2nd
Toto: “Hold the Line”
1978
The members of Toto are backstage preparing for their show. They are studio vets who’ve worked with Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, Seals & Crofts and Sonny & Cher. They are frightened.
Drummer Jeff Porcaro, musters his strength. “All in, fellas. Come on. We can do this.” He places his hand out. He hopes his bandmates don’t notice the slight tremble but see the strength in his eyes and join their hands to his.
Jeff’s brother Steve, the keyboardist, knows his brother well enough to know that he’s scared. But he also knows that Jeff is no coward. He sees that Jeff is battling, against unbelievable odds. Their father told them that that was courage: being scared but battling anyway. “Let’s go guys! Hands in!”
The rest of the band takes strength in the Brothers Porcaro. They place their hands in.
Steve Lukather, or “Luke” to his bandmates, feels the rush of gallantry surge through the hands. It feels like that first solo he played for Boz Scaggs. When he seemed to be at once totally in tune to himself and outside of himself watching himself. He pulsated now just like he had then in the studio. He looked around at the band. “We’re fucking Toto. Hold the line, men. Hold the line.”
It was “Toto” on three and then the band was like a tornado whirling out onto the stage. They plugged in. Jeff counted down on the sticks, “1-2-3-4-“
LUIS JACKSON
The band came to halt. There was that name. The thing that had instilled fear in their hearts, burning violet above them.
LUIS JACKSON
The name of neon torment that had been haunting them for weeks. Its incandescence mocked them.
LUIS JACKSON
The band regrouped around Jeff at the kit.
“We will not quit!” Jeff raged.
“Fuck Luis Jackson!” Steve cried.
Luke pulsated like the hovering neon name but his light was white, true, good. “Hold! the! line! Hold! the! line! Hold! the! line!”
The band joined in the chant. Jeff counted down. The band burst into “Hold the Line”. The audience perplexed by the violet name above the stage suddenly forget all about it as the Power of Toto sent shockwaves through their minds erasing all but one thing, which shined like the Sun:
TOTO
