I have an old collapsible, accordion style folder full of concert ticket stubs. They go back a long time. A very long time. I fished through it and pulled out a few at random. Here are some thoughts and flashbacks.
Rush
The Palace Theatre — Albany, NY — 01/22/1980 —
My second Rush concert. Again Max Webster was the opening act. Again we are sitting in the balcony. Their album Permanent Waves had just been released a week before, so some of the songs were new to us. But the greats like 2112, By-Tor and Hemispheres were magnificent. La Villa Strangiato was a mind altering encore. Just like last year.
I have a fondness in my heart for the Palace. It was built in the 30s. (If I remember correctly) Albany, like all cities, has its share of shabby neighborhoods and the Palace is surrounded by one, and a few weeks ago when I happened to be in New York I drove by and was cheered, for some reason, to see that not much had changed. Although now that I’m older I am less frightened by and more charmed by gritty neighborhoods that manage to survive decade after decade. On this rainy night the marquee and outer lobby lights were like a beacon and I wished I didn’t have someplace to be. I would have jumped out of the car and mingled with the concert goers gathered on the wet sidewalk. I thought of all the shows I have seen there, Rush in 1979 being my first. Front row balcony that night! Some other real gems; Santana, The Kinks, The Tubes, Anderson and Wakeman, to name just a few..
I am reminded here that I also saw the very last show Rush ever played. August 1, 2105. At the Fabulous Los Angeles Forum. Nobody knew it at the time, except maybe the band, but that was a wrap. They played with as much passion as they did thirty-five years before. They, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, were a force in the music world; perfectionists, workaholics, unique, artists, teachers and, in the case of Peart, a writer/lyricist. They made a lot of noise for three guys. And we, their loyal fan base, remain dedicated after all this time.
In a book called Far and Wide Peart later wrote about that final concert. He did a few things that night that he never did in forty years of touring. First, from the stage he took pictures of both Geddy and Alex. And then after the encore he came out from behind his drum kit and took a bow with them. In photos they both look surprised to see him. I imagine the most fanatic of Rush fans might have suspected something unusual was happening. But we figured that if this was their last show ever they would have announced it. Wouldn’t they have? Well, no, and they didn’t.
Neil Peart took another picture that night. He was a fine photographer as all his travel books prove. But until that memorable evening he had never captured the audience at any of their concerts. In the picture part of the crowd is lit up and they are waving their hands in the air, the neck of Geddy’s bass sticks up from the left corner. And just behind and above the soundboard to the right is where I am with Los, Todd H and Shel. Of course we are too far and away to identify but I assure you it’s us. And how thrilling to think that we are in the only picture that the great drummer ever took of his fans. A small slice of Rock and Roll history.
Al Stewart
The Mystic Theatre & Music Hall — Petaluma, CA — 04/28/2001 — General Admission — $15.00
Before the show Joanna and I had some time to squander while waiting for Pak, Pam and Mike. We wandered around Petaluma, my first time visit. Surprisingly, we found a charming Irish bar, the name eludes me, and noticed a bottle of The Midleton on the back shelf. A long tradition of ours is to treat ourselves whenever we find a tavern that carries this finest of Irish whiskies.
“Two shots of The Midleton!” I say with glee to the lovely barkeep. She eyes us suspiciously for some reason. I don’t doubt that I am a bit shaggy but I’m sitting next to Joanna, who is always radiant.
The bartender says, “They are twelve dollars each.” clearly insinuating my wallet may not be heavy enough. At that time a shot of The Midleton at my own bar, The Tee Off, was twenty-five dollars for an ounce and a half.
Joanna, without missing a beat and with authority says, “Make them doubles!”
Worth every penny! Part of the afternoon remains a bit blurry.
Al Stewart was great fun. He was joined by Peter White on guitar. He played all his hits and some great new songs from his album about wine. It seems he was now an oenophile. In my day it was called a wino. A fine line for sure. He told some stories, laughed a lot, played beautifully and sipped red wine throughout the night. All those old albums I love so much and played on my college radio show jumped back into my memory during that concert.
Just last month Al was supposed to here in Santa Barbara at a fundraiser for the Lobero Theatre. He was opening for The Allan Parson’s Project. Allan produced most of Stewart’s early great albums. Sadly they had to postpone. Covid-19 is still wreaking chaos with concerts.
Time Passages indeed.
Nanci Griffith
Mountain Winery — Saratoga, CA — 06/29/2002 — Section A, Row B, Seat F — $35.00
Sweet, sweet Nanci! The Mountain Winery is the old Paul Masson Vineyard. A lovely chateau, rather old style and classy. The theatre is very intimate. I felt so close to Nanci that I kept thinking she was going to turn my way and ask if I had any requests.
Before the show we, Brenda, Chip and I, wandered the grounds and then had dinner on the terrace. All very relaxing. The wines were nice. It was a one warm, or I should say “Fair Summer Evening”, perfect to listen to music under the stars.
Again, sweet sweet Nanci, that night she was truly beautiful. There is really is nobody quite like her. She opened with John Prine’s Speed of the Sound of Loneliness and a collective shiver ran through the crowd. She was captivating. The other song that night that moved me to tears was There’s a Light Beyond These Woods Mary Margret. It captures so much emotion, friendship, aging, loss, and love. It’s a remarkable song. It still resonates with me for what I pretend to be obscure reasons.
Nanci passed away recently after twenty plus years of reoccurring cancers. The night that I heard the news I played the first album of hers that I ever bought. That would have been in 1988 when it came out. One Fair Summer Evening. I’ve played that one hundreds and hundreds of times. It’s a great driving album to listen to on long trips. I’ve carried it everywhere.
I saw Nanci before as well as after that concert at The Mountain Winery but that performance stands out for some reason. She was absolutely radiant there on that simple outdoor stage trying her best to explain the mysteries of love and sadness and heartbreak. And I loved her for it!
Aerosmith
Santa Barbara County Bowl — 07/07/2015 — Section D, Row O, Seat 6 — $120.50
Finally! It took me a long time to see these guys. Mide was so happy. He’d been on me for years and years. They were his favorite band. I don’t even know how many times he had seen them. I’ll have to ask Kev Mahon.
The band was right on that night. They’d been sober for years by this time and were really playing sharp, loud and crisp. It was their first, and so far only, concert at The Bowl. Joe Perry said his wife usually came to every show but tonight she was house shopping because they fell in love with Santa Barbara. They rocked it right up to the curfew. It was a very satisfying setlist. All the favorites and a few old gems from my youth. Mama Kin was ripping hot.
The next morning I called Mide to give him a critique. He asked what was my highlight. I had to admit that Last Child shook the house. He agreed that was usually a monster song performed live.
A few years later Mide was rushed to the hospital and it was dire. Mark called me at three AM his time. Mide was in and out of consciousness. My last words to him from three thousand miles away, relayed by Mark, were, “You’re just a punk in the street.” Lyrics from Last Child and a favorite compliment of ours to each other. I hope he heard them….
Sir Andras Schiff
Lobero Theatre — SB, CA — 04/12/2018 — Row K, Seat 30 — $54.00
My favorite interpreter of Beethoven’s piano sonatas. On this night he played No. 24. Masterfully, I must say. He also treated us to some Bach and Brahms. I sat next to two, who I would call, Matrons of the Arts. Before the concert they explained a few nuances of the program to me which certainly added to my enjoyment of the performance.
Sir Andras was handsome and elegant in his tuxedo and my seat mates practically swooned when he walked on stage. He has a very charismatic presence. Two plus hours flew by and after a moving encore, a Mozart piece that I was unfamiliar with, my mind and heart were somehow closer together. Which is exactly what great art is suppose to achieve. Simply a remarkable concert.
Yes
With the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Hollywood Bowl — 07/30/2001 — Sec M1, Row 13, Seat 7 — $33.50
At stop at Musso and Frank for a martini preconcert set the mood.
It was an exciting show regardless of the fact that Rick Wakeman wasn’t with the band on this tour. He would return in 2002. So they replaced him with an orchestra and it worked pretty well. After an overture the band took the stage opening with Close to the Edge. It was magnificent and set a high bar for the rest of the evening. Yes music lends itself well to big arrangements and the sound that night under the stars was perfect, loud and flawless. They dished out all the classics with highlights, for me, being The Gates of Delirium and Ritual. Both long and powerful renditions. Howe’s playing was particularly enchanting.
I always feel such a sense of living in historic California when I attended concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Like other famous venues, Madison Square Garden jumps to mind, the ambience somehow becomes part of the show. There is a sense of tradition here. I always get the feeling that the artists on stage, Yes being no exception, are playing with a slightly elevated energy. There is something about the Hollywood Hills that is famously magical.
I am rarely tongue-tied or flustered around celebrities. I have waited on many during my years behind the bar at the Tee Off. But when I saw Chris Squire sitting across the room at Lucky’s I felt apprehension about approaching him. He was enjoying lunch with his wife and young son. It was certainly a casual atmosphere. He walked by carrying his boy and engaged in conversation so I let the moment pass. After all, who wants to be bothered by me when I’m on my third mid-afternoon whiskey?
I was told he was staying in Summerland for a few weeks and had been in and out of Lucky’s several times already. He was an expert on the wine list, especially the reds from France. He knew a good value when he saw one.
He was back the next few Saturday afternoons sitting at a corner table, sipping wine, chatting with his wife, playing with his son. I never interrupted him, thinking I would get the chance sooner or later. I even put my CD of Fish Out Of Water in the Jeep hoping to get him to sign it. I also wanted to tell him that I skipped my senior class banquet so I could see Yes at the Springfield Civic Center in Massachusetts. And then that was it, he moved away, back, so I read, to his house in the south of France. My brother Mide gave me some shit about being so shy, Squire being one of his favorite bass players.
A year after the Hollywood show we, Brenda and I again, went to Vegas to see them. No orchestra this time, Rick Wakeman was back on keyboards. The classic lineup. The show was at the Hilton, the one off the Strip where Elvis always played. We went over early to have dinner and found ourselves sitting at a sushi bar near the theater. As soon as our food came Alan White walked in and sat right next to me. I whispered to Brenda who he was. We made some small talk and ate our fish and had a sip of sake. Alan was very friendly, funny, warm, witty. I finally had to let on that I knew who he was by saying, “You have to work tonight?” He laughed and said they’ve been working him like a dog, that’s why he was going so easy on the sake. He still had to go up to Steve Howe’s room to work on something. We talked a little about the tour and he said that the band was trying to mix up the setlist night to night and asked if we were also going to tomorrow’s show. Regrettably, we weren’t.
Yes fans are very passionate and a few other diners noticed Alan and came over for autographs and started to pepper him with questions about some nuances from albums that were thirty years old. He made a polite exit giving Brenda and I a wave.
Alan White in 2002 was thirty years into his stint as Yes’s drummer, he replaced Bill Bruford after they recorded Close To The Edge. I guess that would be 72 or 73. The both play on Yessongs.
It’s also important to remember that Alan played on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. And he also played with The Plastic Ono Band and is the drummer you hear on Instant Karma and Imagine. Seriously, think about that! Imagine!
After the solid performance that night we were wandering around the casino and Brenda hit pretty big playing roulette, black 28 in fact. And being the lovely woman she is, she went and bought us tickets for the show the following night. Regardless that the setlist was identical to the previous evening (They added Yours Is No Disgrace) I loved every note. Brenda claimed Alan tricked us.
The next morning we were off to the Furnace Creek Inn in Death Valley.
And oh, I did tell Alan that I skipped my senior class banquet to see him play on the Tormato Tour, and it was worth it. We laughed and laughed.
Asia
Saratoga Performing Arts Center — Saratoga, NY — 06/23/1982 — Sec 11, Row LL, Seat I — $8.00
Eight Bucks! I paid twice that for a martini before a Los Lobos concert the other night. I wonder what a beer cost in those days. But now I remember that way back then there was no alcohol served once you were on the grounds. That has certainly changed since that long ago summer night when we drank cans of Fosters in the parking lot.
Asia was a supergroup for progressive rock fans. John Wetton from King Crimson, Carl Palmer from ELP, Geoff Downs from The Buggles and Yes, and the great Steve Howe, also from Yes. Their first album was a heavy monster, bombastic, best played loud. Perfect music for big stadiums and open air sheds like SPAC.
We had our usual caravan of three or four cars that would meet at Ridge Ave where we would figure out who was riding with who before heading to the liquor store in Rensselaer, NY where the drinking age was eighteen, not twenty-one like in Massachusetts. I notice from the date on the ticket stub that I would have been twenty at the time. Mide 18, TW 18, Hauge 17, Del 17. Wilk and Eksuzian both 21. I have conveniently forgotten the ages (and some of the names) of the girls who were with us.
This was also the night where when Steve Howe sat down alone on stage to play his famous acoustic pieces, Mood For A Day & The Clap, the audience became reverently hushed. Mide took this moment to stand up on his seat and yell out, “Smoke a joint Steve Howe!” The crowd cheered wildly and even the famously stoic guitarist had to smile. That is a story that is still told at late night dinners among our group. And it seems hard to fathom that it was forty years ago…
Tony Bennett
Santa Barbara Bowl — 06/21/1997 — Sec I, Row N, Seat 1 — $35.00
Tony Bennett is much in the news these days as he just made his last public performance — he has Alzheimer’s — at Carnegie Hall with Lady Gaga. I watched some of it and he is still remarkable, still handsome, still has his timing. Lady Gaga is simply breathtaking. Her love for Tony is apparent. They make a powerful duo. I was choked up.
He was no less brilliant that summer night in Santa Barbara. He was backed by his regular band, The Ralph Sharon Trio, and they swung hard. Tony was buoyant, joyful, energetic, and his voice displayed his passion for songs that he must have sang a thousand times. You’d never know it though, every note sounded fresh.
Somehow, I can’t remember exactly, I knew a lot of people at the Bowl back then (Heather?), I ended up with a last minute ticket. I went alone. I sat by myself sipping wine as Tony wowed the crowd. During one song, I think it was I Left My Heart, he lowered the microphone and sang without amplification. I walked home after the concert in awe of his talent.
I saw him again years later at one of Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefits at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. These were all-day concerts, mostly acoustic, featuring eight or nine bands of rock and rollers. On this day Tony was the fifth or sixth performer. He walked out on stage in front of a crowd of old hippies, we veterans of much psychedelia. In his suit and tie, and again with the Ralph Sharon Trio, he had us dancing the minute he opened his mouth. He killed it. We were then blown away when Paul McCartney came out and they sang The Very Thought of You together. Sir Paul was clearly thrilled and pumped his fists in the air when he walked off stage.
Most bands at these shows did an hour set, no encore. But when Tony finished the place was standing and begging for more. He came out and played the day’s first encore. Cool, smooth, hip. Later when Sir Paul did his set he said how great it was to sing with Tony. We hoped he’d come back out, but to our disappointment he didn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a late night gig in San Francisco and was up there slaying another audience.
The Police
Carrier Dome — Syracuse University — New York — 2/4/84 - Loc 13 Floor, Sec 14, Row KK, Seat 7 — $15.00
A somewhat hazy evening. A bunch of us (particularly Barbara Allen) who worked together at the Hilton made the trek up to Syracuse. We got employee rates at the Hilton near the arena. The pre-show festivities were substantial. PM, who was just plain old Pat back then and was, I think, going to school there, met up with us. I remember having a carrot in the pocket of my sweatshirt (It’s true!) and feeding to the horse of a mounted police officer. College campuses sure were different back then.
Some critic once wrote that for a few years The Police were the biggest band in the world. This may be true. That cold February night those three guys played hard and loud. They had grand energy. What fun! My old high school friend, Pat, and I certainly whooped it up.
Synchronicity had just come out and every song on that album was wild. Sting jumped around a lot. Listening to that album recently reminded me how tight that show was. It was their final tour. For a band about to break up they sure grooved well together.
To be continued.....
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