my awaKening

[barger@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (Jorn Barger)]

Back in 1977 (8?) I was living in Jamestown NY (where 10,000 M's weren't
even a glimmer in anyone's eye) and the food-coop crowd that Natalie would
later befriend used to get together on Saturday nights at the home of the
only person we knew who had a TV and watch Saturday Night Live and pass the
peacepipe.  There were many extraordinary moments we shared in this way,
and for me Kate's brief appearance was memorable but not earthshaking.  I
thought she was a bit too arty, but her graceful bowling gesture during
Them Heavy People stuck in my mind (if I'd rec'd the name Gurdjieff there
would have been no turning back, I bet).

No airplay later, though, she became a name I almost forgot.  In the
mid-80s a buddy mailed me a printout of his database of albums, offering to
dub me some.  I saw Kate's name and marked all her titles (i think he had
them all).  But he never sent them.  Another near-miss.  Finally WXRT in
Chgo announced that this week's "Rock Over London" would be featuring
Kate's first single in umpteen years: RuTH, and I made a special effort to
tune in.  Those drums sent chills up my spine, and the next few weeks I
listened again, turning up the headphones full blast.

A friend at work offered to tape me the Dreaming, which he said he didn't
care for.  On first listen, I was puzzled.  On 2nd, I was hooked.  I could
tell this was meant to be played Real Loud.  I begged my old friend to fork
over the dubs.  I begged for HoL for Xmas.  I listened constantly over and
over for the next year, all five albums every day.

Coincidentally, for a month or two in there I had net access at work, and
discovered gaffa, all too briefly.  When I regained it 4 years later, TSW
was just coming out.  Then Chris and Vickie moved to Chicago.  And now I
feel so well-connected...

Woof woof!