The Rise and Demise of Midnight Fantasy –The Band

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” was playing on the 8-track. I had just turned 16. I had a car and I had my band. And after months of preparation, we had just gotten the call that we were being booked to play the Kern County Fair Main Entrance Stage...life was good.

I met Steve a few months before school let out while waiting for the bus. He introduced himself by asking “You play?” And with an ever-so-slight nod of the head, I gestured “Yeah, you?”

A band was born.

His stepdad had taught him a few licks on guitar and an old neighbor was giving him lessons on occasion; I was a bit more “seasoned” having been playing drums for a good six or seven years already in bands such as The Munsters, Trapped in Space, and Trash and the Family Garbage (same band, same basement). Our practice schedule was grueling—during that summer we sweated away in my garage rehearsing for hours. We added bass, synthesizer, and vocals. We even developed some regular, ahem, fans...every time we’d start to play, Bakersfield’s finest showed up to “shut us down.”

When we weren’t practicing, we were busy dreaming of how things would be once we were “discovered.” Limos, mansions, lear jets, and, of course, groupies. We ordered custom matching stage outfits: black Angel Flight pants and black shirts with our logo emblazoned in silver glitter. Hey, it was the ‘70s.

In true rock-n-roll form, tragedy struck. Not the mysterious spontaneous combustion kind that plagued Spinal Tap throughout the ‘80s, but almost as devastating. Our bass player had been grounded for life!

Just days away from our first gig and now this. In a last ditch effort to save the show, management (Mom and Dad) suggested we teach my brother to play the bass parts. Being typical teenagers, we scoffed at the idea. He was just a little kid, barely eleven!

“He’ll just be in the way (...of the groupies).” Management had a way of persuading us. After all, they owned our practice space.

The night of the show, we took to the stage and from the very first note, something magical happened. Literally hundreds of people swarmed the stage; the applause was overwhelming. It was as if we could do no wrong...well, except for several missed notes, out-of-key vocals, sloppy endings. But the crowd was going crazy! We were on fire! And, for that brief moment, we were Rock Stars!

When we finished our set and tore down our equipment, the truth became strangely clear. As people were walking past us, telling us what a good show we put on, they proceeded to mob the cute little boy who’d been playing guitar. Even the groupies abandoned us and were swooning over our youngest member. With our egos bruised, it was decided the band would split up; there would be no official announcement, just a silent pact not to mention this incident again.

Bakersfield is home to a considerable number of local bands and live music venues and that’s one of the reasons why we decided to put together our first ever After Hours feature (pg. 47). If you’ve ever asked yourself “What’s there to do in this town after 5?” this is a must-read, filled with everything from live music and dancing, to comedy and more. After Hours is a rundown of some of the daily goings-on this city has to offer...and man, it offers a lot!

It’s also our 21st Annual Corporate Relocation issue (pg. 55) and we are unveiling some new regular features as well, including a great fashion story (pg. 81).

Another fantastic issue, packed with all the things you love about your city—enjoy!

I went on to play the fair several more times throughout the years and in several different bands (even a couple with my brother). I just waited until he wasn’t so damn cute.

Article appeared in our 28-4 Issue - October 2011