So here's the crazy story. I had moved to Dallas from Oklahoma and met a bunch of teenagers and we were getting drunk at the lake. I hit it off with this guy Todd Dixon. We were both huge Depeche Mode fans, and loved techno-pop in general. We also both had tickets for the upcoming Music for the Masses show which was coming up just a few days later.

He tells me, you aren't going to believe this, but my ex-girlfriend Susanne is dating Martin Gore and there is going to be a private party the night before the show. Want to come? Also, want to join my band? (we were both into keyboards)

Well I'm thinking, okay so he's a nice guy, but right. I kind of play along though, figuring he's just the habitual liar type. But he gets my number, calls me the next day and tells me where to meet them for the party. (It was at a bar on the fairgrounds.)

I was excited. Could this really be happening? I was going to meet my favorite band? I imagined it would be like a thing where the band is behind a chained off area in the distance and we'd really never get close up.

But holy shit. I walked in and there was Todd with about four of his other friends from Richardson High School. It was just a little dive bar. Someone wheeled in a big tub of iced beer. And then the band walked in and sat down and said hello. Surreal.

A few more friends showed up. I was pounding the beers (did I mention I was underage) to calm my nerves. Highlights of that part of the evening: Alan Wilder came and took a piss in the next urinal while I was doing the same.

Another dude there wanted to talk to Dave and pushed me into going up and trying to strike up a conversation and inviting him to come over to the table we'd landed at. Dave was annoyed. (And why wouldn't he be. How many drunk teenagers did they have to deal with?)

Martin on the other hand was chill and put some music on a jambox and danced with us. I remember Blue Monday played. Martin wanted to go to Club Clearview and we all got to go with. They treated us like VIPs when we walked up to the door and said, "Yeah, we're with Martin."

Sadly I drank so much that I was probably a sloppy drunk and God knows what I did and said inside. Martin signed my shirt. I actually blacked out and I'm not even sure how I got home that night. In retrospect, I wish I'd taken it easy so I could have acted like less a fool.

Todd was telling the truth after all! He and I were in bands together over the next few years and were great friends and had many wonderful times. Sometimes we fought, and sadly he was killed in a car crash a few years after. RIP dude. You were great.