Despite the early hour, Toad’s is hopping. Chris leads his friends around to the canal entrance, where April hands their passes to a bouncer blocking twin glass doors that vibrate from the pounding music inside. Once they’re waved through, Chris takes the stairs two at a time to reach the second floor, then hurries down the bare corridor to the open door of the club. Inside, the lights are doused, pitching the club into darkness; the only illumination comes from the stage, where Barry’s band is already playing. Chris pushes through the mass of bumping bodies, grinding between strangers as he shoves toward the stage. He manages to get up close—this is a small club, and there’s nothing separating the stage from the dance floor, so Chris bullies his way into the crowd until he’s right up fron
