One of the best rock bands I ever saw was the first. Not exactly the first, if you count huge arena shows (The Who, Van Halen, Genesis, ugh). But when I saw the real thing I realized what a sad reproduction they were selling in those hazy echo-domes. My friends and I met Edgar Reynolds when he was working at the record store in the mall by our high school. Edgar was hip, funny and in a band. Further separating us from everyone else at school, he turned us on to stuff like The Sonics and The Easy Beats. We started referring to Edgar as The Coolest Guy in the World.
The Coolest Guy in the World said we should come see his band sometime, but this seemed impossible. We weren’t allowed to stay out late at night, and beside that, how would we get in? Everything was easy for Edgar. “Lie to your parents and tell the door guy that you’re my friends.”
That’s how my friends and I got to see very last show of The Wild Giraffes. It turns out Edgar was in one of the great
These tracks are from The Wild Giraffes’ only LP, Right Now (1980).
4 comments:
I love this! This is my favorite kind of post -- we need more "my first time" tales around here. Creation myths. Early impressions. Deflowerings. Fast Times at [whatever school you went to] High. Consider this a call for papers, Drifties.
Also: Cleveland: It never fails to rock, does it?
Finally: I'm glad to hear about somebody else who couldn't stay out late in high school.
Oh man, thank you thank you thank you. Been looking for these tunes for 20 years. Still had The Real Things swimming in my brain all this time. It was even in the right key! Saw The Wild Giraffes prolly 3 times during their reign. Nice guys and spectacular energy on stage. Anyway, thanks man.
thanks, Chris King
Edgar broke the mold for "Coolest Guy in the World". There hasn't been anyone as cool since!! - mk
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