GREG PRATO



SHOW REVIEWS

credits / gregprato / show reviews



07-09-1993
New Haven, CT
Toad's Place

Review by: Greg Prato A week after catching B.M. at a weird place called 'Sports Palace,' me and my friends again drove all the way from Long Island to Connecticut to catch one of our fav bands. And again, tix were very low-priced (roughly $5 each). I remember some of my friends weren't 21 yet, and they wouldn't let anyone in w/o I.D., so we tried to figure something out in front of the club. Lo and behold, who should come walking up along the sidewalk...Shannon Hoon! We were all pretty damned shocked, especially when he took the time out to talk to all of us (he even complimented me on wearing a Primus t-shirt!). Shannon told us that he was excited about B.M. getting the opening slot on the upcoming Neil Young tour w/ Soundgarden. I asked him about Soundgarden (since they're one of my all-time favs), and he said Chris Cornell was a real nice guy and was in 'total control' when he sang. We explained our situation, and he told us that there was a side door (a fire door), and that 1 of their friends inside was going to open it briefly when B.M. hit the stage, so the young dudes could sneak in (in his own words, "bum rush the door!"). Well B.M. started a little while later, and although I was old enough to get in, I stayed outside w/ my friends. Nobody opened the door after 2 or 3 songs, and we were beginning to worry. Eventually me and one of the older dudes went in the venue, and the dude walked right past big security lunkheads to the fire exit, and opened the door w/ no problem. My friends finally got in! We went to watch the show which was cool, but yet again, stupid slam-dancing jocks were hogging the front of the stage (one of my friends did a funny thing to one of the idiots, he stuck gum in his hair w/o the angry slam dancer knowing it! Ha!). Shannon even announced from the stage that he heard that 'the underage kids got in' or something like that. After the show ended we waited out front, hoping to speak to some bandmembers again. Eventually, Rogers came out, and we talked to him for quite some time. He had a copy of the Butthole Surfer's CD "Independent Worm Saloon," and told us all to go buy it! We also asked him if he'd heard the new Smashing Pumpkins album, 'Siamese Dream' (which hadn't been released yet), and he said he didn't, but that Shannon did and loved it. We talked to him for quite some time, and eventually Shannon came out as well. We all chatted for a while until they all piled into a van or something and drove off. I didn't get home until roughly 6 am, but it remains quite a memory!