Steve Dahl remembers Disco Demolition Night (again)

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: Steve Dahl remembers Disco Demolition Night : by Steve Dahl : July 9, 2009 | Chicago Tribune : Every year around his time I am inundated with requests to give interviews about the events of July 12, 1979. As the 30th anniversary of Disco Demolition Night approaches, I have limited my interviews to two TV segments and one print interview. I will be featured on SportsCenter (Jeremy Schaap) and Comcast SportsNet Chicago (Chuck Garfien) Sunday evening. I have graciously accepted my own offer to interview myself for the Chicago Tribune. Let's begin ... : What was with the stupid army get-up? : I don't know. I had envisioned an anti-disco army. A sort of paramilitary group of rock 'n' rollers. : Seriously? : Vietnam was over, and it seemed as if we needed a military presence somewhere. : You realize the jacket was about two sizes too small. : Yes, it was the biggest one that they had. : You realize that get-up made you look like one of the Village People, right? : Yes, in hindsight, it did seem to have a Village People sort of feel to it. : Are you a macho man? : No, more of a nacho man. : How does it make you feel that people are still talking about Disco Demolition Night 30 years later? : It makes me feel as if I am an oldies band performing at Ribfest in Naperville. : That's a bad thing? : Not a bad thing, but I'd like to be remembered for more than just that. : Such as? : Such as telling people to use Necco Wafers instead of quarters in the tollway baskets. : Does that work? : It used to. I have an I-Pass, and I wouldn't recommend it. It makes them very angry. : So you'd like to be remembered for more than just Disco Demolition Night? : Yes, I think that being on the air and near the top of the ratings heap on Chicago radio for 30 years counts for something too. : Tell that to Wally Phillips. : Good point. I'll take what I can get. What else would you like to know about DD? That's what I call it, DD. You know, Disco Demolition. : Very clever. : Don't mock me. : What were your thoughts as you arrived at Comiskey Park that night? : I saw a lot of people selling T-shirts outside the park, with the Insane Coho Lips name on them, and it occurred to me that I should have planned ahead and made some shirts of my own to sell. : Insane Coho Lips? : Yes, that was the name of our anti-disco army. The Insane Unknowns were a popular gang back then, and I passed the Coho fishing fleet in Burnham Harbor every morning on my way to work, so I put the two together, and viola. : Seriously? : Yes, it's just that easy for me. : So, you had no idea Disco Demolition Night ... : DD. : So you had no idea that DD was going to be as big as it was? : No, I thought it was going to be a failure. Even if I drew 10,000 fans, the place would have still looked empty. I was just hoping I wouldn't be too embarrassed. I mean, I was dressed up like a fat G.I. Joe, singing "Do You Think I'm Disco" a cappella and running around blowing up records. : When did you know that it was going to be bigger than you had ever imagined? : When I finally got down on the field and felt the beer-fueled energy of he crowd. I might have also smelled a little pot. They were throwing cherry bombs at me. Never schedule an event that close to the 4th of July. : You mentioned alcohol and drugs. Were you high? : I don't think so. I feared for my life and my career. : What else were you thinking? : I hope to God that my pants don't split when I do my John Travolta dance move!

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