No band has/could/will mean more to me than the ‘mats. Saw ’em three times, though never with Bob.
I have tons of memories related to the band swimming in my head, but a couple are at the surface:
First, how the peppermint schnapps I drank in the parking lot of the Boathouse (a popular Norfolk, VA venue/dump) before a March ’89 show couldn’t tone down my nervous excitement. They opened that show with “Color Me Impressed”. Tommy had pink hair that day and seemed lifted right off the stage by the volume coming from their monitors. Whatever studio sheen was on that year’s album was nowhere to be found during their sandblaster of a live show.
Another is after a D.C. show in ’91 when I asked Westerberg what the band was gonna do following the tour. His response: “open a steak joint.”
They will always occupy a special place in my heart. Thanks for the reminder. -Kelly Girtz
24hourpartypooper.com 
No band has/could/will mean more to me than the ‘mats. Saw ’em three times, though never with Bob.
I have tons of memories related to the band swimming in my head, but a couple are at the surface:
First, how the peppermint schnapps I drank in the parking lot of the Boathouse (a popular Norfolk, VA venue/dump) before a March ’89 show couldn’t tone down my nervous excitement. They opened that show with “Color Me Impressed”. Tommy had pink hair that day and seemed lifted right off the stage by the volume coming from their monitors. Whatever studio sheen was on that year’s album was nowhere to be found during their sandblaster of a live show.
Another is after a D.C. show in ’91 when I asked Westerberg what the band was gonna do following the tour. His response: “open a steak joint.”
They will always occupy a special place in my heart. Thanks for the reminder.
-Kelly Girtz
one of my favorite videos