Black Sabbath is finally getting its due. Why the band that created heavy metal wasn't inducted in 1995 when they were first eligible is maddening. They only wrote 'Iron Man' for crying out loud!
I got to see them in 1999 with Howie Weingarten (long time readers will remember his incident with Adam West) at Jones Beach. I had just gotten my driver's license and drove us both out there. It was a big deal for two guys used to public transportation.
The show was amazing. Ozzy was drunk and lost his voice by the third song, which was exactly what we wanted. Who wants to watch an Ozzy in full control of himself? He showed his ass. We saw Ozzy's ass.
Looking back it was the last fun time Howie and I had together. Soon after that I got a girlfriend, he didn't and it caused tension between us. That night however, we were as close as two friends who listened to Ozzy and Sabbath all through college could get.
Renee and I also went to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland two years ago. It's absolutely monstrous and took us five hours to get through. Renee loved Mick Jagger's stage costumes but I went right for the guitars. Robbie Robertson's strat from 'The Last Waltz'. Pete Townsend's no. 5 LP Deluxe from 'The Kids Are Alright'. Duane and Dickie's Les Pauls. I was in awe.
But the most important artifact for me is down near the bathroom. Go there and you'll find an old VW van that used to be at Wetlands, a great old NYC club lost to history. They would sell t shirts out of the back between shows and drunk fans would slap stickers of local bands all over the doors and windows. If you look hard enough you'll see stickers for Q South and Art Asylum. Guess who put them there?
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