Two-plus weeks of opening for Teenage Fanclub concludes 20 years ago today, in Athens, GA. We get to play an encore, but we are unable to coax Gerard Love to join us on mandolin on “I Heard You Looking.” We’ve heard him playing it backstage, and if my memory is accurate (anything’s possible), they cover it on their first show after we part ways. Were we thrilled when they put their version on a “Neil Jung” cd? Yup. Speaking of Neil, “Don’t Cry No Tears” is among the numbers we play at the Hall of Records in San Francisco in 1988. That in-store nearly ended before it began, as we decided to see what all the hubbub was about and drive the Pacific Coast Highway. Approximately three hours and 18 miles later, we were looking for the nearest on-ramp to the 101, finally pulling into San Francisco hours late. What better way to apologize than with a Northern California-heavy set: “3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds,” “The Sound of the Rain” and “Mendocino.”
