DEEP THOUGHTS ON UNDERCOVER...BY RICH EVANS For anyone who has been living under a rock (or outside Seattle, or not reading any of my bulletins, etc) Undercover is a band I played with this weekend to celebrate not only the 2nd anniversary of Exotic Underground magazine, but the grand opening of the Fenix at it's new location.In the weeks leading up to this show people quit, new people joined, egos flared, livers were destroyed, and various other mishaps threatened to derail the project. Yet through all the adversity we faced individually as well as collectively, we not only pulled it off, but put on a show that ranks as one of the best (if not THE best) shows I've ever been a part of. As I've been playing music upwards of 20 years, that's not a statement I make lightly - or insincerely.Furthermore, everyone that stuck it out left the stage grinning from ear to ear. New friends and alliances were made, and old friends shared moments that will stay with them til they day they die.It was all so surreal. From Knuck getting a lift to the stage on Fenix owner Rick's Harley, to the drum off between James Beam and Dick Whiskey in "Space Truckin", to people running around the stage like it was a playground at recess, to ...aw hell a shit load of other things - you had to be there.From a more personal point of view, two specific moments stand out that made my smile just a little bit wider. One was at the end of "Only Women Bleed", which was literally arranged two nights before the show. I knew Jenny Bendel, who was singing it, was a little nervous, especially having to follow Nils Scurvy belting out "Ace Of Spades" - which freaked out everyone in the room.As "Bleed" was winding down, having gone really well, Jenny and I were looking right into each other's eyes. I could see the relief wash over her face, having nailed the song. It was almost like watching someone lifting a ten ton weight from her shoulders. Having been in similar situations before, I could feel the combination of joy, relief, and pride in her accomplishment emanating from her. Seeing someone take a genuine risk onstage and succeeding is one of the greatest things to behold either as a performer or an observer. Way to go, Jenny!The other moment was during my guitar solo in "Talk Dirty To Me." Being probably the least recognizable member of the band (except for maybe Andreas), I was understandably not the center of attention for a big chunk of the show. Even during my vocal turn on "Dead Flowers" I felt as if I was more a supporting player. I'm fine with that most of the time, but I realized that up to then I'd pretty much stayed in a small pocket of the stage.So after that song, I started zipping around the stage, as my wireless unit left me untethered. As the set wore on, and the crowd realized I was the only person that hadn't left the stage yet, people started looking my way more often. Still, I was cool with just being there as a supporting player, and was having the time of my life just rocking out with my friends.When the "Talk" solo came around, and Spike Hell said "Richie, pick up that guitar and TALK to me," I jumped up front, where I was immediately felt up by some really hot girls at the front of the stage. The whole time I'm alternately thinking, "nail the solo" and, "oooohhh - that feels nice!" For those of you who have never had a bunch of hotties stroking your legs while you play a guitar solo in front of a bunch of screaming lunatics, I highly recommend the experience. It was like I walked into an 80s music video for a moment.Because of these and countless other memorable moments on and off stage, I'd like to thank everyone in Undercover for making Saturday night the incredible experience it was. Each and every one of you were nothing short of amazing in one way or another. Thank you all for your hard work, openness to constructive criticism, and honesty with your constructive criticisms toward me as well as the rest the players. Without such we would never have pulled this off. I'd also like to thank John Voge for making it all happen, and having the faith in me to pull this together.Thanks also to all the photographers, studios, and others who were generous with their time and resources. Also thanks to all of you who witnessed this event, and made it all that much easier to rock the house.