Certainly not the best show ever, but the best show of my life, is kinda a two part deal; in '96 my broke rockabilly friends and I used what little money we hadnt wasted on PBR to buy tickets to see the good Reverend Horton Heat at the ventura theater (in ventura). Anyway, we didnt have much money, so we had this great scheme to camp out in a friends (who we secretly called "the bearded lady") uncles back yard. For whatever reason, when we got to ventura the backyard option didnt pan out so we would have to sleep in the car. Anyway, so we got in early, sneaking in several fifth's of whisky because most of us were to young to drink, then proceded to get drunk. One of the more memorable moments there was when one of our group, Dave Deroo (who currently plays with a band of minor fame, Adema) was on the edge the balcony above well-know ....., Riki Rachtman, and let one of the biggest, nastiest loogies Ive ever seen leave a persons mouth, fall atop Mr. Rachtman's wannabe rockstar head. I was very very intoxicated at the time, but I remember thinking of how funny I thought it was.... The show was absolutely awesome, I had to elbow the people behind me trying to get my space in the front row of the standing room only crowd. After a truly rockin' show, my friends and I went around to the back (or side, I dont remember) to see if we could meet the Rev or Jimbo, (we didnt like Scotty). Soon both Jimbo and the Rev came out and we told them how awesome we thought they were and they were drunk, we were drunk, and i dont remember much. However, they did invite us to their next show in Hollywoood where they said there would be a special suprise, and comped us tickets to see it.
The following weekend we made the trip to Hollywood and the show line up was pretty much the same, but the marquee featured the Rev and "special guest". That show was awesome too, and we got to chat with the good Rev for a bit before again, but when his set started it felt different. They kept bringing him vodka tonics, and he kept emptying them. Finally, at one point his cup went dry and he stopped a song mid way and walked up to the microphone and asked, "What does a guy have to do to get a drink around here? Do I need to bring out a friggin celebrity?" Just then a shadowy figure appears from behind the set and it is none other than Brian Setzer (before his full-wuss status). The crowd went crazy! Jim and Brian broke out with Rumble in Brighton, and then they did a Rev song, I dont remember which. After that it all goes hazy for about four years, until right before I meet my wife.
And that was the greatest concert memory *I remember*.
