Takin' A Ride

The second time I had seen the Goo Goo Dolls, they were playing the Coconut Teaszer up in Los Angeles. February 1990. We made a road trip up there and even had some of my film student friends bring a camera up there to film the show. This was a huge deal, as it only wasn’t the Goo Goo Dolls that were playing, but their friend, a 50 year lounge singer by the name of Lance Diamond, was paying his own way to come across country to sing with them! Five songs! A 50 year lounge singer singing for a punk band?! Totally unheard of at the time. And 50 years old? It’s common place now, but back there, there were no 50 year olds singing for a punk band. That was ancient to someone almost 30 years younger! Could “old” people even rock that hard? We were about to find out.

But first was soundcheck. Johnny was a little late getting into soundcheck. What was worse (for me) was that he showed up with this girl Allison whom I was trying to pursue. Ouch! I can’t compete with that. They were late because Johnny wanted a little tour of the ghetto to see what it was like and how people lived. Even back then Johnny had a heart for the homeless and unfortunate and the urge to help. Allison told me they made it one block into the area she was taking him to, before he got scared and said “Turn around. Turn around!”. She’s like “We’re not even there yet!” Anyways, soundcheck went great. They did a couple numbers including “Never Take The Place Of Your Man” with Lance singing.

After soundcheck, we went to Diana from Metal Blade’s house for some pizza and beer. Talked with Robbie a bit about KISS (he was right, I was wrong in regards to Ace playing on Creatures Of The Night). The girls decided to dress up Johnny in a dress and someone had an Elvis dress that fit him, so that’s what they did. I made (what I thought) was a funny comment like “Hot!” and Johnny shot me a look. Oops. Johnny left with Allison to the Coconut Teaszer and the rest of us all piled into my friend Joanna’s car. Lance, George, Robbie and me. They were all dancing to some Prince or other soul music while getting in the car. Such a positive attitude which was completely foreign to me back then. Robbie and I split a Budweiser in the back seat while singing to “I Don’t Wanna” by the Lemonheads which happened to come up in the car. I was a little surprised that Robbie knew about this other obscure college radio band, but then again, I shouldn’t have been. Robbie’s always been pretty savvy about other bands and knowing what’s going on in the music business/world.

Back at the Teaszer, the place was packed! And most there to see the Goo! Though there were 6 other bands playing that night. That’s how the Coconut Teaszer did things: 7 bands a night and most playing 30 minute sets. All sharing the same drum kit and amps to make it quicker for the bands to come up onstage and get off the stage. I was front row right in front of Johnny (because the guitars were louder) with Monica, my friend from UCSD, filming the show next to me.

Here’s the video of the show:

The Goo Goo Dolls ripped through their set of songs from their s/t album and Jed and the soundman could be heard saying “ok guys, time to go”. They’re like WHAT? We still got to bring up our friend who flew his own way from Buffalo up! Lance Diamond! Soundman goes “ok ok”. So Lance takes the stage in a suit with a dozen roses to pass out to the audience as they ripped through “Down On The Corner”, “Hey You” (from Bachman Turner Overdrive; you can hear the last bit of this on “Hold Me Up” at the end of “Never Take The Place Of Your Man”), oh and also “Never Take The Place…”. Soundguy is going “Ok guys, got to go.” They’re pleading “Just one more song!”. Ok. So they did a blues song. Total of 5 songs with Lance. And yeah, the Goo Goo Dolls were nobodies back then, but brought in a full house somehow while being a band 3,000 miles away. And the Coconut Teaszer would always publicize that “The Goo Goo Dolls played a legendary set with an unprecedented 5 song encore here”, so it all worked out for everyone.

On the way back to Diana’s, everyone was in great spirits despite something that happened before they played. Turns out one of the opening bands, according to George, (The Creamers played right before them) tried tightened the drumheads so tight that had he actually hit the drums before checking, they would’ve broken and the whole night would’ve been ruined. I would’ve been livid, but their positivity shined through and they had a victorious set. I really don’t think it was someone from the Creamers, as I got to know them after moving to Los Angeles and they were/are very nice people. I even asked them if they knew anything about that night and they totally don’t think their drummer would have done such a thing. And I believe them. So it had to be one of the other bands.

Either way, we basically partied all night at Diana’s. Allison and Johnny were in a bedroom having some sort of talk. She later came out of the room and left. What were they talking about? Well you can hear all about it in the song “Two Days In February”. This was one of the “two days”!

What’s really funny is that later on Johnny always would tell me “YOU should’ve gone out with her!”. LOL! I tried! But 1) I couldn’t compete with him, and 2) it wouldn’t have worked out for the exact same reasons it didn’t work out for him! So I sat with a bummed Johnny in the room for a bit, listening to the “Hold Me Up” demo some more that they brought with them. We talked about a bunch of things and had a real nice heart to heart. Can’t remember exactly what, but probably something like “You’re the first band I ever heard that I could ever relate to!” What I do remember is that he gave me permission to make a copy of the “Hold Me Up” demo for myself (which I still have, but won’t post because I promised I would never trade/release it). Asking me “what do you think of this song?”, which was a slower one, very different than their others. A song called “You Know What I Mean”. Even back then he was thinking of going a different route than their full on punk rock blast at the time. I remember telling him “it’s good for what it is, but I’d like to see it as the exception to the rule and not the rule”. Just my honest opinion.

Anyways, back to the party and I think we got home at like 6am the next day. And I was hungover. Big time.