Previously on Freaks and Geeks: Pilot, Beers and Weirs, Tricks and Treats, Kim Kelly is My Friend, Tests and Breasts

This episode, I'm with the Band, is directed by Judd Apatow and was written by Gabe Sachs and Paul Feig.  Judd Apatow...you may have heard of some of his work.  I won't mention it because I don't want to annoy the hell out of you but if you haven't heard of him then I applaud you for living cut off from the world of entertainment.

Plot Summary: Lindsay encourages Nick to pursue a career in music. Nick continues to practice with his current band, but quickly decides he's better than them. Lindsay encourages Nick to audition for a bigger local band. When things don't go well in the audition, Lindsay is there to comfort Nick. After learning they have to shower in gym class, Sam, Bill, and Neil refuse to do it.

OK, the one story line of the guys refusing to shower after gym class is somewhat interesting.  I always thought mass showering was degrading.  I started that in freshmen year of high school.  No it wasn't after gym class, it was the morning before classes.  I lived in a dorm and I hated how the shower room was situated.  The stalls faced out into the drying/waiting room so everyone got to watch you shower and to make matters worse, of the 10 showers only 4 were operational with hot water so most mornings you had someone watching to see when you were finished.  Gym class wasn't that bad because you were in a hurry to get to class but it was still creepy.  At least the school had individual shower heads on the wall instead of the post in the middle of the room so its like everyone is gathering around the pole.  This episode also contains the famous streaking scene involving Sam.

I also enjoy the story of Nick playing drums.  Playing along to the music is classic.  I do that all the time.  I am sure the neighbors appreciate me struggling to play but one time they did say my Smoke on the Water sounded great.  Also when Nick auditions for the band look for creator Paul Feig's cameo.  He plays the bass player.  In real life he is a very talented musician and did write some of the musical scores for the series.  Writer Gabe Sachs also makes a cameo as the drummer auditioning before Nick and the sound mixer is a cameo by another fixutre on the show Jeff Judah.  I finally figured it out.  The bass player in Nick's band is named Sean.  In real life his name is Shaun Weiss and he was the goalie in The Mighty Ducks.

I also get thinking about how many people had "bands" in high school.  I never was in one but I just dreamed of playing.  I sit in my room at either the dorm or at the houses at the other school I attended and played and dreamt about one daying being on stage.  I never did appear on stage in a band but I did appear on stage once and got a pie in the face.

This episode also begins the love story between Nick and Lindsay and eventually that story gets creepily entertaining.

There are two errors in this episode. First, Lindsay and Nick are listening to "The Spirit of Radio" in his basement as he does his best to play along with his idol, Neil Peart. The show is set in 1980, and in the second episode John Bonham dies, which did happen that year. This is just three episodes later, and just two after the one that was on Halloween. So it seems like it's still supposed to be 1980, but they're listening to the live version of the song which was on Exit...Stage Left. But that album came out in 1981, so they're just off by about a few months to a year.  Also, Daniel's Guitar has a Misfits sticker on it, but it's of a logo they didn't use until 1981.  So...minor.

Music: "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush; "Sunshine of Your Love" (Cream), butchered by Seth Rogen and Creation; "Crossroads" (Cream), performed by Dimension; "White Room" by Cream; "One Step Beyond" by Madness

Quotes:
Neil: My mom says women prefer guys with a good sense of humor.
Bill: But you're not funny.
Neil: Screw you. I'm hilarious!

Sam: Will girls ever like us?
Neil: I think our best play is to go for the smart, sexy librarian type.
Sam: Cindy Sanders is, like, a librarian type.
Neil: Yeah, librarian for the Playboy mansion.

Mom: Lindsay, just say the words, it'll make him feel better.
Lindsay: Sam, you have a beautiful body, you're an Adonis, a slab of beef. If I wasn't your sister... Oh, my God!

So here is the episode, enjoy

This post was difficult to type because I was wearing my dry-ice handling gloves.
Shine on you crazy diamonds!
Hail, Obama!