I saw the original Jeff Beck group in July 1969. Schaefer Music Festival - Wollman Rink - Central Park, NYC. Monday 2 PM. Tickets $1.50 each! Jeff Beck played two Gibson Les Paul's - a gold one and a black one. Marshall stack. Rod Stewart sang and wore a pink jacket and green pants. Nicky Hopkins played piano. Ron Wood played bass. The music was all of Truth and Beck-Ola. No encore. The last song was "Rice Pudding" from Beck-Ola. This particular version of the Jeff Beck Group broke up at the end of July '69!
If you could, what live performances would you enjoy re-living?
I have interest in hearing about yours. I can think of some great concerts over the years in many great buildings, from Hancher in Iowa City, to Fisher Hall in New York, to some bars in Copenhagen.
Something I have noticed....performers have times they are more "on" just like us, and it can make their concerts be perceived at different levels. I know the three times I saw Jackson Browne, each was much different and most of that was his intent. Having a good sized group with very talented back up singers to the time I saw him solo....all great, but very different. He is a better guitar player than he may be given credit for.
The live Jazz I have been to in NYC is near the top. Sweet Basil and the Blue Note through the years have been very good to me, but in a much different vein, the lakefront festivals in Milwaukee are a somewhat unknown to most of America.
I did see a few artists before their success and fame, saw a famous British singer at a bar in Rapid City many years ago..and he has done well since.
Take care,
Something I have noticed....performers have times they are more "on" just like us, and it can make their concerts be perceived at different levels. I know the three times I saw Jackson Browne, each was much different and most of that was his intent. Having a good sized group with very talented back up singers to the time I saw him solo....all great, but very different. He is a better guitar player than he may be given credit for.
The live Jazz I have been to in NYC is near the top. Sweet Basil and the Blue Note through the years have been very good to me, but in a much different vein, the lakefront festivals in Milwaukee are a somewhat unknown to most of America.
I did see a few artists before their success and fame, saw a famous British singer at a bar in Rapid City many years ago..and he has done well since.
Take care,
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...as an unusual side note, When I saw James Taylor and then Jackson Browne, one of the backup singers was Valerie Carter...and as Steve Winwood sang "Valerie" and as Jackson Browne sang "that girl could sing". Her cd, "Wild Child" is worth a listen. I don’t know about youtube or any other sample you could do online. Valerie died and she never had the fame or sales she deserved. I may do a post in alerting other A’goN members to this singer? https://www.amazon.com/s?k=valerie+carter&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 |
@roberjerman, you left out Mickey Waller on drums! I too saw that lineup, at the original Fillmore in San Francisco. I’d love to revisit seeing The Beatles at The Cow Palace (S. SF) in ’65, The Who at The Carousel Ballroom (I think) performing A Quick One in ’68, Leonard Cohen at The Universal Amphitheater in L.A. (very dramatic!), Rockpile at The Country Club in Reseda, Little Village on a soundstage in Burbank, Dave Edmunds at one of the big NYC clubs (The Ritz?), Marshall Crenshaw at same, and Big Joe Turner backed by The Blasters at Club Lingerie on Sunset Blvd. The one I wish I hadn't missed was seeing Moby Grape live. |
there are many, but four immediately come to mind keith jarrett trio w peacock and dejohnette at san fran masonic center roughly 2008 - played three encores, we sat in 10th row could hear the instruments without amplification dianne reeves and her band at sf herbst theater in 2011 she was performing brazilian music ... lovely concert, then for the last two numbers and encore, she sang with acoustic guitarist romero lubambo without microphones... it was an awesome experience to hear the natural sound in a beautiful hall bobby mcferrin with a full choir at herbst in 2012 - he orchestrated the voices and did his amazing thing... stunning artistry and naturalness of massed voices in amazing improvised arrangements, we visited with him afterwards with my family and a friends, he did a little sing along with the kids after, just amazing ... he is an angel walking this earth with us chick corea and bela fleck at the sonoma state university green center in 2015 just awesome artistry and skill |
Charles Lloyd at the Village Vanguard around 1978 or so. Just an incredible evening! -- though he is always inspiring. Oh, and I just thought of Leon Thomas, singing at CBGB (yes, that one) around the same time, maybe a few years earlier. What verve! The band had both a drummer and a percussionist that night; wonderful. And one I didn’t attend, but would have loved to have been a fly on the wall: The historical evening of string quartets with the following personnel: First Violin: Joseph Haydn Second Violin: Baron Dittersdorf Violoncello: Johann Vanhal Viola: W. A. Mozart. |
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band opened for by It's a Beautiful Day, circa 1971 at the (abandoned) Fox West Coast Theater in Long Beach, California. The Mothers at the Phoenix Star Theater, circa 1968 (shortly after the release of "Freak Out"). Rotating stage and a "theater in the round" format. Another was Jethro Tull at the Phoenix College Gym somewhere around 1969. Open seating on the floor. I also have extremely fond memories of Blodwyn Pig at the Splinter Brothers and Sisters Warehouse (yet another abandoned building) in Phoenix, also circa 1969. Open floor standing/seating. Another music venue I really do miss are the 1960s "underground radio" stations (e.g., KCAC and KDKB in Phoenix). Free-form and whatever the DJ was in the mood for playing. No commercials. Hours long sessions. No interruptions. No excessive gabbing. Interesting goings on in the broadcast rooms when the microphones were off and the music was playing. Concert warnings, "Don't come bust-able or you're going to get burned" and so on and on. |
Jethro Tull playing all of Aqualung at the Schaefer Music Festival/Wollman Rink/Central Park/NYC in August 1970. That was a Monday night show at 8 PM - in fact the first show Tull played that day was at 2 PM! I believe this was before Aqualung was released for sale! I and the audience sat with rapt attention in drizzling rain! |
You know, I was in a Jazz/somewhat Pop mindset and did not mention classical greats. I am lucky enough to have seen many greats in my life, from New York to Chicago to many a college campus. I and my mate attended a performance by the Chicago classical music orchestra and they had singers with them. The first chair Cello player and his mate stayed with my mate and I and we did some biking on the Sugar River Trail South of Madison, Wi. Very, very nice and bright people. |
Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Spectrum in Philly. I not longer remember the year but it was 78-80. Half way through the concert, lights went on, people stood-up, and you could see the hypnotic sway of the mass of people for the rest of the concert. that was out of this world. His music/voices was very hypnotic/sensual. |
Buddy Rich and his band at the Felt Forum circa 1976. Blondie at The Village Gate NYC, 1977. 1st album with new material from the next album. Springsteen at the Palladium Theater NYC. "Born to Run" tour 1976. Sisters of Mercy, 1984 at the Ritz. Roxy Music, 1982 at the Tower Theater Phila. Final performance ever (until a reunion in 2002). Elton John with John Lennon, 1974 at MSG. The Ramones at local bars in NY, 1970's. |
Dekay, I can relate to a performer simply dropping into a place and putting on a show. I was at a wonderful, classic vacation area at an upscale "Yacht Club" and a famous comedian came in and was simply having fun and helping us all have fun. The same thing happened when I was young when a famous folk/rock duo came to the little town I was living in to get a few beers without being noticed and they came down and played a game of basketball "horse" with my friend and I. |
Oh, and The Beat (Paul Collins, not the UK band) at The Whiskey in late '79. THE Best Power Pop band I've ever seen live, including Cheap Trick and The Who. Their debut album is really, really good. Billy Swan told me he saw Elvis, Scotty, & Bill in Tennessee in 1955, performing on the back of a flatbed truck. What I wouldn't give to have been there! |
There are so many I would love to experience again. Jackson Browne's were also memorable. For some reason I am particularly fond of small/more intimate venues. In the old days some call those "coffee shops". One such concert was many years ago in Ottawa Canada. Small place that didn't hold more than a couple hundred people. The performance was Jerry Jeff Walker when David Bromberg was still his guitarist. I'm partial to acoustic music. |
Anyone who was fortunate enough to have seen NRBQ when Al Anderson was in the band will tell you what a great live band they were. Even better than their records, which are pretty damn great. A favorite of Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and every good musician I know. Sorry Stones lovers: when David Sanborn introduced them on his TV show, he introduced them as "The best Rock ’n’ Roll band in the world." I saw then twice, both times at The Roxy Theater on Sunset in Hollywood. So hot! Amongst the best 4-piece bands I've ever seen and heard live (along with Rockpile and Little Village). The Beatles were of course a 4-piece, but live they were not so hot. Honest! |
Montreux, Switzerland. Early 1970, Led Zeppelin launching Led Zeppelin II album. Page had longer hair than Plant! I was 15 and a half yrs old, my first out of town concert, my dad had to accompany me in order to go. Simply awesome, Bonham did a drum solo barehand til he bled. I was like second row on the floor 12 ft away from them. 250 spectators at most. Will never forget it. This was in the casino that burned down soon after during a Zappa concert. Completely destroyed it. Deep Purple then made it famous with the song smoke on the water. They were real close to Claude Nobbs, the montreux jazz festival organizer, now dead. But even so the montreux jazz festival now keeps going in a completely different location, it will never be anything like the original concerts in the casino. At least I was there. Thanks for this post. Memories. |
George Michael in London 2012...with 50 people for a LGBT fund raiser and he sang his heart out. Led Zeppelin 1975 at Anaheim stadium. First time they used lazer lights on "stairway to heaven". Forgot where I parked my car in the stadium! 2am at Seventh Ave south and Blue note in 1980's...no cover charge at 2am:-) |
There are some truly amazing responses here. Some of which I was just a baby for so could never have experienced but still extremely envious of My 2 completely unique experiences would have been Phish at a roller rink in Buffalo around 1991. There were probably 500 people there and Trey put roller skates on and tried to skate around while playing guitar and totally bit it. Very memorable. The other being The Neville Brothers with Harry Connick Jr around 1993 in NYC at what I think was The Wetlands. Amazing. Might not have been The Wetlands but as I recall 27 years later, it was The Wetlands. |
Ah Summerfest... Climbing on stage with Dino Valente and QMS. Good times. Janis Joplin at Ravinia. Chuck Berry and BB King at the Aragon Lowell George and Little Feat at the Broadway. Eclipse (A Piece for Assorted Lunatics) at the Auditorium, center main floor. Atmos eat your heart out, canned surround never approaches live. Ray Chen front row center. |
Rush, Farewell To Kings tour March 1978. Crap venue, the Hollywood Sportatorium in South Florida. Great show though. Opening acts were Head East and, more importantly, Pat Travers with the newly arrived Tommy Aldrich on drums. Too many honorable mentions to mention, So I will throw out a random one. Black Crowes maybe 2006, Marc Ford back in the band. Ford amphitheater Tampa in the rain |
I have a friend who saw The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band live at The Fillmore in ’69. Member Roger Ruskin Spear (how’s that for a name?!) was a sculpturer and electronic tinkerer, and had made a robot in very human form. He brought it along on that USA tour, controlling it’s onstage movements with a remote control. The group’s first four albums are really great. We first saw them as the band performing in the underground club scene in The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour film. Member Neil Innes would later create (along with Monty Python’s Eric Idle) the Beatles parody group The Rutles. They made an album and the mockumentary film All You Need Is Cash (before This Is Spinal Tap. Funnier, too). Neil plays the "John" character, Eric the "Paul". George Harrison appears in the film playing a reporter. Playing drums in The Rutles is one-time Beach Boys member Ricky Fataar. See it if you can. |
Amazed no-one mentioned this yet.... Dylan at the Albert Hall 1966. I was 16, went with 3 schoolfriends. Poor seats in the gods. Listening to the recordings reminds me the man was a poet even then at just 25. His delivery and precise enunciation were not those of a rock star that he also was by then. Try the accoustic Visions of Johanna. Simply wonderful. 20+ years later the Man in the Long Black Coat tour at Hammersmith Odeon was excellent too. He even put on a black tailcoat. I concur on late Leonard Cohen. I saw him around 2012 in a very intimate venue, the Summer Sporting Club, Monaco. Cream when they just formed. Very loud. Town Hall Sutton (south London) I recall. We got in through a toilet window. Rock on John. Would have been 80 yesterday. I never saw The Beatles even though I was there. Mates of mine saw them in 1962, Love Me Do days, at Wimbledon Palais, an awful venue long since demolished. |
