Do The Move With A Quirky Jerk.

I was seventeen years old when for the first time on a Friday night I would hear five guys from Boston perform on The Midnight Special. Up to that night my favorite five guys from Boston was the rock band Aerosmith. However, on this Friday night I would become captivated by a new song 'Just What I Needed' performed by what would soon become my new favorite band from Boston, the Cars.

The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston a year earlier in 1976. The Cars would emerge from the new wave scene in the late 70's. The lineup consisted of singer, rhythm guitarist and songwriter Ric Ocasek, bassist and singer Benjamin Orr, lead guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson. 

The Cars were right at the forefront of merging the 70’s guitar oriented rock sound with the new synthesizer oriented pop sound. A sound that was now becoming more popular and mainstream during the early 80's. The Cars were one of the first bands to merge new wave/punk with that of the already popular tried and tested pop/rock sound. The music was a unique blend and it quickly propelled the Cars to the top of the music scene.

I was one of the six million who bought the debut album The Cars when it was released back in the summer of 1978. I also bought the 8 track version so my friend Dan and me could be 'Moving In Stereo' while cruising around in his old Cutlass Supreme. Ah, the good old days cruising around on the Yonge Street strip while listening to 'Good Times Roll', 'My Best Friend's Girl' and 'You're All I've Got Tonight'. Both of us wearing sunglasses, we thought we were so cool. 

We figured we could pick up any girls that we wanted. Afterall, doesn’t every girl want to be seen with a couple of dudes performing Cars car karaoke while riding around in their cadium car?

We quickly discovered that they don’t.

The Cars were a hit right from the start and were named best new artist in the 1978 Rolling Stone reader's poll. They also won the 1984 video of the year for 'You Might Think' at the first MTV Video Music Awards. Their debut album appeared on the Billboard 200 album chart for 139 weeks. I was lucky to see the Cars perform live twice. My favorite show was the Heartbeat City tour in August 1984 where I had third row seats for that concert at the old CNE Grandstand. They played Toronto a total of six times including their first show at the legendary El Mocambo bar on Spadina Avenue back in September 1978.

How I wish now that I would have been at that show.

It was the Cars who first motivated me to buy an electric guitar when I had dreams of being a rock star just like Ric Ocasek. I went down on the bus to the Long & McQuade store on Bloor Street where I purchased a brand new Yamaha electric guitar with a Traynor amp. I also purchased the Candy-O songbook with all the sheet music from the album. I was all set to 'Shoo Be Doo' and I could not wait to get home and start teaching myself some chords.

During this time of my life I was living in an apartment with my mother and she was not too impressed with my latest purchase. She hated the loud sounds I was making and within a couple of weeks she forbade me to play my new guitar while she was at home. When she was not at home, I cranked the amp up and played to an imaginary sold out crowd that had gathered outside my second floor bedroom window in the parking lot.

I sounded awful, yet I persisted in chasing my rock star dreams.

Neighbors began complaining to my mother and within a couple weeks I was forbidden to play my electric guitar at all while living under her roof. I made another trip back down to Bloor Street and I explained to the salesman my predicament. Since I could not get a refund my only choice was to exchange my now used month old electric guitar and amp for other merchandise. When I left the store, I was now the owner of a new Yamaha acoustic guitar.

A much quieter guitar. 

The salesman strongly suggested that I take some lessons, but I was confident I could still teach myself how to play on my new acoustic. But alas, the rock n’ roll Gods had other ideas. 

After bringing my new guitar home I took it out of the case and laid it on my small twin bed. My mother had just cleaned the floors and I was in my stocking feet. I still don’t know how it happened, but somehow I slipped. I must have done a 'move with a quirky jerk' and I crashed knee first right onto the top of my brand new guitar. The guitar had not even been in my apartment an hour, it was now completely destroyed. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I think I did both as my rock star dreams had died right where they began, in my bedroom. I was able to sell the case and some guitar pics to a friend who was in a garage band. The only thing that would remain from my potential rock n' roll stardom days was my Candy-O songbook.

A much laid back group, the Cars always struck me as a band who didn’t take themselves too seriously. They were never the rah-rah we need the audience to adore us type of band and it always seemed to me that Ric would rather be doing anything else other than performing.

I guess it was Ric’s shtick.

After a dozen years and six albums, the Cars announced they were breaking up in early 1988. Most of the members embarked on solo careers or played with other bands. Yet, none would enjoy the same success as when they were all together in the Cars. During the 90's there would be constant chatter that the Cars were reuniting for a new album along with a follow-up tour. It never happened and sadly in October 2000, Benjamin Orr died from pancreatic cancer. After Ben’s death any hope of a Cars reunion was now quashed for good.

Unfortunately all of my Cars record albums were ruined after I had mistakenly left them in the backseat of a car on a stifling hot summer day. When I returned later in the day the heat from the sun had warped every one of my Cars albums. They were all unplayable and I threw them all in the garbage. Although, I now wish I had kept the vintage album covers as a keepsake.

In 2011 the four remaining band members did reunite for a new album Move Like This and an eleven date mini tour that included a stop at Toronto’s Sound Academy. It was a more intimate setting with a much smaller crowd as compared to when they were in their heyday thirty years earlier. I knew that show would be the last time I would be able to see the Cars live, so naturally I was there.

There would never again be another Cars album or reunion tour.

In 2018 the Cars would finally receive their long overdue and much deserved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It would be the last time the Cars would ever perform together on stage. In September of 2019, Ric Ocasek would be found dead in his New York City home. He had died from natural causes while recovering from surgery, he was 75 years old.

Nowadays I always have the Cars greatest hits CD in my car. Over the years I have listened to it well over a hundred times already and I will no doubt listen to it a hundred more. Just like I have done for almost forty years, I still perform Cars car karaoke while wearing my sunglasses and riding around in my cadium car.

For now, 'It's All I Can Do'.