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This was also the period that found me, generally, with a beer constantly in my hand. The drinking age was 18, remember, and the college bars were free-for-alls. I would go great distances to hit these bars to meet people, watch people, soak in the amazing music and put my liver through absolute hell. The best of these places was the College Pub in Whitewater, a southern Wisconsin college town known for beautiful coeds and a high-test party atmosphere. Why? In part, because it was only 30 minutes from the Illinois border, where the drinking age was 21. Guess where all the Illinois kids wanted to go to college? I got to know the Pub's owner, Don Youngman, who shared my taste in power pop and punk rock -- so much so that he took out the bar jukebox and installed a kick-ass sound system. That move filled the place with the local hipsters. What a terrific subculture!

Phred hits a high note after being kicked in the groin by A.A. Mickey.

Eventually, my D-I-Y ambitions spread among my circle of friends, and we decided to take the plunge. You know, start a band, make money, get laid, drink for free, and live the best years of our life before we turn 25. That was the goal. The reality didn't always match, but actually, it wasn't bad. We practiced when and where we could, learning the basics and figuring out who was best at what. Of course, since it was my idea, I was the "front man," but I thought it would be cool if everyone in the group got to be the lead singer at one point in every set.

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