It was the first week of September in 1984, and I had just seen Simple Minds and the Pretenders at Red Rocks a little more than a week before.

My roommate Tim, our friend Andy and a couple of his friends were lined up at the Rainbow Music Hall to see Echo and the Bunnymen. I was wearing the black T-shirt I got at the Pretenders show, and I decided to wear black pants so I’d be matchy-matchy. Probably black Chucks, too.

Billy Bragg was opening for the Bunnymen that night, and I had never heard of him before we started planning to attend that show. As I sat there in the sun, back against the outer wall of the venue, Andy got all giddy as Billy Bragg, with all his gear, came walking along the line. Andy engaged, and the Englishman was friendly, funny and engaging right back. He went on his

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