Honestly, I wouldn’t know many band members' names even if they bit me - that goes for pretty much any musical group. I love music, but I’ve never really cared to learn much about the bands who make it. Some of the really famous members whose names appear frequently in media I might recognize (by force), but for the most part...

A long time ago, I wandered into a pub at Ryerson campus after work one day. I didn’t go to school there, but I really enjoyed the comedy club, and that day I was way early. I figured I’d grab a bite to eat and maybe a beer before the show (plus, I’d have a guaranteed good seat for the comedy). I called a buddy of mine who was studying at Ryerson at the time, and he was planning to meet me there after finishing a computer assignment. I believe this was late summer of 1986.

When I arrived a little before 6 p.m., there was a band playing - no idea who they were - and I sat right in front of them, probably about six feet from the tiny stage which was maybe a foot high and set on the dance floor of the pub. There were no more than six other people there at the time. The lead singer and guitarist was a skinny, geeky-looking guy with thick-framed, oversized glasses and long, stringy blonde hair that I couldn’t help thinking really needed washing. He was wearing a jean jacket that had seen better days. There was a drummer, a bass guitarist, and a couple of cute girls singing backup vocals and moving rhythmically to the music at times.

When my buddy arrived, I told him they sounded pretty good - really decent for a free (and unexpected) show. We ordered some food, and then I went to use the restroom (I’d been waiting to avoid losing our front-row seats for the comedy show). When I returned, the band was playing “I’m an Adult Now” by The Pursuit of Happiness. I commented on how they really sounded like the band I’d been hearing a lot lately on Q107 - the singer had the voice down perfectly... “something something Happiness... I can’t remember,” I said.

Then my friend said, “The Pursuit of Happiness?”

“Yeah! That’s it!” I exclaimed. “They sound just like them.”

He laughed and said, “Probably because it *is* them, Homer.”

 Turns out the video I linked above was a homebrew (I know... no shit) that got massive airplay on MTV and the song was getting lots of play on radio but they had yet to cut a recording to sell to the general public.  Still, if I was paying attention, I would have known who they were.