It’s been a long time since we’ve been to a live show, so when Ann told me the Reverend Horton Heat was playing the Aggie Theater on a Thursday night in Fort Collins I said, “Let’s do it!” It soon becomes obvious I’ve forgotten everything I ever knew about seeing a show. It was billed to start at 9 pm, and I got us there at 10 minutes after. Of course there was no music until almost ten, and then one of two opening bands (Jett Black) started up with a rousing, rockin’ Elvis impression. These days I’ve been hitting the sack around 9:30, rock star that I am, and by the end of Jett Black’s set Ann and I could tell we’d need some help to keep up with the tattooed, crochet-beanied crowd of kids on winter break. When the next band, Throw Rag, unfurled their giant banner emblazened with a skull and anchor, we hit the sidewalks. After some surfing and good strong coffee at Mugs, we headed back. Throw Rag was just finishing up, and we weren’t sorry we missed them.

It was almost midnight when the Reverend came on stage. It took about five seconds for him to outclass the other bands in his lime green jacket with blue sequin flames on the sleeves. The Reverend is probably old enough to have fathered most of the crowd. He steps out, looking a little like Geoffrey Rush, and proceeds to rock us into a high pitched frenzy. Now I’ll admit I wasn’t the life of the mosh pit, but he made me laugh and feel like a true rebel just for standing in the path of his PA at midnight on a week night. We didn’t make it to the end, but I don’t regret a minute of it, and I didn’t even have to call in sick (or twisted) today. Next time I’ll be taking a nap after work, and maybe this old hobo will be ready when it’s martini time!