I had insomnia, and took to to the streets after midnight in my Camaro, the passenger’s seat overflowing with cassettes and joints rolled in my purse. One night I was past DeKalb after 1 A.M. and heard ‘I Am One’ for the first time on WXRT. I grew impatient for the DJ to name the band and the song, for I’ve never heard such explosive frustration layered with longing passion and electricity. My mind and my heart simultaneously exploded when hearing the opening drum beat which was shortly followed by an alluring bass line. Next came the guitars that artfully weaved together and played off of each other like two cobras swaying to a Pungi. From start to finish, the intensity of the song didn’t cease but when it finished, I was left with my heart pounding and with sweat on my forehead wanting to hear more.  As I kept driving several thoughts were colliding in my head-First, I needed to fire up a joint, second I needed to go to the record store in the morning to get a copy of ‘Gish’ (the first of three copies that I wore out), third I knew that Smashing Pumpkins were going to be famous, and fourth I knew that my life would never be the same again.