Vail, CO – “Pre-Famous Faces” – Garton’s – December 21, 1998

On Garton’s walls, hang pictures of bands playing on its stage before they were famous.  A barely recognizable 23-year-old Sheryl Crow with what looks like a blond poodle glued to her head rocks out from an unpresumptuous black frame.  A framed, faded press clipping reads “Dave Matthews Band plays Gatrton’s,” and shows what looks like a picture of a glorified high school garageband.  There are many other impressive pre-famous faces entombed in glass and unimpressive frames bolted to Garton’s walls.  I felt grateful to be among such a crew of musicians.

The show was a huge success.   I managed to sell 40 CDs! and finally (phew) made a profit ($100 bucks) on a gig alone. 

The band stayed up late, long past closing time. Long after the audience had gone home and the bolts on the doors had bit their mechanical locks. With the staff and bartenders we drank wine and played pool and a handsome guy named Dax from LA flirted with me and I let him. When we left the club at 3:00, Dax carried my guitar down to the van to say goodnight. He kissed me a little goodbye too.

The band condo was a refrigerator with beige rugs to hide beige stains and cigarette burns.  Out of three rooms, I got the one with the king-size bed.  With an unexpected 5^th wave of energy, we gathered out in the living room, perched on the arms of tweed couches and rummaged through plastic swag bags generously left for us from the staff at Garton’s.  We traded each other chocolates for granola bars and Advil for Dentine. I found a pair of black sweatpants in the closet and put them on.  It was cold and I didn’t care whose they were.  We fell asleep one step ahead of the sun. The next afternoon, on our way back to Boulder, the boys bought me floor mats for Moby for Christmas.  They’re the best.