June 27 SLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all I really need to say to explain this unscheduled stop. Slash. Oh yes! While I was in St. Louis, I found out that Slash would be making an appearance at the first annual Sunset Strip Music Festival. He would be the special guest of B-Real and Sen Dog of Cyprus Hill. I don't like rap or hip-hop, but I was willing to sit through it to see Slash.

Appetite For Destruction, the debut album from Guns N Roses, was the soundtrack to my life when I was in the 9th grade. It's not that I identified with the "sex drugs and rock and roll" that the songs talked about. But that album was a great outlet for the teen frustration I felt on a daily basis. So to be able to finally see Slash in person, in the flesh was a huge deal for me.

Before he came on the stage, my friend Laurie and I had to sit through FOUR hours of music that under normal circumstances we would never voluntary listen to. There were three reggae bands. Ugh! The lead singer of one of the bands was what I would call "homeless chic." He was white with unwashed dreadlocks and just looked very smelly. Then another reggae band did a REGGAE cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire." I think I heard Jim Morrison sit up in his grave and plug his ears.

That being said, it was WORTH sitting through all that garbage to get to see Slash. Very early on in the evening, I staked out my position in front of the stage and I did NOT move for four hours (a major accomplishment considering how much water I drink and how often I have to pee!) When Slash finally did come out just after midnight, he played guitar right over me. Here are a few pictures to show just how close I really was!