A Tribute to "That Guy"

You know "That Guy".

"That Guy" is a classmate of yours in middle school.

"That Guy" knows all the cool music way before it's on MTV.

"That Guy" prefers Stove Top over mashed potatoes.

OK, maybe not that last part. I don't know. Maybe. I didn't pay attention to his tray when he'd sit down at the lunch table. Hell, back then, school lunch was the same for everybody. You didn't like the taco pizza? Tough shit, pinko.

But back to "That Guy"

"That Guy" was known as Scott. However, he goes by many names in many schools across the country, and may in fact, sometimes even be "That Girl".

Back in 92 when everyone who claimed to be into so called "alternative" music was a poser (Including me), Scott was the real deal. And he knew full damn well there were more cool bands around and on the horizon.

"Gish" and "Pretty Hate Machine" were big shit in the indie world, but New Hampshire in 92? No one knew what a Smashing Pumpkin or a Nine Inch Nail was. Scott knew. And his notebook covers proudly declared it.

And he also knew what you'd like. And that's why I feel like writing this.

They Might Be Giants weren't new in 92. By that time, they had already had their hit songs and got buried by grunge. But I sure as heck never heard of them. I'm sure I saw the videos Tiny Toons made for Particle Man and Istanbul when that ep first aired, but I thought nothing of it.

Anyway, one day Scott handed me a tape and said that I'd love it. It was Flood, and the tape did not leave my walkmen for months.

How much did I love it? When I finally wised up and got some of TMBG's other albums, it took me a few weeks before I listened to them. I didn't want to ruin Flood somehow.

Anyway, thanks Scott, wherever you are. Without you, my music taste would be VASTLY different (Actually, probably similar. I still have a thing for the cheesy hip hop of the late 80s/early 90s that I was mostly into at the time. I just would have taken a different route in getting into alternative music too).