Rocktober 23: Firehouse

"Don't Treat Me Bad"

Like Steelheart, Firehouse was one of those bands that clicked with me right away. From the first time I heard C.J. Snare's vocal on this song, I was like, "yep, sign me up." Apparently I had a thing for singers with ridiculous range.

Yesterday I told a concert sob story, so today there's a happier one. In the summer of 1991 (July 27, to be exact), Dayton radio station Z-93 (which was, oddly, the Top 40 station, rather than the rock stations WAZU or WTUE) put together a listener appreciation concert at Rotary Park in Beavercreek. This time I was allowed to go with no argument; of course, I was now 14, and the concert was on a Saturday afternoon in the summer rather than a Sunday night before a school day, and it was also free. All were probably factors. Rachel's mom took the two of us (looking back, part of me wonders why Rachel, 17 at the time, didn't just drive us, and leave Aunt Lou out of it, but Rachel wasn't the most confident driver, and that may have been out of her comfort zone, or, more likely, the adults' comfort zone, for the two of us to do that on our own). The band did a meet-and-greet beforehand, and I got autographs from all four of them. That photo—framed—is still somewhere at my parents' house (at least, I hope it is...I'll have to look for it next time I visit). Then a couple members of the band Alias played a short acoustic set before Firehouse took the stage. I remember the heat, and I must have been absolutely slathered up in sunscreen or else I would have spontaneously combusted, but mostly I remember singing along to all their songs and being absolutely joyous to be there.