The posts about everyone’s different concert experiences are great, however, its left me wondering whether there’s anyone else that had not yet attended any concert – as of our graduation.
After LTHS, I did eventually attend my first concert – but, it still took me some time to get there. There were a number of things that happened in just the right order, and, maybe - some luck or fate, in my favor.
During our Senior year, I had enlisted for delayed entry into the Marine Corps, and -- within days of graduation, I had my orders and reported for boot-camp in San Diego. I remained on active-duty in the Marine Corps for the next four-years, and, for just over three-and-a-half of those, I was selected, trained and served in two positions – as driver to the Commanding General (stateside – at El Toro, CA, and, overseas – at Okinawa, Japan). In each of those positions, beyond my priority responsibilities to the General, I also had responsibilities to the General’s family (more so overseas), visiting dignitaries and diplomats, and, visiting U.S. and foreign command-officers, which resulted in experience to me that I unknowingly would have a later opportunity to rely on.
After my time on active-duty was complete – I returned to Chicago. While it wouldn't be for another several months that I’d leave for college, I began looking for work, and, on the basis of relying on my driving experience in the Marine Corps, I was offered a position to drive for a privately-owned city-based limousine-service. The service that made the offer provided to a small-portfolio of corporate-clients, but, moreover – as I later came to find, it was the city’s preeminent provider of services to entertainment-industry-clients (including for most or all the headliners appearing for performances at Chicago-area venues – like Poplar Creek, Rosemont Horizon, Aragon Ballroom, Auditorium Theatre, Park West, Chicago Amphitheatre, and, others).
The offer made to me was predicated on my application being accepted and my passing the test for issuance of a Chicago Livery Chauffer’s License – which I did receive. I was then provided study materials and tested on protocols through an internal interview – which I also passed. From that – I was cleared to drive. My first assignment was in-part to an order for seven limousines – to pick up the Beach Boys and their families and take them to O’Hare Airport.
And, it was not long before I had an assignment that would also serve for me to attend my first concert. That happened for Santana’s performance at Poplar Creek – on August 12, 1980. I was the lead driver for that assignment – which meant I had responsibility to drive Carlos Santana (and, anyone else that would be with us – left to his call). The group stayed at The Whitehall Hotel (downtown-Chicago), and, on that day of the concert, we took two trips to Hoffman Estates and back – once for the sound-check and once for the performance. That night – I saw (or, mostly heard) Santana’s performance from backstage.
But, really, the most memorable part of driving Santana didn’t happen until we were well on our way back downtown that night. When Santana had finished their performance and came off-stage, they had crew standing by that wrapped each of the group in towels and blankets (to protect their throats and from illnesses), and then helped each of them directly to the limousines – which were parked and already running backstage (within steps off stage right). Carlos and either one or two members of the group were in my car (so, lots of towels and blankets), and there were a few others too. Carlos had already told me that he didn’t want any air-conditioning and no open windows for the ride back downtown. It was a warm mid-August night – and, the further we drove, the more the limousine was feeling like a wet sauna. I had already driven by O’Hare Airport – when I also first picked up on a conversation that the group was having about smelling smoke and trying to figure out who had lit a joint but wasn’t sharing. However, as I would shortly and later put together – actually, as the inside of the limousine had gotten hotter during the drive, some of the towels and blankets were loosened or shed; someone ended up sitting on at least one of the towels or blankets – which then got jammed into an open ashtray and lighter compartment (at the side-edge of the back-seat); the jammed towel or blanket held the lighter in its ‘heating’ position – which then melted through its socket; and, as a result, a blanket or towel began to smolder (giving-off the smell of smoke) – and, then, burn. And – so, it was just as we were approaching the old Kennedy-Edens junction that the group’s conversation abruptly turned – in mid-sentence – from ‘the mystery of the undisclosed joint’ to ‘tell John we’re on fire’. It took a serious dive of the limousine at speed and across several lanes of traffic before being safely on the shoulder – to have Carlos and the rest bail out. I looked in to see about extinguishing the back seat – but, instead found and started tossing out the burning towels and blankets. With all of that tossed and stamped out – only the leather seating had been slightly singed, and, the car itself was not burnt. It didn’t seem to take very long for the smoke to clear (though – it still smelled a bit). So, I called off my backup, ushered everyone back in, and we finished our drive to the Whitehall.
I continued working with that service for about the next five-years – including on my breaks, or, when they’d request me back for a few days (to drive certain assignments) while I attended Southern Illinois University. In that time – I continued doing a lot of concert work for headliners performing at various Chicago-area venues, but – also, at least, while the Midwest portion of their tours were based out of Chicago, I did extended stints driving for Queen, The Rolling Stones, Blondie, Elton John, Van Halen, Rod Stewart and others. In that time, I also drove and ended-up getting somewhat seriously-stoned (the only time in my life – on July 1, 1982) with Jerry Garcia.
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