I remember organizing the first Red Herring music festivals and producing the first records like it was yesterday.

I was still fresh from dropping out of the pre-med program at the University of Illinois, confronting my draft board about Vietnam ("Give me a CO, or I'll go to jail," I said ... ) and learning some of my first guitar licks from Dan Fogelberg, Steve Reinwand, and Peter Swinnerton.

Today ... well, let's see: I'm pretty much doing the same thing. I have a crew of 30 lighting technicians, audio guys, and video camera operators, and we film at the Sierra Nevada Brewery instead of a church coffeehouse ... so that's changed.

But basically: A bunch of guys and gals show up and play music, and I record it, and the PBS and various record labels release the results to the public.

Some things never change.

I'm basically still a troublemaker ... a 17 year old brain trapped in a 57 year old body.

Proof: I had too many beers with two friends at Duffy's bar in Chico recently, and when we realized that all three of us had burned our draft cards back in 1967, we tried to re-enact the scene by buring our AARP cards right on the spot. Set off the fire alarm and got tossed out of the bar, but it was WORTH it!

Wow: I've never been good at math, but was I living in the tower over the Channing Murray Foundation nearly 40 years ago?

Look:

To say the Red Herring changed my life would be an understatement.

I've had an incredible career as a musician, audio engineer, journalist, fry cook, teacher, author, abalone fisherman, and baloney synthesist ... (Do not look me up on Google. That stuff about steroids and human growth hormones during my years as the captain of the Red Herring "Freaks" basketball team is all a bunch of lies)

I will say this: Without the love, support, and friendhip from this incredible cast of characters who are showing up for the reunion, I'd probably be a dentist today.

That's almost enough reason to drop all of my responsiblities and fly out there just to give out a few hugs.

Peter Berkow

Chico California
Feb 14, 2008