US FESTIVAL 1983

When I arrived at the US Festival driving a rack body truck, the site had workers scattered everywhere. The first person I recognized through the hazy heat was Kip with his hardy hand shake. So happy to see him, I gave him an over the top bear hug. He looked directly at me and said “Are you ready!!!!!!” to which I replied “Dear friend, I’m good to go!” As we walked and talked we soon approached, at the time, the only mobile trailer in what was going to be the tee shirt compound. The sign taped to the door, in bold print said MOTHER SHIP. This was the central hub for the duration. When we walked into this huge mobile office trailer I was assigned a desk under which I stowed my duffel bag.

A blog or so ago, I wrote about two guys that I had met on The Police Tour. They were key people in my affirmation manifesting and Kip was one of them. The other, named Donnie will come to life in my next blog. These individuals single handedly allowed me to understand what it means to be in synch with others. I met both of them in a work environment and finding a common thread with each was based on doing the right thing and asking for nothing in return. Kip saw me as more than a rock and roll soldier. He saw possibilities that my potential could align itself with his own forward growth. Donnie and I bonded over a simple good deed. What I’m really saying is do the right thing because you never know what will come from it!

 Back to the main topic, the festival was such a blast and I had the Midas touch. Kip provided me a secure flexibility of my job description which in turn allowed me to wear many hats. Looking back, he was putting me through the paces to see if I fit the bill for the new business model he and Sal were creating. Hell, I even found a shapely brunette lady friend who was hawking US Festival programs. There’s nothing better than snuggling in a sleeping bag with a hot blooded girl on a cool desert night! We hung together for three days and then she split. After that it was back to sleeping in Kip and Sal’s motor home.

I’d not seen Guy in months and now he looked like a strung out version of the Dutch boy paint kid. His coke habit had kicked his ass real hard! Though, my main man was always up for scamming, fucked up on drugs or not! One last ditty on how crafty Guy really was, after the three day festival finished a bunch of us stuck around for the country western day. During that same time the third STAR WARS movie was set to premier. At Guy’s insistence seven of us piled into a rental van used to haul tee shirts and drove to see Return Of The Jedi. When we arrived the line for the movie was around the corner and someone instinctively said “Forget it, the lines too long, let’s head back to the festival. With that, Guy calmly said “Relax, we’re going to see STAR WARS! Let’s hurry and get our tickets.” As we departed the van, Guy told one of the young bucks who was sitting on a box of concert shirts to grab seven of them and we bolted into the sea of people. While standing in this endless winding mass of flesh and bones Guy said he had an angle to get us all great seats. When the same kid holding the shirts came back with tickets in hand Guy asked him for a ticket and the tee shirts. With that, Guy draped the shirts over his belt and into his pants. Then, with ten minutes left before the movie was set to let out, Guy, with the glare of larceny in his eyes said “I’ll meet you inside, I’ll be dead center waving a tee shirt!” Looking over his shoulder as he walked off he blurted out “Don’t forget to get me a large popcorn with butter and a coke!” I looked at Kip wondering if he knew what Guy was up to and he shrugged his shoulders. To which, I asked, can I tail him and see what he’s going to do? Kip thought and said “Hell Yeah, just be cool about it!” I replied “Understood!” Quickly, I shadowed Guy right to the front entrance of the theater. As soon as the attending crowd started leaving, Guy approached four or five people for their ticket stub under the guise of being a die hard fan. Once he got one stub he sprung right into action. He situated himself by the theater’s doors and abruptly started walking backwards into the mass exodus. Every few seconds he glanced over his shoulder like he was looking for someone and kept his watchful eye glued on the theater entrance. It was so cool to watch, Guy slid like a stick of butter melting on a hot skillet. He was gliding in reverse of the parting crowd, and almost through the lobby. Then he disappeared into the actual theater and just kept going till he reached his destination midway. He sat in the seat of his choice and got that evil grin he hid so well. When the theater was totally empty a young usher came and asked Guy to leave his seat. Guy, being a forty two year old man simply stated he had a ticket stub from the previous showing and for this viewing. Plus, he was holding six seats that he’d put tee shirts on for friends that were waiting on line. With that, the usher said okay and walked away. When the six of us entered the theater, Guy was there boldly waving a white tee shirt and sitting dead center. As we reached our seats, with a shit eating grin on his face Guy said “Where’s my popcorn!!!!

A few minutes earlier, I’d told Kip what I witnessed, but, we both asked Guy with enthusiasm how he’d magically gotten all of us such great seats. He reveled in telling us the story and we all enjoyed watching Return Of The Jedi. As I said in my book leave it to Guy!!!!!

Throughout the US Festival Kip told me small pieces of a business plan he and his friend Sal had brewing. More than once, he mentioned I was a part of it. I trusted Kip and was thrilled to be part of a business plan I knew very little about. In my eyes Kip was like a guiding light and the vibe he was sending made me very enthused about the future. I was sold! Little did I know a couple years later that business plan would in fact allow me to attain my goal!

The 1983 US Festival was a brilliant reentry to the world of concert merchandising and I was looking forward to immediately starting the Kenny Loggins Tour with Larue.

Follow us on Facebook @ Rock My World

 I'm thrilled & proud to announce that the The Golden Notebook Bookstore| 29 Tinker Street | Woodstock, NY 12498 | 845-679-8000 is now selling the paperback version of my book ROCK MY WORLD