From: ROLLIDE@AUDUCADM.DUC.AUBURN.EDU (Dana Rollins)
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Subject: CAGE UNCAGED
Date: 19 Aug 92 14:00:00 GMT
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>
Read the other Cage message first.  This is part 2.

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
So, after being told this party would not only feature Cage, but -
more importantly - free wine and munchies, the Sound Man and I (a Light
Man in those psychedelic light show days) decided to attend along with
our diminuitive little guitar virtuoso and foot-in-the-door, Sid.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the tiny, cramped deficiency
apartment was an ominous lack of cannabis in the air (unusual for
art parties in those days), and then the amazing resemblance of the
party-goers to R. Crumb characters - I was expecting someone to offer
me a Sherman's at any minute!  (Wait a minute - who drew Arnold Peck
the Human Wreck?  Was that Crumb?  Anyway)  We squeezed past the front
door and through the anteroom down the nave to the altar, where sat an
uncomfortable-looking John Cage, mired in a circle of fawning would-be
sychophants, who were looking thoughtful in their berets and trying
to be as insightful as hell to him.  It was truly tragically hip.
Cage was literally surrounded like a reluctant guru by a throng of
way-too-serious kids intent on getting to the heart of this guy's
Statement.
Right as I came in, he made one of the most endearing statements I have
ever been priveleged to hear.  It made me his fan for life.  It has
got to be one of my all-time favorite repartees, a line that I treasure
 to this day...
These frowning art students were peeling back the onion of truth with
Cage, asking him a lot of bullshit questions (please believe me - it's
not just my misanthropic judgement) and one kid, a goateed, bereted
artist said to him and I quote her nearly verbatim:
   "Mr. Cage (frown), during tonight's performance (pause), I noticed
    many parts were boring - almost INTENTIONALLY so (frown) - would
    you care to comment (combination frown/eyebrow raise)?"
Cage matched this kid frown for pregnant frown in his deliberation,
after which time he cleared his throat and said in a voice so quiet
that all were leaning inward to the center of his universe, straining
to hear the Master's words,
   "Sometimes I find it very ....frightening."
Everyone leaned back, nodding, mulling this kernel of wisdom until I
broke the reverent silence with the question I've always asked
celebrities,
   "What do you think of American girls?"
The sychophants were horrified!  Who let ME in?!
Cage loved it!  He smiled from ear to ear.
I figured I had better head for the free wine quickly before I was
ushered into that good night, so I made a beeline for the fridge.  I
snagged a bottle of some kind of cheap (hell, free!) rotgut swill and
was still in there, hiding out, when Cage came in an hour or so later.
I poured him a Dixie cupful of the red and shot the shit with him for
awhile.  He asked me what I did for a living and I told him I was a
switch-twiddler, working lights in a rock and roll band.
He smiled and ahhed, "Keep up the good work" as he moved out of that
tiny kitchen and into the evening.
The moon came out from behind a cloud.
A bird chirped.
All was well.
                                   Love,
                                          Felonious

*** Comments from ROLLIDE - Rollins, Dana; 08/14/92 08:25am:
I'm anxious to hear more Cage anecdotes.
Got one?
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