Welcome to the Jungle!

“Welcome to the Jungle! We got fun and games!”

And so it was that in was driving back home to Sausalito from the South Bay, which meant I had at least ninety minutes committed to the road (in what actually turned out to be two hours instead). Being Lafayette, IN boys – joined by Axl and Izzy – we decided to commit to each other with Slash & Duff. GNR lived on as my commute morphed into a road trip.

That brought my memories back to a Saturday night a couple weeks ago where a little bit of Indiana reunited in the home of our friend Edward in the beautiful Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, CA. While it was a cold January elsewhere in the country, it was beautifully pleasant on this particular eve in Southern California. I had just gotten back from Bangkok. And Tad played with his band Stereotype the previous night.

It was our friends Lisa and Sacha’s birthday. Evie was there. And Tad & Annie. Something magical happens when those of us that grew up in the 80’s in Indiana get together.

We rock out.

Fortunately, we had two among us – Tad and Edward – that were accomplished musicians.

And so with Tad & Edward on guitars, among other tunes, we played a set list that would make any Indiana kid proud.

“I Remember You” by one of Tad’s childhood musical heroes, Sebastian Bach and Skid Row
“Change” by Indiana (and also hometown Lafayette) native Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon
“Pink Houses” by another Indiana native John Cougar Mellencamp
“Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes
“Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns n Roses (including, as mentioned before, Lafayette, IN natives Axl & Izzy)
“Creep” by Radiohead

And we closed with New Jersey stalwarts, Bon Jovi “Wanted: Dead or Alive”.

There was a lot of (bad) singing (with me leading on the worst of the vocals) but the guitars were grand, and our voices were saved by the professionals. But we didn’t care. We were so happy singing and dancing and laughing.

Did I mention that we rocked out?

It was epic.
It was Indiana.

Prologue

Back to the present. My commute home is nearing its end. The Golden Gate loomed in the not too far distance, it’s majestic red armor resplendent against the yellow rays of the sun shining down.