Just Another Night in LaLa Land -By: Vegas Nacy

The Year was 1997, I think. My band at the time was Bone Box and we had two showcases in NYC on the same day. Scott Koening (RIP) was helping us out with some label reps. Scott was influential back in the day working with Type O Negative, Biohazard, Downset, Slayer etc. The first show was at CBGB’s and it went well, but as we sat and had a drink afterwards, I drank Jack on the rocks and I like to chew the ice when the Jack is gone. I bit into what I thought was a cube, but it was warm and crunchy. I spit it out and son of a biscuit it was a cockroach! I lost it. I threw the glass against the wall and we started to head to the next show at the continental. We stopped at a bodega to get some snacks. I got Reese’s peanut butter cups and as we walked I opened it, took a bite and…maggots! Yes, maggots crawling out of it. As a germaphobe I was going insane. This really set me off for the night. 

We played the next show and now I’m pretty drunk. We start walking and out of nowhere I say to the band “you guys are no fun I’m out of here” jump in a cab and tell the driver to “take me somewhere fun”. He drops me off at the scrap bar, a tiny but legendary spot. I go in, order a Long Island iced tea, pound it and immediately put my glass through the glass table near the seating area. The bouncer yoked me up and tossed me out. Now, we didn’t have cell phones back then so I went to another club where I heard some live music. I ordered a Long Island iced tea and some chicken wings. As I’m eating, I take my shoes off and put them up on the bar rail. With sauce all over my face the bouncer comes over and we have words, and he finally says “ya gotta go” Yes, I became the guy that I can’t stand when I’m bouncing. Now, I am really feeling no pain. It’s pitch black out and I have strayed from my path. As I’m trying to figure out how the hell I’m getting back to Albany, a car pulls beside me, and I hear “Vegas?” It’s my brother Dan Russamano and a few others. I couldn’t believe out of all the streets at that particular time, I got saved by some great people. They let me crash at their hotel and I drove back with them in the morning. Literally they probably saved my life!

I have tons of stories like this so more to come!