...Back to Depeche Mode...As time went on I bought more and more back issue records.  My friend Ryan and I were totalyy into them.  I used to ride my bike to The Record PX in Fountain Valley CA -they were the closest and one of the best import record shops around.  I bought may of the early color vinyl pressings there. 

Pretty soon it was time for Music For the Masses...I was a Freshman in highschool, didn't really know anyone, but a new DM album was great company! Music for the Masses came out in Late September. I had the tape first and the Blue Vinyl second.  I saw Dm live on December 4th, 1987 at the Forum in LA.  It was a crazy rainy night.  I remember driving up to LA in my best friend's green VW rabbit....we broke down on the freeway...but were able to fix the problem and made it to the show....I don't really remember the show...I was too young to drink and naive for anything else....but I do know that I was in total fanatic awe of this band.  I remember watching with tears in my eyes how crazy it was that this group that I idolized was actually live in front of me...

During the next part of the year, singles would occassionally appear at the PX and we learned of the coding for them: BongXX and limited editions LBongXX and EXLBONGXX.  One of my treasures is a 10" vinyl of Behind the Wheel.  It is still in mint condition and has a sticker, postcard, and Iron On that came with it...it is numbered and extra limited edition...

...Then the morning came....on the way to school in Chris Henry's old Audi A4... the live announcement on KROQ...Depeche Mode were coming back to California for the final show of the tour at the Rose Bowl.  I was so estatic.... and tickets went on sale that Saturday....

..June 18, 1988 with a diverse line up including Thomas Dolby, Wire, The iteration of the Pet Shop Boys at the Time (Electronic) and DM.  I bought field seats.  It was a crazy magical day.  First off, I had my first driving lesson that morning, my friend Rob drove again to the show...we were 3/4 back on the field with 77000 people....and crazily, my seats were right behind my good friend and fellow fanatic Emmett Clark...I felt "that deep (what I called religious) feeling again and was high on life.  It was such a huge stage and venue and only the third or 4th concert I had seen.  I'll never forget seeing lightning in the sky during Blasphemous Rumors (At least I think so...) With abodon, I ran to get as close to the stage as I could....I got to maybe the 20th row and was out of my mind...dancing , singing, free.  It was a life changing event, everything from the parking on the golf course to the heat of the day to the giant food fight to the anticipation and show was larger that I could imagine life could be....