Well, what had started as a great day in the city with friends, turned into one of those days that seemed like you packed two week's worth of living into it.
We parked in the new Bloomingdale's parking garage & spent the day in Grant Park and zoo. When it was time for the show, we trooped back to Bloomingdales, and got in the elevator to go to the parking garage. As the door were about to close, someone yelled, "Hold the doors, please." And slipped in at the last second.
I really didn't pay any attention to him. He was a young-ish man, wearing a visor that said "Karl" and carrying a walking stick. Luckily, my date spoke up, saying "Gee, I'm so excited about going to see Soul Asylum tonight!"
The man spoke up and said, "Soul Asylum's in town, where?" I looked up and saw my brush with greatness. We were riding in the Bloomingdale's parking garage elevator with none other than John Cusak, and he was a Soul Asylum fan. So, we told him we were going to the Metro, and offered him a ride, but he said he had to "meet some folks," and he might see us there, later.
We made it to the Metro and met some more friends. We were literally beaming with delight. And, we kept looking for John Cusak, but we hadn't found him by the time the first opening band started.
No one really respects the first opening band at clubs like Metro. People mill around and waitresses are running all over the club. This band, however, was astounding. By the third song, everyone I knew had stopped talking and were really enjoying the show. I had no idea who they were, but they rocked. We looked on the tickets, we asked the waitresses, but no one in the club knew these guys. They were incredible. By the end of their set, all originals, they came damn close to bringing down the house. I honestly didn't think Soul Asylum could be any better.
But they were. After a twangy band of some small acclaim played second, Soul Asylum took the stage and entertained, in the true James Brown sense of the word. This was the "Horse They Rode In On" tour, so they played almost everything off of "Horse" and "Hang Time". Some guys from Minneapolis kept yelling for "Closer To The Stars", and they played that and "Freaks", too. The last encore was a cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy", complete with Dave Pirner standing on the edge of the stage while all the girls in the front rows tried to rip his clothes off. These were the days before Winona, and the band was totally accessable. You felt like that was one of your drunken buddies up on stage, apeing Glenn Cambell. It was the most engergetic, down to earth shows that I have ever seen in my life. They came to play music, and they did.
One of my buddies found out that the opening band had some guys from Seattle's Green River. Their new band was called "Pearl Jam", and they didn't have any records out, yet.
John Cusak, if you're reading this, you missed one hell of show.