When I first was coming to the United States in 1974, I took a tour through New York. My guide was a young man about my age, and during the flat spots of the tour, he told me that a band called the Lava Snowmen was playing that very night at the Tall Tree Lounge, which was about to close. I jumped up in the air. The Lava Snowmen! I was probably the biggest fan of the group in all of my town back in Italy. The guide told me where I could obtain tickets and I got to the show early and made sure that I was right up by the stage. I sang along to all the words and tried for the lead singer, Pete Barkin, to see me. During the break before the encore I went to the hall by the dressing room to take position for the band as they exited the stage. When Pete Barkin appeared I stopped him and told to him that I was from Italy and such a supporter of the group and that to me they were the best thing to come along in years. We even talked about writing songs and I played for him the beginning of what would later become ‘It Takes me Nowhere,’ though I had no title or lyrics yet, and he made a suggestion about one moment in the intro that I knew would immediately make it better. If you’ve heard the song you’ve heard the change he made. I left with a real confidence that this was my future career. I had the blessing of Pete Barkin. The next day I went back to the tour company because I wanted to thank the guide for helping me to get to the show. I told him that I had met Pete Barkin and changed my life. He had a strange look on his face and then he shook his head. “Pete Barkin isn’t in the band anymore, man,” he said. “He left a month ago. That’s the new guy. I think his name is Clem or something.”
©2020 Ben Greenman/Stupid Ideas
No comments:
Post a Comment