One week after the band’s live radio broadcast, Parousia returned to Uncle Sam’s on September 10, 1981 for an encore performance. This time the band split the bill with another local rock act, The Beez with Tom Geraci. (Aka: Parousia’s arch nemesis).

Both bands shared Backstage Productions as a booking agency.  Dave Buffamonti focused on booking gigs for all bands under his purview.  Rick Falcowski, (who put forth effort into managing our band when time permitted), had his hands full with Buffalo Backstage Magazine and arranging the First Annual Buffalo Backstage Music Awards scheduled on November 23 at a club called Rooftops Lounge on Seneca Street in Buffalo where Parousia performed “MYRON” on stage in front of a live audience and taped for TV broadcast.

There were a few reasons why we disliked the Beez.  First, their choice of music was redundant. Sure, all bands on the working circuit had to play cover songs that audiences recognized, so we couldn’t fault them for that but the Beez never became ambitious… They never tried to reach beyond cover songs like, “I Shot the Sheriff” by Eric Clapton and “Rock n’ Roll Hoochie Koo” by Rick Derringer.

Meanwhile, we worked our asses off writing and performing original songs that aimed to blow people’s minds, like “Myron”, “Malmedy”, “Lucifer’s Lament”, “MissOgyny”, and “Cotton Holiday”.  When we chose cover songs, we stretched our limits with songs like, “Perpetual Change” by Yes, “Squonk” by Genesis, “Toronto Tontos” by Max Webster, “Cross Eyed Mary” by Jethro Tull, “Hold Your Head Up” by Argent and “Hocus Pocus” by Focus.

Second, it just bugged us that at times we were overlooked and the Beez given chances that we felt we deserved.  Like when the Beez opened for Warner’s Brothers recording artists Ambrosia at Shea’s Theater. Our band was the only progressive rock band handled by Backstage Productions. Opening for Ambrosia would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce Parousia’s original songs to a concert crowd that in all likelihood, would appreciate the music.

Third, the Beez thought they were better than us but they weren’t.  Both Patt Connolly and Tom Geraci were nominated as “Best Male Vocalist of the Year 1981” (Jeff Cosco from Cheater and Bob Maggio from Fat Brat won that competition).  That same year, both Parousia and the Beez were nominated as “Best Show Group”.

Out of the five groups nominated (Beez, Talas, Cheater, Parousia and Backroads), our band was the one actual show group.  Parousia used costumes, props and pyrotechnics to bring the show to life and created segues between songs to loosely form an overall theme (i.e.: Good vs. Evil).  Talas and Cheater won the show group category, which baffled us. Yes, both were great bands and cool to watch but not really a ‘show band’.

Parousia was paid $100.00 to open for the Beez at Uncle Sam’s.  We brought along ex- Parousia guitarist turned sound-man extraordinaire, Mr. John McGovern from UniStage to manage the mixing board.  Dave Styn “head-roadie” did the gig for $20.00 and his brother Steve Styn was paid $10.00 along with the rest of the road-crew Tom Miller and Keith Huels.  $50.00 was paid out for “materials” (Cheap drugs or very cheap groupies’ perhaps??) The truck expense was deferred, a shared cost with our concert tomorrow night in the Buff State Social Hall.

All in all we paid out $126.00 in expense, leaving us with negative $26.00 but this show wasn’t about the money. To be seen at heard at Uncle Sam’s on a Thursday night was all about exposure and hopefully picking up a few new fans.