Date: Feb. 17, 1984
Place: Embassy Ballroom, Chicago Illinois
Gig: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Well, this was going to be a different experience for me: It was the first general-admission concert that I had ever attended. I was really excited about checking out this hot shot guitarist from Austin, Texas named Stevie Ray Vaughan, who had built up quite a reputation for himself.

Stevie Ray had been discovered by Mick Jagger and David Bowie at The Montreaux Jazz Festival playing with his band Double Trouble, and was so impressive that David Bowie had promised him the opening slot on his "Let's Dance" tour if Stevie Ray would play guitar on the album. Stevie Ray played his ass off on what would become Bowie's biggest selling release in his recording catalog even to this day. When it came time to start the tour Bowie decided he was going to renege on his promise of having Stevie Ray and Double Trouble open up the tour dates. The thing though was that Bowie was counting on him to be a part of his band. Stevie didn't oppose that as long as he could still play with HIS band. When Bowie screwed Stevie, he walked out right before the tour started, leaving Bowie to scramble for a guitarist. THAT impressed me a lot. SRV was true to his band and his friends no matter what the cost. He was determined to play his music and wasn't going to sell out along the way, and he was determined to see his vision through his music and the lifestyle that goes with it.

And I was going to be there to cheer him on. Now, there could have been some problems with this show for me, mainly with respect to getting in. It was a 21-and-over show and, though I wasn't even 19 yet, I sure was slick. I was still working at the photography studio, so I took a couple of passport photos of myself and stuck them on a work I.D. badge. I made one up for Ozzie Lopez with a picture he gave me, too.

Now, general admission is first come, first serve. We knew we wanted to get up close to the stage, so Ozzie and I went really early. Nowadays, 12 noon is good enough the day of the show, but since it was our first general admission show we knew no better. So we parked his peeling latex Batmobile/Catalina in front of The Embassy Thursday night, a whole 24 hours ahead of time, to see a relatively unknown white blues guitarist. Friends thought we were nuts, but it was actually pretty cool. We picked up a case of Beck's beer, bags of pretzels and Doritos, and some pre-made sandwiches and just sat in his car with it running the whole night in the freezing cold. It was toasty warm inside, with cold beers cold, with us smoking dope, eating and drinking, and talking about the good times that were going to visit us someday in the future (this was when I was still optimistic about the future).

Anyway Ozzie and I partied all night and eventually passed out. I remember waking up in his back seat with Doritos all over. They don't make a good pillow, evidently. We got out, stretched and I looked behind us and there it was: A big bus. I remember thinking it must have been a part of the band's crew, but as were standing in front, I heard it: The soundcheck. Now this was all new to me then. I had no idea that bands do soundchecks. Ozzie and I were listening to the soundcheck for about a half hour when all of a sudden the noise stopped, the doors opened and out came Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tommy Shannon, and Chris Layton. At that time it was VERY cool to meet them but SRV wasn't that big of a guitar hero yet so I didn't realize THEN how lucky I am today to have met him. Anyways Ozzie and I grabbed him for a minute to pick his brain and voice our approval of him and the band. He was an incredibly gracious man who was no taller than me, even with his trademark hat. I asked him for his autograph, he kindly obliged on the gig flyer before shaking my hand and went off for a bite to eat before the concert. The doorman saw us talking to him, however, which will pay off as I explain shortly.

Ozzie and I were first in line when the doors opened. We pulled out our phony-as-a-3-dollar bill ID's when the guy at the door says the ID's look fake, he needs to consult with his boss. Who was the boss but the doorman we saw earlier. He came over, and I know I was shitting my pants thinking this guy was going to call the cops on us. He asked, "What's the problem?" and was shown our IDs. Then he mumbled something to the guy at the door and the next thing you knew, we got escorted to a circular couch a little bit to the right of the stage. The door guy says he didn't know we were with the photography crew and that all we had to do was tip the waitresses since the drinks were gonna be free all night. I remember thinking, "This is a dream, right?"

So we were drinking our free drinks and watching the opening band when this old black guy came up and sat down right next to me and Ozzie. After the opening band was done, he said, "Man, that Stevie sure can play, can't he?" We agreed and started talking about The Blues, and, man I learned more from that guy in 15 minutes than any textbook could tell me in a lifetime. Right before the curtain went up for Stevie and Double Trouble, the old black guy said he was going backstage. I asked how could he do that. He showed me the laminated pass and laughed as he shook our hands goodbye. He said we should check him out sometime when he is in town playing. His name was Buddy Guy.

Stevie and Double Trouble came out and played a blistering 2 hour set with highlights such as "Testify," "Love Struck Baby" "Dirty Pool," " Mary Had a Little Lamb," and Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" and 'Third Stone From the Sun," to name a few. It was definitely an incredible concert.

Next Episode: Michael Schenker

Until then…ROCK ON !

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