Lentorama 2023: It Happened on Holy Saturday

Day 34: Last and first bookings

Saturday, April 5, 1980, marked the final episode of the TV show Hawaii 5-0, in which Honolulu police detective Steve McGarrett finally get his arch-nemesis, Wo Fat, in handcuffs. He'd been chasing after Wo Fat since the first episode in 1968, so you can imagine this final incantation of "Book him, Dan-O" was especially sweet.

Playing at their first booking on the same day was the band that would become R.E.M. They played the birthday part of Kathleen O'Brien, who introduced Michael Stipe and Peter Buck to Bill Berry and Mike Mills. Which seems like the least they could do, in hindsight.