Appetite For Nostalgia

Ya know how when you think back to adolescence there are a few pivital years that jump out? The few that just stick in your head as best years ever for whatever reason? I had a few of those years. 1987 was a big one. That was the year that I turned 16 & 16 equalled freedom. My dad gave me a month to find a job after I turned 16 (You know, back when he not only encouraged, but insisted his kids work & be productive individuals). I had 2 jobs in about 2 weeks. 2 that left me working probably 6 days a week by choice. It got me away from the at home bible thumping & around other, normal kids. If my mom had her way I'd never have been home schooled & I swear the only reason that I wasn't was because my mother didn't want to actually have to, you know, teach me.

Back then I was kind of an undercover headbanger because it was certainly not something that could be out in the open in our house. I use to buy cassette tapes (gasp!) weekly, basically replacing the ones she'd find & toss out. If the cover art was questionable it was gone. If the dudes had long hair & make up it was gone. If there was red & black it was gone because those were the colors of debasing music (Huh?? really, who dreamed up this shit that i was supposed to both believe & embrace??)/. I remember buying several copies of Skid Rows Youth Gone Wild & Guns N Roses Appetite For Destruction...holy shit I think I bought 5 of them!
Five.

Guns N Roses broke out that year & they were just massive. Welcome To The Jungle was my favorite video ever up until that point & everyone around me in the "real" world was obsessed with them. They came to play in April of that year at a local racetrack because back then that's where everyone played. No arena. No amphitheatre. The racetrack was the biggest venue from here to Philly or NY. My mother thought I was working that night & I was most definetly not. I was at the concert with 3 friends. G N R opened for Aerosmith & we actually left halfway thru Aerosmith's set to be home in time to keep up the illusion of working. It was pouring & the whole place was mud. All of us left with one shoe because the mud was so deep it was devouring sneakers all over. Still, best first show ever.
Covering my ass was easier than I expected too. I went to the fast food place that I was working at, got cleaned up, put on the day before's wreaking uniform & waited for my dad to pick me up. Piece of cake.

Why am I even going here today? A Christmas gift. J dug really deep & gave me two GNR concert shirts from Appetite. It showed that he actually paid attention & it was painful for him to shell out ANY cash on ANYTHING GNR related! I know it hurt.

Be back tomorrow. In the meantime, welcome to the best Guns N Roses video ever:







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