Brushes with Fame pt. II

Greg Graffin (Bad Religion) - On October 15, 1993, I caught Bad Religion at La Luna in sunny Portland, Oregon. After the show I called a cab to head home and a few minutes later Mary the cabbie entered my life. Mary was straight out of Night on Earth - funky, feisty, and most certainly deranged - my kind of gal. Anyway, she got my call but had a fare ahead of me so she shooed me off with the promise she'd be back for me in ten minutes or so. No prob.

I waited outside the venue people watching and eavesdropping until, true to her word, Mary came back to get me. Walking over to the cab, I was cockblocked by a couple gorillas seeking to claim my ride. Seeing me come over, one them throws a mitt in my face and in an officious tone barks, "This cab's for Bad Religion!"

Whatever.

Before I can respond, Mary goes Rambo on their asses, "Oh no it isn't! This cab's for Marq!" At this point all I can do is smile, there's something infinitely charming about having your honor defended by a total stranger.

Realizing there was no room for argument, the gorillas backed off. I hopped in the cab and, after thanking Mary for coming to my defense, let her know I had no qualms splitting the ride with any member of the band looking for a lift. It was at that moment I learned a valuable lesson. Like cops and emergency vehicles, cabs can go just about anywhere and no one will say a word.

Seconds later we've driven past more gorillas and found ourselves safely ensconced in the back parking lot with the band - a location off-limits to anyone but authorized personnel and, apparently, cabbies. Greg Graffin, the band's lead singer, walks over to the cab and leans into the driver's side window to let Mary know he won't be needing a ride after all. I'm pretty sure he hadn't realized the cab was occupied until I piped up in full-on Chester the Molester creepy fanboy mode. "C'mon Greg. C'mon Mr. Rock Star. We got some candy in here, all you need to do is get inside." Granted these were not my exact words, but I have no doubt that's how they came off.

Despite my obvious charm, Mr. Graffin managed to resist the urge to drive off into the night with a crazed fan. Still, the evening wasn't a total bust, I did manage to get him to sign my ticket, even if it was from a safe distance.

Mojo Nixon - I've long held the belief that everyone should see at least one Mojo Nixon concert in their lifetime. To date, I've managed to catch three, and now that Nixon is "unretired," I'm hoping for the opportunity to see a couple more.

The second time I saw him was on December 4, 1994 at the Key Largo (now Ohm) in Portland, Oregon. After the show I was waiting for my date to return from the restroom when I noticed a small crowd congregating around Nixon a few feet away. I had some time to kill, so I walked over and stood in line to have my minute of Mojo.

When it was my turn to say hello, I found Nixon staring into his hand at the gift a previous fan palmed him as he said goodbye. He looked up at me, held out his hand and asked, "What do you think this is?"

In his outstretched palm was a nice sized chunk of marijuana. I got the feeling this was a trick question as Nixon was wearing a High Times shirt at the time, and it seemed especially strange that a touring musician would have to ask the identity of an illicit substance, especially one as pedestrian as Mary Jane, but I told him anyway. His response surprised me even more.

"Never touch the stuff."

Now I'm confused. This is rock-n-roll. That's a High Times shirt he's wearing. Is Mojo a narc? Am I on Candid Camera? Before I could assimilate any of this, he asked me if I wanted it.

"You bet! Thanks man."

Narc or no narc, I've never been one to turn down free herbage. By this time my date had found me and it was time to split. We got home without being pulled over, reassuring me that Nixon wasn't wired, and proceeded to blaze. This is my favorite concert stories ever. Not only did a rocker give me free drugs, I didn't have to wake up the next morning sore and three hundred miles from home to get it. Thanks Mojo.

To be continued...

Tags: celebrity, Mojo Nixon, Bad Religion, Greg Graffin, m/a/z/e

posted by m/a/z/e  [8:03 PM]   0 comments