Ray Dawes, Northsider*

" Go 'ROOOoouund" "OPEN UP RAY!!!!"  "Go 'RoUUUUUund !"

1974

There was an incredible order taker employed by the Andy Frain, Co. by the name of Ray Dawes. From working with MR Dawes on many other projects, MR Daniher and I knew for a fact MR Dawes was a complete inbred idiot. May I informally say, a Northsider.

Didn't stop Dawes from having his Plantation of the 500 seats in the first balcony, behind most rock concerts, prime for most Mexican Circus productions.  Barnum and Bailey/Ringley Bros., too. I personally worked 40 out of the 44 presented Midget Weddings finale, along with elephant brigade/horse stampede entrance way velvet rope duty that was my responsibility as a 16 yr old, to keep people from being trampled. The triple flip from trapeze 80% closer. MR Daniher, MR Degnan and MR Burns drove together most nights for these work events. Ray fucking KNEW us.

While Burns and Degnan had some common sense and stayed home, Daniher and I had an expensive sixteen year old beer habit to fill. We went to work that night.  We clutched our Uniform in plastic, transferring our way along the byways of CTA to 95th and the 'up the middle' to 47th. Catch a bus to Halstead east, or take your life in your own hands and walk a half mile

Snowing Like a MotherFucker as the bus let's us off at 47th and Halstead. The exact address of the Amphitheater was 4300 South Halstead. 

There is no bus taking us north. We trudge, Daniher and I, knee deep across the parking lot because we knew of a back door behind the Amphitheater for Southsiders in our plight.

Baggage in hand, memories of the Endurance expedition in a past life crossing my mind, across the parking lot tundra, MR Daniher and I bang on the door and hear...

"GO 'ROOOUuuND".

Instead of simply pushing the bar on the stadium door and letting the help into it's workplace, MR Dawes, in his infinite most-assholiness power sent us to the gate blocks away. Middle of a fucking snow storm. 

My last best memory of MR Daniher, 48 years later, is a look at each other and we say...

"GO 'ROOoUUuunD".....

Thanks, Ray

There is wisdom there... you were preparing us for all the future assholes we had to work with in our lives.  We fought back by laughing that night and for years afterward.

Memory, not factual.

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