I'm With The Band
The Smashing Pumpkins, a band called The Blind Venetians a famous club called The Cabaret Metro in Chicago: This blog is dedicated to the memory of Matt Suhar, Lead singer of the Chicago based band, The Blind Venetians.
The only concert I can remember I paid for in my life was the KISS Dynasty tour back in 1979, with opening act Judas Priest when they’d played at the Chicago’s Amphitheater on Chicago’s far south side. Come to think of it, I had never bought many physical albums or CD’s, most if not all in my collection from back in the day were promo copies sent out from the various record companies to the distributors weeks prior to their actual release dates, those were just some of the perks working in the music industry, then there were the CD release parties and the concert tickets, any show and just about any venue. The catch was you had to show up to these release parties, cause if your rep didn’t see your name crossed off the list the following day, well, don’t ask for anything else, well at least for a while.
I was supposed to have seen Guns n Roses at Alpine Valley in May of 1991, unfortunately I had to return those tickets to Geffen Records, guess I missed a few obscure release parties that year, but I was told later they overextended the tickets they had given to people, but the following year, oh yes, I was comped without asking and seen them live in Tinley Park with openers, Skid Row in the summer of 1991. again, These were just a few of the perks. From working in the music industry.
Which brings me to April 11, 1992. This was a night to remember. Guns n Roses with supporting act The Smashing Pumpkins, at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Ill. Smashing Pumpkins are set to open a sold out show for Guns n Roses on their last night at this venue. The Pumpkins hit the stage giving an electrified set, they ended there show with Billy Corgan taking his Mike stand and smashing one of many metal grates that made up parts of the stage; he created a pretty good size crater when he was done. Soon the lights were on and the wait for the main act begun, and we waited, and waited, and waited.
Then after what seemed an eternity all in attendance heard the announcement, that Guns n Roses would not be taking the stage and we were to exit the arena. Found out later that Axl Rose had a warrant for his arrest waiting for him, so he skipped out, leaving the packed house pissed off and cheated. Oddly I was not a bit phased by this, considering I seen them the year before.
The night was still young, so myself and some friends decided to hit up the Cabaret Metro, the famous rock club on the north side of the city in the Wrigleyville area, the same place the Gunners rented out the upstairs for 2 months while working on the very album they were touring 3 years prior. We had some friends that were playing a show there and we would just make it before their set time, as long as the Blue line train was on time, we were looking at just over an hour to travel back to Wrigleyville. This was to be the cap for our Saturday night.
Once we arrived and paid the cover; whatever that was, maybe around 8 bucks or so. We soon made our way to the upstairs portion of the club and found our friend Jimmy, we told him what had happened in Rosemont with the Gunners. he, in turn, told us his band, The Blind Venetians were to hit the stage as soon as the band currently playing finished their set. So we all made our way to one of the archways just left of the stairway that led to the main floor of the Metro to chat some and watch the band.
It wasn't soon after that, well you know that feeling you get when you know someone is standing right behind you, and 1 out of 10 there is not a soul nearby? Well, this was the 1 time my instincts were right, as I looked, there stood Jimmy Iha, the guitarist with the Smashing Pumpkins right behind us. Me never in my life a “fanboy” type stood there looking at him for a moment while at the same time tapping my friend Jimmy on the shoulder.
Jimmy first looks at me then directly behind me, “Dude”! as the 2 greeted one another, the Jimmies knew one another, I believe they went to high school together, and like most bands that played the Metro, everybody knew everybody. My friend Jimmy asked Iha where the rest of the band were and soon I was hanging out with the Smashing Pumpkins and my friends in The Blind Venetians. What a way to cap off the night.