Who's Next

One day I'm just sitting around with nothing to do

and this chick calls me up

and asks me if I want to drop some mescaline

and go to a concert.

She had both the tickets and the mescaline.

So of course we went.

*

It was a really big deal.

The Who

were playing at the Forum

on the day that they released the album

Who's Next

in L.A.

The album was all over the radio on the way there.

For the first time ever.

*

We pull the van in for some gas and this narc with a German Shepherd

a three day growth of beard and dumpy plain clothes

but still wearing his rubber soled police shoes

comes running over to the window and says,

Wanna trade some pills for some pot?

and we're like, yeah, right, get outta here!

*

We decided to park at a gas station and walk across the parking lot

so we wouldn't have to hassle so much traffic coming out.

We ate a second dose of mescaline before we left the van.

*

Our seats were so far up in the back that we should have taken oxygen.

The concert was really bitchen', man!

What a light show!

And could those guys perform. Daltry was swingin' his mike all over the place as Townsend jumped and spun his arms around like you wouldn't believe, man.

And it was the first time I ever saw a laser light show.

It was like, the hippy gods had landed.

*

So, I'm watching the show and hallucinating my buns off, and by the time they begin to do one outrageously long medley for an encore, the floor of the forum had turned into one huge brain, and the music was tickling the brain, and then pulling at it, then tickling at it, then pulling at it, like the music was just too much to handle, then it would get sweet again, then become too much to handle, then get sweet again..........................................................................................................

*

But the chick that I went with suddenly started digging her nails into my hand, man!

She told me that I was turning into a werewolf.

And I said, far out, you know.

But she was like really freaking out because of the music and wanted to split.

Awww, man!

Show was almost over, but well, chivalry knows best and all that.

*

Now, the seats in the sky at the forum are on the steepest incline that you've ever seen.

If it were any steeper you'd be climbing a ladder.

And we stood up to leave, you know, but that's when I discovered that

my legs were asleep.

So, I'm like falling over people in their seats and stuff because my legs wouldn't work.

I'm lucky I didn't break my freakin' neck!

*

So we started back to the van, but, cool, it was nearly as loud outside the Forum!

We weren't going to miss much, maybe.

I think they were playing Magic Bus, but like for an hour, seemed like.

*

So we looked for the gas station sign under which the van was parked.

But in between us and the station was the biggest bunch of riot cops you've ever seen!

Like an ocean of blue, man.

*

So, now dig this, I'm walking on her right, she's walking on my left.

And we're just like, bug eyed at all these cops in riot gear, you know?

And we're trying to be inconspicuous and not talk or anything because,

talking might piss them off or something.

*

But for some strange reason, I'm thinking we'll go left around the swarm of cops,

she's thinking that we should go right around the blue hoards,

and together we ended up pushing on each other so hard

that we made a straight line right through the center of all these cops.

*

And as they're stepping out of the way,

and we're walking through the center of them,

we're looking at them all bug eyed, you know?

Like, "Please don't eat us!"

All the way to the van.

Where we ended up talking about werewolves

and dreams and stuff.