Zoothorn Jan 31, 2018

I remember much about this show clearly but can find no record of it online. It was December of '76 as I went with friends who were back from college for the first time. Late December. There was a bar in a big red barn on the east side of 31 called 'Harry Hope's'. Upstairs from the bar was a small stage and even smaller seating area. We were there early and had our knees up against the front of the stage. Just a few feet from Tom when he was at the piano. After the show as we headed towards the stairs back down to the bar I looked across the hallway and saw Waits sitting on a folding chair right behind the door curled up smoking a cig. We stuck our heads in far enough to say 'great show' he growled 'thank you' and then got up and strolled further back into the room out of sight. Brush with greatness moment :) I did find this on a list of 70s Tom Waits concerts "Date unknown (late December, 1976): The Quiet Knight, Chicago. Weekend shows (25?, 26?) (mentioned in Rambler December 30, 1976)" so by that I think he was in the area and must have gone out to Cary for some reason... maybe a favor or something? But that's the right timing.