When I first heard Tom Waits’ album, “Small Change,” I felt a big change. Totally inspired. Waits raised the bar on writing songs that are stories (true or not) about people - common people in bright beams of complex metaphors. In the 70’s, I lived in Hollywood. I had a friend, a road manager, named Knute. Knute had worked with all the big names, and some smaller names, like me. He had managed several of Tom Waits’ tours, and knew Tom well. I was always pestering Knute about Tom Waits. “What’s he really like?” “Is his persona just an act, or is he really like that?” All Knute would say was, “Tom is the real deal.” One Saturday afternoon, I was walking up Ivar Street, between Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard. I had just been to see a movie at the Cinerama Dome - but I don’t recall the movie. Coming toward me on the sidewalk, I saw two distinctly recognizable guys. It was Tom Waits and Chuck E. Weiss. Classic Tom Waits; tight, black slacks, baggy silk shirt, and his trademark crumpled hat. He walked with a cool, lanky stride that few white men can pull off. As he got closer, I stopped and reached out to shake his hand. He stopped, smiled, and shook my hand. I said, “Mr. Waits, I’m a big fan. I’ve got all your records, and I’ve seen a lot of your shows.” Then I heard it - that one-of-a-kind gravel voice as he said, “Thanks, man. What’s your name?” I said, “My name is Joel. I’m a friend of Knute’s, and I’ve been begging him to introduce me to you for ages.” Waits turned to Chuck E., and said, “This is Joel. He knows Knute.” Chuck E. shook my hand, turned around and sat on the curb. Waits patted my shoulder, and as if he was inviting me to a sacred ritual, he said, “Joel, let’s pull up some curb.” So the three of us sat there on the curb on Ivar Street. (At a glance, I’m sure we looked like a trio of lost, homeless winos.) Chuck E. didn’t say much, but Waits was very talkative. He said, “Knute is like that guy, The Scrounger, in The Great Escape. He can get you anything, anytime, anywhere. If You want a cheese burger in Bombay at four in the morning, he’ll find it, in spite of the sacred cow.” After about ten minutes, we stood up and said our good-byes. Waits and Chuck E. headed off to see the next showing of the movie I had just seen - whatever it was.

- Joel Timothy