Rain When I Die

by Ethan Harris on jun 30, 2011

Five guys crammed in the back of a beat up, white Chevy Cavalier - bound Milan, MI. It was a brutally hot day. The raceway where Lollapalooza 93 took place had almost no shade, but that didn't bring down our spirits any. I was a 14 year old kid, rocking a Pearl Jam t-shirt, in awe of my first concert without my parents. Luckily for me, my older brother and his friends were allowed to watch over me and let me tag along. I was pumped. On our way into the concert, we got our heads right and were ready for a full day of awesome music, hot chicks, and cool vendors. My brother's friend Eric was the music aficionado of the group. He would constantly rattle off facts about bands we had never heard of or cared about, but we respected his opinion. We were just wandering around when his head perked up. "Come with me. NOW." he said. "Uh, ok man.......what's up?" I said, Eric seemingly oblivious to the question. We arrived at the second stage, Eric was visibly pumped about what was happening. "Who is this???? They kick ass bro!" "Dude. This is TOOL." I was amazed. The band was completely tight. I had never heard the CD, but on the way home Eric put it in and I couldn't believe how close it sounded to what I had heard earlier that day. I saw TOOL on the second stage seventeen years ago. They have since become one of my top 5 favorite bands, and I was introduced to them at Lollapalooza and was close enough to give Maynard a high-five! But the fun was just beginning. Not too long after that, we made our way to the first band that I was already a fan of - Rage Against the Machine. Man, did they rock the place. I remember moshing in the middle of the crowd, I probably weighed 130 pounds soak and wet but I didn't care. The place was pumped! Zach de la Rocha's energy was contagious. Their set was bad-ass. After this I remember a lull in the acts for a bit, and I wandered the area, a young man always on the hunt for a pretty girl. I met a cute blond, who had similar tastes in music (and recreation) and we hit it off instantly. We walked and talked, flirted and joked, smiled and laughed. She was a little beauty. I remember kissing her many times throughout the next hour or two. Dinosaur Jr's set was ending, and I knew Alice in Chains were coming on next. To me, this was the main event. We exchanged numbers, inside knowing we would never speak again due to the distance apart (and I was saddened by this, she was a hottie! I Still remember her name - Camille). I remember making my way through the crowd, looking for my friends. We had agreed to a general area, but it was still like looking for a needle in a haystack. The clouds had began rolling in, and the wind was picking up. There were massive tarps that came loose, and were flapping violently in the wind. These had ropes on them that would occasionally reach the crowd. That's when I saw my friend lifted off the ground. He had grabbed on to the rope, and held on for dear life. He musta been lifted about 15 feet, I remember the yells of the security guards for him to "get his stupid ass off there!" He was eventually lowered to the ground, and I had found my friends again. A light rain began to fall. I was worried they were going to cancel the show. Ba-da-ba-da-bum......bum bum bumm. Ba-da-ba-da-bum......bum bum bumm. Ba-da-ba-da-bum......bum bum bumm. Ba-da-ba-da-bum......bum bum bumm. The bass thumped, as Jerry Cantrell's wicked lead began kicked into the song - "Rain When I Die". I thought I'd died and went to heaven. To this day, when I hear that bass line I was always be brought back to Lollapalooza 93. The old Chevy Cavalier. The blistering heat. Of Tool on the 2nd stage, and Camille the cute blond. Of Rage And Alice in Chains. The greatest concert of my life.

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