I’ll admit, gambling isn’t easy. And take it from me, the guy who spent every cent he had feeding a penny slot machine for 14 days straight. But be that as it may, the biggest problem I have is an insatiable lust for rock n’ roll.
Luckily for me, my awful, almost cartoonishly terrible luck is what led me to discover the East Coast’s best-kept rock n’ roll secret. Premier Blue Öyster Cult tribute band, Burnin’ Fear. And I owe it all to the good people who run and operate Deep Lakes Gaming Resort and Casino and their unheralded generosity.
It was a typical Sunday morning. I managed to scrounge up a couple bucks for a breakfast Bloody Mary, then I headed down to the game floor at “Lakes” for a duel with the ol’ one-armed bandit. As I reached for my wallet, it suddenly occurred to me that in a drunken haze the night before, I must have misplaced all my money, so I went to the customer service counter to see if anyone had returned my lost money.
After the woman behind the glass asked me nicely to calm down and to stop crying hysterically, that’s when this angel of rock n’ roll offered me a standing-room-only ticket to who was to become the best BÖC tribute act I’d ever seen…..On. The. House.
Needless to say, I took her up on her offer.
And so I wandered around the casino floor until the show’s 4 p.m. start time and when it finally came, this Öysterhead was in heaven. Hearing them start out rocking “Godzilla” made me forget all about having to explain to my wife and children that I’ve lost it all again, and that I will probably never change. None of that mattered, because at that moment, that casino was on Flames (With Rock n’ Roll).
A really funny moment happened when they finished playing “Don’t Fear the Reaper” too. As soon as it got quiet, I hit them with the “more cowbell!” line to end all “more cowbell” lines. It was hilarious, even though I had to explain the joke to the couple next to me, it made me forget all about how the fuck was I going to afford a cab home after the show.
This all just goes to show you that there are good people and establishments out there who care about their patrons. It seemed like everyone I spoke to at that gig had free tickets given to them by the staff. I just hope the security guard who escorted me off the premises for sleeping in the buffet area lets me enjoy next week’s Van Halen tribute concert.