No. 705 – Afterglow

Performer: Genesis

Songwriter: Tony Banks

Original Release: Wind and Wuthering

Year: 1976

Definitive Version: Three Sides Live, 1982

“I slept with your girlfriend last night.”

That’s what Scott told me over the phone one evening while I was at Northwestern in the Fall of 1986. Well, not only did I know about this; I even approved of the arrangement!

Now before you have a fit of apoplexy, allow me to explain.

When Genesis announced a tour in 1986, they said they were doing only a few dates in select (read: huge) cities. Chicago was one of them, but I assumed that the said ducats would be long gone by the time I got there.

But at about the time I left, Genesis announced additional dates in a second leg, one of which included Cleveland, or more properly the Richfield Mausoleum. The concert wasn’t until January 1987, and although I had no idea what my class schedule would be at that time—and I assumed I’d have classes—I wasn’t about to back out. This was freaking Genesis, after all. In 1986, they were my favorite active band. There wasn’t a chance I was going to miss out on it if I could help it.

The concert would be on a Sunday night, so I could come down that weekend and drive back after the concert or at least get as far as I could before stopping and then driving in first thing in the morning before classes. What the heck: I’m 22. I’ll figure something out.

Because I’d be at Northwestern when tickets went on sale, Scott was in charge of getting tickets. Back then, of course, there was really only one way to get tickets: You had to go to the local Ticketron or Ticketbastard outlet, which meant Buzzard’s Nest. And for the biggies—and Genesis was a biggie in 1986, at least to us—you had to camp out.

Scott was willing to thus commit, which is one of the reasons I love him. He was a Boy Scout, so what’s sleeping on a concrete sidewalk? And after all, this was FREAKING GENESIS. I would have been right beside him had I been in town, but I told him I’d be there in spirit.

I can’t remember whether it was concern for Scott’s welfare, since it wasn’t going to be in the best part of town (although not in a bad part, at least at that time), or just the general excitement of the whole event, but Beth decided to camp out, too. This was a surprising development, because Beth was never grungy EVER.

So, my girlfriend, who was almost never in public without makeup and being dressed to the nines, was going to camp out for concert tickets? Now I REALLY wanted to be there.

On the night of the campout, Beth called me from a nearby pay phone and said that she and Scott had set up on the sidewalk and were the only ones there. Sounds like a potential payoff to me.

And the next night, Scott called and delivered the words stated above with a poops-eating grin that was audible over the phone.

“I slept with your girlfriend last night.”

What a bastard. OK, what he said was literally true, and in all honesty, it was exactly what a 14-going-on-15-year-old younger brother should say. I mean I would have been disappointed if he HADN’T said that.

Cute, Scott. So, did you get the tickets?

Oh, they got the tickets all right … right in the upper deck behind the stage. I couldn’t have gotten much worse seats, and I couldn’t get seats where I was, so that made the travails all worth it, right?

Of course it was worth it, just so Scott could pound a little sand up big brother’s butt.