Every guitar has a story. “Tell me about that guitar, Tom,” asked fellow guitarist friend Bill Eyster, between songs at a friend’s party/gig the other night. “What kind is it?” I gave him some details on its provenance, Epiphone, mid-range price, a little over 20 years old…that I always liked its warm tone.

But what I didn’t tell him is the longer story. That first of all, officially, it’s my wife’s! I’ve been borrowing it for a long time. Enter the Time Machine with me, back to 2002 and to my first time seeing a concert of one our favorite bands, The Lost Dogs:

Let me reiterate caption above, the face of the young woman in the audience, on the album cover, listening intently, is my wife, Elizabeth, age 24, in 2002, when this concert DVD of The Lost Dogs was filmed in north suburban Chicago. The producers of the release were big indie rock fans, and no doubt where was some nod to the Wilco song of the same name (Via Chicago) which was from 1999.

This was her special night. We drove up from DeMotte in the red Ford Probe, and met my brother Jon and his wife Hollie, who drove over from Michiana.

We barely afforded the gas and tickets, but we were thrilled. In the lobby of the venue, there was a raffle of a guitar signed in silver sharpie by Derri Daugherty. (maybe my wife’s favorite Lost Dog) Elizabeth spent her last dollar, literally, on a ticket for the drawing.

By the time of the drawing, we had heard a solo set from Jesse Sprinkle opening the show, and close to an hour of the Dogs at their best. So when the promoters came up to announce the winner of the guitar, it was the last thing on our minds.

The winner is, “Elizabeth…Adamson…?” All I heard was “Adamson” and jumped up over joyed. I started the leave the seat, “Get back here,” Elizabeth said, taking my elbow, it was my ticket! So it was. She went up, shook hands with the band and received the applause and shiny new Epiphone.

The proceeds of the drawing went to a food bank or ministry to the homeless, as I recall.

But the broke rock kids, that E and I were, took home a gift of our own. That sunburst beauty. I didn’t use it much in the first few years. As I had a blonde dreadnought I bought at Marion music and sound during the M.Cotu years. But once I lost (sigh) that guitar at some point around 2012, the darker guitar was used all the time.

We got to know each other better of the years. And over the years Derri’s signature was rubbed off the varnish through use. The last vestiges flecked off around the time I needed the guitar the most, my move to Tennessee, and getting to know the Hill Brothers et all, but that, as they say, is another story…