The date is Halloween of 2000. I have been standing in line in drizzling rain for the past 2 hours to ensure a spot at the front of the Tabernacle. At 7:00PM sharp, the doors open and I rush to the front of the stage. Right behind me are my best friends in the whole world: Beeno, Bush, and Stephen. They’re as stoked as I am.

Stephen reeks of Camel Ultra Lights. Whenever he gets excited, he chain-smokes like a chimney. He must have gone through at least a pack in the line, and his breath smells like he’s one of the

About 2½ minutes into the song, I withdraw my ‘bow-throwing services from my fellow moshers and return, drenched, to the front. I would stay in longer, but I had to witness Hexum recite the greatest pro-drug statement in the history of the world: “The war on drugs may be well-intentioned but it falls ******* flat when you start to mention an overcrowded prison where a rapist gets paroled just to make room for a dude who sold a pound of weed, to me that’s a crime, here’s to good people doing time”. As I said, I am not pro-drugs, but that statement makes a lot of sense.

Da-na-na! Oh my God. They did exactly what I wanted them to do. They’re leading off with “Intro”, the secret song off Transistor, their fourth album. I just watch Mahoney in awe and I begin to sweat as he slams his way through the first 60 seconds until it gets to his solo. Like I said, Blondie has the most gorgeous tone of any guitar on the planet, and it begins to shine through on this song.

Tim Mahoney comes out stands in front of his floor tom doing a Madonna “Vogue” pose. P-Nut does the same from the opposite side. Then Hexum. Then SA. They stand stationary for around ten seconds and Sexton stops. This, like “Welcome”, relied a lot on lighting.

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