We all thought it was good-natured mockery, but it turns out that Jake 10-Ant, the new wave working-class savior of local yore, really did have a chip on his shoulder when it came to higher education.

Jake’s tune “Professor Pits” was released 20 years ago this month. It became an anthem for the 100-watt radio station at the college on the hill, especially around exam time. Jake’s opinion of this success was unknown. His was a one-man-band hermit-with-a-bedroom-four-track operation. He played every instrument on his records and never played out as 10-Ant.

Later on, Jake got social (under his real surname, Tennant) and joined the No One Heres, ultimately taking the band over as a vehicle for his own songs.

So when the class-of-20-years-ago at the college on the hill was planning its reunion party earlier this year, they realized there was a chance to hire Jake and hear their precious “Professor Pits” live at the shindig.

They called and offered real money. Jake said no. Jake said he’d never appreciated the irony of the song getting played on college radio. Said it was a slam on all academia. Wished the students had gotten the message, dropped out, and made a difference.

(We deliver this version of the conversation second-hand. Jake was unavailable for comment due to a recent death in the family.)

College grads can get lofty and superior-sounding when they deal with School of Hard Knocks rabble such as Jake 10-Ant. They blustered and bullied and otherwise insisted. When he continually declined their increasingly less gracious offer, they went to the remaining members of the No One Heres and asked them to do it instead. The band’s guitartist Rick Renkrack (ne Wankrackowicz) took the money and agreed to play the gig, only because he hadn’t been told of Jake’s refusal. When he went to round up the rest of the band and learned the truth, he was stuck. The college reunionizers had anticipated this and drawn up a nasty contract. Jake was immovable, implacable in his convictions.

So how’d the show go? Like a college textbook with a chapter missing. Jake actually played, under a hat and sunglasses, with the No One Heres—on nearly every song. When it came time for “Professor Pits,” the band bowed their heads and put down their instruments. A button was pushed and the original recording of “Professor Pits,” replete with old college-radio tape-pod ID-check intro, blared over the PA. There was a lone complaint from one of the event’s overbearing organizers. Everyone else gave high marks to the maneuver, and took part in a particularly embarassing collegiate conga dance.

Tonight: Heated Hot Hotter at the Bullfinch. Candles will apparently be utitlized for a light show… A.O. Smith & The Naviens at Hamilton’s… An Evening with Bradford White (who of course is nothing without his guitarist Core Noritz) at D’ollaire’s…