First published in  Lonely Goat Print Magazine Volume II - #3

Long Strange Trip
by Suzanne Sherwood (March, 1999)

I wish we had known that we could have reserved tickets over the phone. Then we wouldn't have been shut out of the Donna the Buffalo show last month. What to do now? Pout? Stand around in the parking lot? Drive around Chapel Hill in the party barge all night? How about all of the above! Well, that's what seven friends of mine and I did in an attempt to boogie down for a birthday celebration. Determined to catch some live music, we took off for the Skylight Exchange where we hoped to see Lightnin' Wells in action. Now was that two rights and a left or two lefts and a right? Was it the Skylight Cafe or the Nightlight Exchange? Maybe it was the Night Sky. If only we had a Lonely Goat Print Magazine with us! Now what should we do?

Somehow, in a state of denial and delerium, we ended up at an I-40 bar/ truckstop. It was like a scene straight outa Urban Cowboy: beer chuggin' contest, 5 gallon hats, high heels, tight jeans, and broken beer bottles on the ladies bathroom floor to boot. Fortunately, we were all in good spirits so we made the best of it. We grabbed a table in the corner and listened to country renditions of Aerosmith songs and The Beverly Hillbillies rap. Later, our always boogying friend won the band's signature license plate for their "Shake Your Bootie" contest. Well, what do you know? We fit right in! Maybe it's time to call it a night. We'll catch those Buffalo next time!