I was at a basement bar in New York City, one of those seedy underground watering holes with flat beer and red leather everything. It was almost as if they converted a NYC Subway station into a pub. You could smell the years of decay and neglect, the humidity, the sweat and the decades of spilled drinks. This particular bar was closing down, and this was the last night they'd be open. Their big farewell bash wasn't much of a bash, considering it was Monday night and there were only about 20 patrons.
The entertainment that night was brilliant, however. A three piece band, guitar, bass and drums, set up on a small stage, but no vocalist. Each table had a list of songs the band could play, and if you wanted to sing, one of their girlfriends would give you a lyric sheet. It was smoothly hosted, announcing each guest singer and giving the next 2 amateurs on deck a fair warning. The MC enthusiastically called you up by name but let the song remain a mystery. I had a drink and put my name on the list.
Before I was called up, I noticed a couple of rowdy guys and 2 hot and equally boisterous girls at a dark booth half way between my table and the stage. The lighting was so poor at this place that you couldn't see anyone's face unless they were actually under the stage lights.
When my name was called, I casually walked to the stage, trying not to show my complete and utter excitement. During this time in my life, I didn't have a performing band together. It had been at least 2 years since I'd played with a full hard rocking band. I'd performed this song as a solo acoustic act approximately 10 million times, but this was the first full throttle, balls to the walls Rock rendition I'd ever had the opportunity to do. Even on a Monday night in a basement bar for 20 grungy New Yorkers, this was a dream coming true.
About 2 notes into it, the Rowdy Table recognized the tune and got even rowdier. They were rocking out and banging heads. About 2 bars into the first verse, I hit my personal comfort zone and knew I'd nail this song. During the hard hitting bridge, one of the guys from the Rowdy Table stood up on the seat and slam danced until the end. When the song ended, those 4 people made more noise than the rest of the bar could handle. You would have thought they were front row for the real Stone Temple Pilots at Madison Square Garden.
Walking back to my booth, I had to pass them. I was honestly a little hesitant. As I approached their table, one of the girls got out and kissed me on the cheek for a job well done. The wildest of them all, the guy that stood up on the booth, was still standing. He walked over the table, knocking over a few drinks, and hopped off it into the walkway. "That was the best fucking Plush I ever fucking seen man! You fucking rocked that shit! You owned that STP! You're fucking awesome and we love you!' he shouted as he gave me a high five, a bro hug, into a real hug, followed by a series of half a dozen more high fives.
I sat down in my booth and the host announced to everyone, "Up next we welcome Jimmy!" The extremely enthusiastic, hard rocking, booth standing, bro-hugging guy jaunted to the stage. Apparently he was Jimmy. When he got under the stage lights though, we all realized that this wasn't your average drunken rock enthusiast dude named Jimmy. It was fuckin' Jimmy Fallon.
He did a great rendition of 'Killin' in the Name of'' by Rage Against the Machine and left shortly after. That night it dawned upon me that a professional entertainer with millions of fans was also a fan. My fan. He was a Stone Temple Pilots fan too, but Jimmy Fallon was my fan. I've played this song at most of my own concerts ever since this date, and each and every time I do, I think about that exhilarating feeling I had the first time I got to play it with a full band, and the quiet satisfaction I get by knowing that somebody who's somebody thinks I do it well enough to kick over some $9 Jack n' Cokes.
I try not to concentrate on the fact that I didn't have a demo CD to slip him.
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