The Vertebrats

The Vertebrats.   How do I explain the Vertebrats?  I came to town here in August of 1980...barely 18...rooming in Allen Hall with my friend Eileen.   First night we did some kind of dorm thing and met a girl named Doreen.  We went back to her room and l istened to Bowie and the Sex Pistols.  I think it was the next night we went to a street dance put on by a frat-----and the band was The Vertebrats.  Life was never the same.

The next night we tracked down a couple of fake I.D.'s and went to see them at Mabel's.  I think cover was $3 but it might have been $2.  I think we went the next night too.  And missed them only a handful of times after that. 

Too many anecdotes to recount.  Stealing their posters----we topped our dorm room walls with them---you know, a precursor to all those wallpaper borders.  I still have a big roll of them somewhere----can't seem to find them.

I feel like I grew up on the Brats and yet they weren't around that long.  Many friends had crushes on the guys.  I just had a crush on the band as a whole and besides....I had my eye on this  tall, shaggy, blonde guy that worked at Record Service.  He was REALLY BAD at flirting.  Oh well....it's a good trait to have in a husband I guess.

My 18 year old self is still in those songs----along with the 43 year old self too I guess.