STEALING ROBERT PLANT'S SCOTCH (Evan Dando & his sister)

 So I had been working up at WDRE for awhile...and by the time 1993 rolled around the guys that owned the station were branching out into syndication. Our program director Tom Calderone was hosting a nationally syndicated show called "Modern Rock Live". Although we were based on Long Island, this show was taped and sent out from New York City. Tom had always said I could come up any time I wanted to meet whatever singer, band, rock star he was interviewing.....if I liked. I never went.
  I didn't think much about that show at all. That was until one day I received a call in my office at WDRE from some guy at Atlantic Records. He said Evan Dando from The Lemonheads was scheduled to be on "Modern Rock Live" that night and that he was bringing Robert Plant with him.
  HOLD ON, WAIT A MINUTE!!!!....so I let that process in my head for a second and said, "Dando is bringing Plant to the interview? Thee Robert Plant? As in Led Zeppelin?""
  "Yes."
  "Can we promote this?"
  "Yes."
   Fast forward 6 hours: Now I'm standing in a studio, up high on 52nd St. in Manhattan with my buddy Andre....[DJ Andre, Dre Dog from WDRE (He was a board op at the time)]. We see Robert & Evan along with the usual crew of record company reps...publicists..and tag-a-longs. We talk quick, get a picture taken, and I have Plant sign Led Zeppelin 4...but it's all fast, and done. No contact.

That's me on the left with jet black hair, then Robert Plant, next Andre...and the record company rep.

It was turning into an uneventful evening when all of a sudden I eavesdropped on Evan Dando telling Plant about some bar they were going to. So I grabbed Andre...headed straight to that bar, which was only a few blocks away. We waited outside and after a half an hour a Lincoln Town Car pulled up and the whole crew climbed out....Dando, Plant, and entourage. The record company rep sees us and says, "Holy shit! You guys hang out here? Come on." ....and gestured a wave for us to join'em.

   So we all walk inside, and by complete coincidence, 2 girls I knew from my neighborhood are sitting at a booth as we walk in....and they're like, "Oh my god!!! That's Robert Plant....with...with Dave Jemmott."

  So I give them a condescending nod and walk towards the back of the room with my rock star friends. I belly up right next to Robert Plant. Andre is next to me. Next to him is Evan Dando & his sister. Plant has nothing to do with me. Apparently, my tits weren't big enough. We drink.

  After a few minutes, Plant finishes his drink (Johnny Walker Red & soda) and asks the bartender, "Can I have another?"

  The bartender makes it, places it in front of Plant. I elbow Andre and say, "Watch this."

  I grab Plant's drink and chug it down, one gulp. I slam the glass down and slide it back in front of him.

  Plant nonchalantly, picks up the glass, looks into it, and says, "Can I have another?"

  The bartender is like, "Holy shit, he just downed that!"...but makes a new one and places it directly in front of Plant.

  With that , Andre & I start cracking up....and Evan Dando says, "What the fuck are you guys doing?"

  I look up and laugh, "I'm stealing Plant's drinks!!!"

  Dando shakes his head and says, "You guys are fucked up."...as he moves over and puts his arm around me...he orders some beers and we drank together for the next hour or so.

Me, Evan Dando, Andre, & Evan's "so-called" sister

   

The next day Evan came out to WDRE studios and was brought into Malibu Sue's office. There I was behind a desk typing. I looked up and said, "Hi."

  He looked at me and was totally confused. He slurred, "Hey!!! You're that guy from the bar last night."