cannot tell you how exciting it was for me when we pulled into the parking lot of the club. When we got out of the car, I looked at the building to see David Roach (Lead Vocalist) and Chris Gates (Lead Guitarist) standing on the sidewalk. As we walked up, I struggled to remember that they were "ordinary" people and tried to keep from staring or interrupting their conversations. I waited and finally got the opportunity to say hello and introduce them to my son. The Guys were great. I easily could have expected them to be a little put off by people getting too excited about meeting them, but they were very gracious people. I asked about taking pictures and was welcomed by both of the guys. So here are some shots of me & Junkyard. David Roach & Me


Big Chris Gates & Me


Me, Pat Muzingo, & David Roach

As you can tell, We also got to meet Pat Muzingo (Drummer) inside the show. Granted, My wife admonished me at least once about embarrassing her by being star-struck by these guys, but you gotta understand. To me, they are like the Beatles, or Led Zeppelin.
I bought 4 of their C.D.s (Two of them I already had downloaded from the band's website, but I wanted to buy Hard copies so the band would get the profit from it. ) and a DVD. I also loaded up with 4 T-shirts.
When the show started, I was a little unsure. I had never heard of the opening acts and had no idea what to expect. The First was a local band, I don't remember their name, and I didn't care for their music. I didn't particularly like the frontman, as I thought he was a little arrogant, but onward...
The second act was a Band called "Little Caesar" Surprisingly I really liked them. Their music was exceptional and the stage presence was wonderful. They were perfect for the venue and a great opener for Junkyard.
The third act was "Rhino Bucket". Musically, they were actually pretty good, however, I don't think their singer should be allowed to do shows where children are allowed in the audience. My 12 year old son did not need any lessons on the etiquette of one-night-stands. That's all I'm saying.
From the moment Junkyard took the stage I was instantly twenty years younger. I watched wide-eyed and sang along every word of their set. We did move from our table to the stairs beside the stage to finally the floor in front of the stage. Trying to get the best possible pictures. Mildly put, the three of us had an absolute blast. They could have played all night and I would have rocked with them to the final note.
A couple of days ago I learned that they will be back at the same location in August. This one is on a Thursday, but I'm pretty sure I'll be there... I owe my oldest son a show, and I can't think of anyone else that would be as perfect for his first concert.
Maybe this time I'll get to meet Todd Muscat & Tim Mosher... Oh, and maybe they'll play "Death Kiss Morning"...
One can Hope