I'm always astounded at how certain rock stars took so many substances and still remember many details of their life and times. We took no substances and can't remember that much.
One of our better shows was just south of Dupont Circle in DC in 1988 or 1989, with Bob Hair, Chuck Bon Jovi and myself. The location is now called The Public Bar. It's a big space at the intersection of 18th St. NW and Connecticut Avenue. Thievery Corporation would later post up there. I forget what it was called the time. Here is a more recent summer photo.
I had not made enough progress booking us there but somehow Bob Hair found a way. We opened for a ska group called The Toasters, who were still around, last I checked.
We were a tape-driven uptempo worldbeat/Afrobeat band by then, with many of the songs from the first album, "Freshness Test," made much dancier. We were tight and rehearsed. I remembered the words, Bob had the sequencing load and Chuck would show up to play anytime, anywhere.
We did a thrash punk version of "Sixteen Tons," the hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955. I am not making this up.
The Toasters were good. They had the ska horn section and the whole bit. They thought they were so good that they high-fived each other during the show. I hope they got a medal.
About four of my 9-to-5 world contacts attended the show, one of whom I saw and chatted with recently. Thanks Janet Hewitt!
We were supposed to get $100 that night. Both Bob and I took $100 separately. I returned my get. The booker said he would have been in trouble otherwise.
Some guy who worked at the club told me "It was clever how a band like you got on the bill to play here tonight." There you have it. We never played there again; I can't recall why not but maybe we were running out of steam already.