Rock on

This performance of Bon Jovi's rock and roll anthem "Dead or Alive" is one of those things that brings back so many memories, I just about get tearful whenever I see it. I am automatically reminded of long summer evenings in Beth's cute apartment where the central air was either roasting us or freezing us ("You have no homeostasis!" Beth would scold us, throwing around some of her fancy nursing terminology; "Oh, yeah? Well, you're an oxymoron!" I would offer as a rejoinder) as Hoot, Julie and I ate potato chips and drank Bartles and James wine coolers. We had a particular fondness for the fuzzy navel flavor except for Hoot, who declared that wine coolers were sissy drinks and had beer instead.

From YouTube.com -- Richie and Jon at the 1989 MTV Music Awards.

Julie is married to Jack now and lives in Beech Grove. Hoot lives in Indy and is divorced, sharing custody of his daughter (who is probably Meelyn's age) with his ex-wife. Beth is married to Jim, of course, and lives in New Castle with a stepdaughter at IU and two kids still at home. And you know about me, if you read this blog.

We were all very young then, in our early twenties. Jon and Richie were famous and so cool and the first time our quartet of un-famous friends saw this unplugged version of "Dead or Alive," it was rock-n-roll magic.

The clip starts at 2:29 -- hope you enjoy it!