100 Concerts / Concert #11

Headline Act: Genesis

Touring Album: Invisible Touch

Opening Act: The Bangles

Date: March 1, 1987

Venue: Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
Ticket price:  $17.75

"Tonight Tonight Tonight", the 1986 single from Genesis, became synonymous with a beer commercial that aired ad nauseum. So which came first, the song or the commercial? I wonder if a TV jingle was turned into a 9-minute album track by an aging band, well past its creative peak. When I think of Genesis' 1987 "Invisible Touch" tour I think of its sponsor, Michelob. The tour and the beer had a lot in common. Both were watered down, flavorless, and unmemorable.

This isn't an indictment on Genesis, a group with a long history and many excellent albums.Along with omnipresent singer/drummer Phil Collins (part-time "Miami Vice" actor and solo video star), the '80s version of the band was composed of keyboardist Tony Banks and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford. The non-Collinses were part of the genesis of Genesis, original members way back in '67 ( the year of my birth). Collins became the frontman after founding member Peter Gabriel quit the group in the mid '70s.

1973 Mod Squad: Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett, Phil Collins

In their early days, they were an ambitious progressive rock band with beautiful albums such as "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" (1974) and "A Trick Of The Tail" (1976). Their music evolved into the early '80s with a more commercially viable sound while still maintaining interesting arrangements. "Abacab" (1981) is one of my all-time favorite '80s records, thanks to songs like "No Reply At All", "Man On The Corner" and the hypnotic title track. In our early high school years, as we learned how to drink beer on Hollywood beach, "Abacab" was one of those cassettes that we played over and over on our boom boxes.

Thanks to their frequently played MTV videos, the band reached new heights of fame with their eponymous album, "Genesis" (1983). Songs like "Mama", "Illegal Alien" and "Just A Job To Do" were solid standouts, but "That's All" was overly poppy, a little too Phil Collins' easy-listening light-FM-at-the-dentist-office-kind-of-thing. To me, "That's All" was the beginning of the end (the Exodus?) of Genesis. The band had eaten the forbidden fruit of pop mediocrity and decided it was delicious. And profitable.

 

Bangles Babe: The fetching Susanna Hoffs.

Regrettably, I missed their '84 "Mama" tour, so I had to settle for the '87 stadium show in the Orange Bowl, my second and final concert in the old rust bucket. The opening act was The Bangles, fronted by the gorgeous Susanna Hoffs. The group had a huge breakout hit in '86 with "Walk Like An Egyptian". They also scored hits with "Manic Monday" (written by Prince) and "Hazy Shade Of Winter" (Simon & Garfunkel). The "Egyptian" song/video was a guilty-pleasure hit that still pops up on '80s compilations without being too annoying, unlike some other staples of the decade ("Walking On Sunshine" for example). I must admit it was fun to hear tens of thousands of fans sing along to the meaningless chorus: "Way-o, way-o, way-o, way-o. Walk like an Egyptian." An all-female pop band playing their goofy single to a stadium crowd, truly an Eighties moment.

The Bangles recorded a total of four albums before breaking up in 1990. They've since reunited with a pair of albums in  2003 and 2011. Susanna Hoffs has also enjoyed a solo career and together with the talented singer/songwriter Matthew Sweet ("Girlfriend", etc.) she recorded a couple of excellent albums under the pseudonyms Sid & Susie. Their "Under The Cover" Volumes I & II include excellent harmonies and fresh-sounding arrangements of classics by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young and other greats. Susanna Hoffs, sigh.

As for Collins and Co., I enjoyed the show. But if it weren't for my ticket stub, I'm not sure I'd remember it at all. Their musicianship was fine, they played some good songs, but there is just something missing from most stadium concerts. As I mentioned in a previous post (The Police concert in the OB, 1983), stadium shows can be like musical voyeurism. Unless you are sitting in a prime spot, you are more spectator than audience participant. Very few artists make the stadium experience satisfying. Genesis was not one of those.

Along with some friends, we sat in the lower level of the Orange Bowl, in the northeast corner of the stadium, near where the visitors' bench used to be at Dolphins games. "Invisible Touch" was the point in Genesis' career where declining originality and relevance met opportunity to cash in on a large scale. Collins was in the midst of a successful solo career that produced some memorable songs like "In The Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds". There were also several songs that don't hold up so well ("Sussudio", "Easy Lover", etc.). It's a tough task to be a frontman/songwriter for a band and have a successful solo career at the same time. There are only so many good songs to go around. Genesis was running out of them. 

Do you remember "Land Of Confusion" for the song itself or because of the video with the Spitting Image puppets? The legendary actor/comedian W.C. Fields once said “If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.” Substitute "high-budget music videos with puppetry" for bullshit and you have the state of Genesis in 1987. The group released two more albums, one with Collins ("We Can't Dance", 1991) and one without him in 1997.

In 2010, Genesis was deservedly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.Their influence on the rock world was recognized by Trey Anastasio of Phish. In his speech, Anastasio said of Genesis, “Every musical rule and boundary was questioned and broken.” 

The book of Genesis is complete.They had a great run, sold a zillion albums, and created a lot of memorable music. Now, who wants a Michelob?

Unofficial setlist: Mama, Abacab, Domino, That's All, The Brazilian, In The Cage, ...In That Quiet Earth, Afterglow, Land Of Confusion, Tonight Tonight Tonight, Throwing It All Away, Home By The Sea, Second Home By The Sea, Invisible Touch , Drum Duet, Los Endos, Turn It On Again

100 Concerts / Concert #10

Headline Act: Billy Joel

Touring Album: The Bridge

Opening Act: none

Date: February 27, 1987

Venue: Sun Dome, Tampa, FL
Ticket price:  $17.50

Here Comes The Sun Dome.

Another concert, another short road trip from Gainesville. Along with my friends, we traveled to Tampa for my second Billy Joel show, this one in support of "The Bridge". The concert site was the Sun Dome on the campus of the University Of South Florida, one of the most inaccurately named universities in the country. Tampa may be south of Orlando, but no one would say it is in South Florida. Can we get a name change please?

You probably know I worship the Billy Joel catalog (see my previous love letter, um, prior post about my strong feelings for his music). Having said that, "The Bridge" is probably the weakest album of his career.

A few songs do stand out, however. One of my favorites is "Big Man On Mulberry Street", a big-band swing piece. It feels like it would have been perfect for a young Frank Sinatra. I'm a sucker for big horn sections. The old-school styled song wasn't destined to be a radio hit, but it found a TV audience when it was featured in a dream sequence of "Moonlighting" with Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd. 

"Getting Closer" is a hidden gem that features a Hammond organ solo by the ageless Steve Winwood, one of Joel's musical heroes. Lyrically, it's a scathing commentary about those around him who contributed to his financial woes. Check out a couple of the verses:

I went searching for the truth but in my innocence I found

All the con men and their acrobats who stomped me in the ground 

If I count up their percentages I know they're getting rich

But they haven't taken everything, those paybacks are a bitch

I'm a mark for every shyster from Topanga to Berlin
And I should have learned to kick them out as soon as they crawled in
So to every bank in Switzerland that stores my stolen youth
I'm all right because despite the laws you cannot hide the truth

Slave To The Traffic Light: Steve Winwood

Celebrity and the perils of show business are recurring subject matters for Billy, this tune is a companion piece for "Everybody Loves You Now" (1971), "The Entertainer" (1974), "Big Shot" (1980) and later "Great Wall Of China" (1993).

Along with Winwood, Cyndi Lauper also appears on "The Bridge", she shares songwriting credit and harmonies on "Code Of Silence". But of all the collaborations, it's "Baby Grand" that is most memorable. Billy wrote the give-and-take duet expressly for his idol, the legendary Ray Charles. It must have been a dream come true for Billy to record. In Charles' voice it's a heartbreaker with lyrics that feel authentic.

I've come far from the life I've strayed in
I've got scars from those dives I've played in
Now I'm home and I'm weary
In my bones every dreary one night stand
But my baby grand is coming home with me

 
Billy's affection for Charles was so strong that he named his daughter, Alexa Ray, in his honor.Critics may describe the song as schmaltzy or corny, but Billy never worried about those types of reactions. I think it's one of the best songs of Joel's last few albums.

As for some of the other songs on the subpar album, "Modern Woman" was a pop throwaway, featured on the movie soundtrack for "Ruthless People". "A Matter Of Trust" was a modest hit with frequent MTV rotation, but in my opinion it's one of the least memorable singles of his remarkable career."This Is The Time" became a staple of proms and yearbooks, but held up against Billy's catalog it's not nearly as memorable as the haunting "Souvenir" from "Streetlife Serenade". 

"Ruthless People", Danny DeVito & Bette Midler

Bridge to nowhere?

Regardless of the album (or the lack of a new album since 1993), Billy never disappoints his fans in concert. Our seats were in the upper deck of the Sun Dome, which is nearly identical to Gainesville's O'Connell Center. We were seated behind the stage, looking at the backs of Billy and his band for much of the show.  But in one memorable moment ("Sometimes A Fantasy"), Billy rotated his stand-up keyboard around 180 degrees and played while facing those of us in the back of the house. It was a simple move, but one that changed the feeling of the show for me. Even there in the upper reaches of an arena, we felt connected to his performance.

Billy Joel composed some of the most memorable music of the 20th century. He's been an eloquent poet who has written songs about love and heartbreak and social commentary on a variety of topics.With all of that talent, all his command of language, he ends almost every concert by giving his audience one final piece of advice: "Don't take any shit from anybody!". Billy never does.

Unofficial setlist: A Matter Of Trust, Pressure, You're Only Human (Second Wind), Piano Man, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Allentown, Goodnight Saigon, Summer, Highland Falls, Prelude / Angry Young Man, Don't Ask Me Why, Big Man On Mulberry Street, Baby Grand, An Innocent Man, The Longest Time, Only The Good Die Young, It's Still Rock And Roll To Me, Sometimes A Fantasy, You May Be Right,  (Encore) Uptown Girl, Keeping The Faith, Big Shot

100 Concerts / Concert #9

Headline Act: The Moody Blues

Touring Album:The Other Side Of Life

Opening Act: The Fixx

Date: October 1, 1986

Venue: Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, FL
Ticket price:  $16.00

"Timothy Leary's dead. No, no, no, he's outside, looking in." 

"Legend Of A Mind" (quoted above) is a 1968 song by the Moody Blues. It's a beautiful, dramatic, trippy song inspired by the LSD guru once described by President Nixon as "the most dangerous man in America".  Like Leary then, the Moody Blues are still outside, looking in. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has yet to induct them; I think that's a travesty.

"Go Now" was a #1 single in the UK in 1964.

Before developing their signature sound, they began their career in the early '60s as an R&B-based group, like their contemporaries, The The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Kinks. The guys in the Moody Blues didn't have the outrageous behavior of Keith Moon, the drug-using reputation of Keith Richards or the charismatic leadership of Freddie Mercury. Perhaps it's their lack of controversy or notable front man that has left them unrecognized by the Hall, because their exclusion doesn't make sense to me.

With a variety of different lineups, they have recorded 16 albums, including a remarkably inventive 8-LP run from '65 to '72.  The most notable creation from this era ,"Days Of Future Passed", is a true classic. Not only was it one of the first concept albums in rock history, it was also innovative by combining rock with classical orchestration from the London Festival Orchestra. The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and countless other bands have included orchestral arrangements in their music, but The Moody Blues were the first to make it a major part of their sound.

"Days Of Future Passed" was also innovative in its use of extended passages of spoken poetry from drummer Graeme Edge, voiced with Shakespearean eloquence on the LP by keyboardist Mike Pinder. The album's climax, "Nights In White Satin", is followed by "Late Lament" which concludes with the dramatic strike of a gong. This album was creative, daring, and brilliant.

Late Lament

 Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back and lament,
Another day's useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son,
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the colors from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white.
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion.

"Days Of Future Passed" (1967), a true masterpiece and a really cool album cover.

As a freshman at the University of Florida in 1985-86, I spent countless hours in the basement dorm room of my buddies Dave and Mike. We would hunker down late at night, blow off some steam after studying and listen to a lot of cassette tapes.  Along with Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, we listened to a ton of Moody Blues. Their early albums were layered with haunting harmonies ("Voices In The Sky") and well-crafted songs that built the framework for sophisticated albums. Maybe it was just our impressionable college freshmen minds (and altered states), but we viewed The Moodies as an elegant, thoughtful band with exquisitely produced music.

The Ocean Center, Daytona Beach

Gainesville, a true college town, did not get a lot of major artists passing through for concerts. Fortunately, we were only a short drive from Tampa, Orlando, and for this show, Daytona Beach.  We made the trek to the Ocean Center, just a stoner's throw from the Atlantic Ocean.

The opening act was Ned Beatty, uh, The Fixx (see my previous post on The Police concert for an explanation). We were there only to see the aging British hippies who looked more like a group of professors than rock musicians.  As expected, they delivered an excellent career-spanning set, buoyed in part by their '80s hits, "The Other Side Of Life" and "Your Wildest Dreams". The latter was a #1 single on the U.S. Adult Contemporary charts. A couple years later they had another hit, "I Know You're Out There Somewhere". The new songs may not have been their career peak, but they did help reach a new generation of fans. At the very least, the new music reminded their older fans they were still alive and well.

1986: Professors or rock band? You decide.

Though they seemed to us to be old men in 1986, the members of the Moody Blues were only in their mid-forties. They've released just 4 more albums in the decades since that show, the most recent in 2003. As I write this in Spring 2012, they are still touring, still performing, still telling their stories. Ray Thomas, now 71, was one of the group's founding members. He retired in 2002.  Graeme Edge, another founding member who is still touring, will be 71 this year. Also still on tour are long-time Moodies John Lodge (67 this year) and Justin Hawyard (66). They may not be enshrined yet in Cleveland, but they've certainly become the very thing they sang about in 1981, Veteran Cosmic Rockers.

Unofficial setlist: Gemini Dream, The Voice, Rock And Roll Over You, Tuesday Afternoon, Your Wildest Dreams, Isn't Life Strange, The Story In Your Eyes, It May Be A Fire, Painted Smile, Reflective Smile, Veteran Cosmic Rocker (Intermission) New Horizons, Talking Out Of Turn, The Other Side Of Life, I'm Just A Singer, Nights In White Satin. Legend Of A Mind, Question, (Encore) Ride My See-Saw

100 Concerts / Concert #8

Headline Act: U2

Touring Album: The Unforgettable Fire

Opening Act: Red Rockers

Date: May 3, 1985

Venue: The Hollywood Sportatorium. Hollywood, FL
Ticket price:  $14.50

Red Rockers (John Thomas Griffith at far right)

Do you remember Red Rockers? I didn't think so. Like U2, they started out with a Punk Rock attitude, then crossed over into pop success with their MTV hit, "China". Their core fans felt alienated by their mainstream airplay, accusing them of selling out. At the peak of their modest success they disbanded and disappeared into the ether, just another '80s group never to be heard from again.

There are many differences between hundreds of bands with fleeting fame like Red Rockers and those bands with staying power like U2. Talent may be the most important difference, but there is a mysterious gumbo of timing, luck, chemistry, good management, and sheer perseverance that combine to separate the greats from the shoulda-woulda-coulda groups.  Unlike Red Rockers, U2 were laying the foundation for immense worldwide popularity in 1985. U2 were touring in support of its fourth album, "The Unforgettable Fire", but it was too soon to think that they would be around for decades.  "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" was a radio/MTV hit single for Bono and the boys as they carved out their post-"War" sound. The new album was produced with David Bowie's partner in crime, Brian Eno, and featured spacey, atmospheric songs unlike anything in their previous catalog.  It was a new, more mature sound.

In 1983, it felt like an adventure to see the relatively unknown U2. Less than two years later, they were the "flavor of the month" and it was easy to assemble a group of 8-10 friends for their show. We were high school seniors, only weeks from graduating. Any excuse to gather together, have a few beers and catch some live music sounded like a great time. 

The arena was packed with thousands of newly converted fans, including many young women who saw Bono (power mullet and all) as one of rock's sex symbols. The big show-stopper was "Bad", Bono's emotional rant about the evils of heroin addiction. Bono has commented in other shows that the song is about a friend of his, Gareth (later name-checked in the U2 song "Peace On Earth"), who overdosed and died from a night of shooting smack. Bono's extended ad-lib on "Bad" gave him room to take command of any venue (such as "Live Aid" just months after this show). His 1 and 2-line snippets from Classic Rock songs ("Ruby Tuesday", "Walk On The Wild Side", and others) were a very non-Punk tip of the cap to those rock pioneers who had helped pave the way for U2. It also served notice that U2 saw themselves on the same path, with a similar attitude as The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, and some of their heroes. They weren't content to pay homage to their rock gods. Bono was serving notice that U2 were coming to stand along side them. Eventually.

Unforgettable, that's what you are...

My second U2 show was bittersweet.  There was a brief window of time after the 1983 U2 concert when I felt like I had my own super-cool secret band, and now suddenly they were popular. As the albums, tours, and years have rolled past I learned to let go of that misguided sense of ownership. They never were actually "my" band. I realized I had to share. 

Some fans abandon their favorite artists as soon as they get too popular, like dumping a girlfriend who was once subtly cute but has now blossomed into Homcoming Queen. These fans ("dumpers") break up with their band/girlfriend so they can discover that "first kiss" moment again. They move on to next hidden treasure band and start to date them, only to dump and repeat. For me, U2 always felt like a long-term relationship. I've never had the urge to "Walk On". 'Til death do us part. 

Cowboy Mouth (JTG on the far right)

It turns out that John Thomas Griffith, the lead singer and lead guitarist of Red Rockers, went on to form Cowboy Mouth. The Louisiana-based band has had a solid career wth over a dozen albums and a rabid following for their southern-rock-party-blues-band style. No matter his recent success, I'm guessing JTG (as his fans call him) doesn't mind letting some people know that back in the day, a generation ago, he and his band opened for U-fricking-2. Now that's truly Unforgettable.

Unofficial setlist: 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, I Will Follow, Seconds, MLK, The Unforgettable Fire, Wire, Sunday Bloody Sunday, The Cry, The Electric Co., A Sort Of Homecoming, Bad, October, New Year's Day, Pride (In The Name Of Love), Encore: Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Gloria, 40

100 Concerts / Concert #7

Headline Act: Roger Waters

Touring Album: The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking

Opening Act: none

Date: April 13, 1985

Venue: The Hollywood Sportatorium. Hollywood, FL

Ticket price: $15.00

“The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?” 
– "Have A Cigar" (1975)

Early Floyd: Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, Richard Wright

Most music fans assume the question above was a dig at fat-cat record company execs who were too busy counting their millions to learn or care about the musicians who made them rich. But perhaps the query was directed inward at the members of Pink Floyd who struggled to determine the answer to the real question: "Whose band is it anyway?"

In their formative years, Pink Floyd was unquestionably Syd Barrett’s band. Wearing their LSD on their sleeves, The Floyd's psychedelic multimedia performances influenced many other artists in the late ‘60s London club scene. But it was all too much, too soon, and too intense for Barrett who took an infamous drug-fueled cliff dive into the abyss of Insanity and Schizophrenia. It was a one-way ticket for Syd who lived a hazy, mysterious existence until his death in 2006.

David Gilmour (2nd from left) replaced Syd Barrett

As Barrett slipped away, David Gilmour joined the band.  Though he was a talented guitarist and singer, he would prove to be no match for bassist Roger Waters, the eventual Alpha Dog of the group. Waters flexed his considerable creative muscles over most of the band’s post-Barrett career. 

Despite their differences in musical direction and personalities, Waters and Gilmour led the band through the writing and recording of the legendary "The Dark Side Of The Moon” (1974), the haunting Barrett-inspired  “Wish You Were Here”(1975), and the caustic “Animals” (1977). By the time “The Wall” (1979) and “The Final Cut” (1983) were released, the band was in shambles. Waters was the band's creative pacesetter, plowing ahead as his bandmates struggled with drugs, divorce, and other issues. "The Final Cut" was essentially a Waters solo album. Throughout the band’s roller coaster of enormous success and bitter personality clashes, one thing was constant - Roger Waters was Pink.

Inevitably, Waters left the band. Despite his protests and legal wrangling, the rest of the group (Gilmour, keyboardist Rick Wright, drummer Nick Mason, and several session musicians) recorded and toured with “A Momentary Lapse Of Reason” (1987) and “The Division Bell” (1994).

Mr. Pink, before Steve Buscemi

Once he was post-Floyd, Waters released “The Pros And Cons Of Hiitchhiking” (1984), a complicated album, never intended to be radio-friendly. Told in "real time", the songs (with their time-stamped titles) weave a story of life on the road as seen through the eyes of one man. "Pros And Cons"' is a microcosm of much of Waters' songwriting: mysterious, angry, humorous, beautiful, and dark.

I had not digested this album properly by March of 1985, but being a Pink Floyd fan I was intrigued to see Waters perform.  The 1982 Alan Parker film of “The Wall” was a favorite Midnight Movie at our local AMC theatre (“Stop that dog!”). My group of friends and I spent many non-sober hours trying to make sense of "The Wall"s themes and lyrics. Though my pre-college Floydian knowledge was incomplete, we knew we were in store for a great show from Waters.  Eric Clapton was the guitarist on the album and for the U.K. portion of the tour, but we were not as fortunate, instead Andy Fairweather-Low handled Slowhand’s duties. Also in Waters' touring band was saxophonist Mel Collins, who has played with The Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, Bad Company, The Alan Parsons Project and others.

Waters' alter-ego, "Reg", from the "Pros & Cons" album art

The first of the concert's two sets was all Pink Floyd material, and the crowd ate it up. In the second set, Waters did something I had not witnessed before, and very few times since. He played his album.  Not a few songs or a 5-song sampling. He played the entire f-in' album. To pull this off you have to be an established act. You have to be ultra-confident in the message and style of your material. And you have to not give a shit whether or not you are boring the audience.  Roger Waters had huge balls. He was Pink, after all.

It was a stunning performance of an expertly crafted piece of music, marked by dramatic highs and lows.  This show solidified me further as a Floyd fan and was the first of three memorable shows I have been fortunate enough to see Roger Waters play.

The original "Pros And Cons" album art seen here featured the bare behind of a blonde woman, hitch hiking by the side of a road.  This image ignited a controversy as some people accused the record company of advertising rape. Columbia Records eventually released a censored version of the cover with a black rectangle covering the model's best assets. By today's standards of pop culture (virtually R-rated primetime sitcoms and X-rated pop & hip-hop songs), this album cover seems as innocent as the married Lucy and Ricky Ricardo having separate beds on "I Love Lucy", it's almost Puritanical!

Unofficial setlist: (Set 1) Welcome To the Machine, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Money, If, Wish You Were Here, Pigs on the Wing (part 1), Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert, Southampton Dock, The Gunner's Dream, In The Flesh, Nobody Home, Have A Cigar, Another Brick in the Wall Part 1, The Happiest Days Of  Our Lives, Another Brick In The Wall Part 2,  (Set 2) 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad), 4:33 AM (Running Shoes), 4:37 AM (Arabs with Knives and West German Skies), 4:39 AM (For the First Time Today, Part 2), 4:41 AM (Sexual Revolution), 4:47 AM (The Remains of Our Love), 4:50 AM (Go Fishing), 4:56 AM (For the First Time Today, Part 1),4:58 AM (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin), 5:01 AM (The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking, Part 10), 5:06 AM (Every Stranger's Eyes), 5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity) (Encore) Brain Damage / Eclipse

100 Concerts / Concert #6

Headline Act: Rush

Touring Album:Grace Under Pressure

Opening Act: none

Date: March 15, 1985

Venue: The Hollywood Sportatorium. Hollywood, FL

Ticket price: $14.00

  "Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive. Plays that song that's so elusive and the magic music

makes your morning mood.

Off on your way, hit the open road, there is magic at your fingers. For the Spirit ever lingers, undemanding contact

in your happy solitude."

"The Spirit Of Radio" from "Permanent Waves" (1980)

Long-haired freaky people, 1974 publicity photo.

In my middle and high school years, Rush fans were easy to spot. They were teenage boys (never girls) who typically had long hair and smoked (both cigarettes and pot). They were the older kids hanging out at the video game arcade or the bowling alley. They were the dudes leaning on the chain-linked fence before school, planning where to cut class. We called them "burnouts", but their musical tastes were smarter than I realized.

Great Rock Doc, a must-see for any fan.

I first caught the Rush bug when "Tom Sawyer" hit the radio and I soon connected the dots to their earlier work ("Fly By Night", "Closer To The Heart", "Working Man") that was played on FM radio, WSHE (She's Only Rock And Roll!). Rush had dipped their brush into the palette of progressive rock (lengthy musical exploration without pop music's conventional structure), painted with strokes of early '70s metal (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple) and fine-tuned their art with articulate, thoughtful lyrics that rival any rock group. On the outside, they were long-haired, heavy sounding and mystical in message. On the inside they were educated, humorous, and two-thirds "Nice Jewish Boy" (lead singer & bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson are Jewish, drummer Neil Peart is not). 

Already a major rock act before MTV, their videos exposed them to a mainstream audience with "New World Man" and "Subdivisions" from "Signals" (1982). Their 1984 release, "Grace Under Pressure" was another step in their songwriting development, a quality album but a departure for Rush, produced with '80s influences of more prominent synthesizers and electronic drums.

My buddy Brian (not a burnout) had been a Rush fan long before me. He turned me on to their concept album, "2112" (1976), which we managed to weave into a creative "film concept" project for school. Yeah, we felt cool about this. By the time Rush came to The Sporto in 1985, we were plenty jacked up to see them perform.

Neil Peart, Drum Major.

It's rare when a rock band's most legendary member is its drummer, but Neil Peart is a unique talent. As documented in the recent excellent Rush documentary "Beyond The Lighted Stage", Peart has a shy, quiet personality away from the stage. In concert, Peart is simply a force of nature.  The rock concert drum solo is often considered a self-indulgent cliché, but Peart elevates the act to an exquisite display of rhythm and showmanship.  As he began his solo, Peart's riser elevated above the stage, the entire drum kit rotated 360 degrees as he played.  I remember the incredible visual of Peart playing with his kit nearly perpindicular to the stage as we got a great view of his lightning-quick hands and gifted percussive skills.  Peart's lengthy drum solo brought the crowd to its feet. We knew we were in the presence of a legend in the making.

True Bromance: "I Love You, Man"

In the movie "I Love You, Man", Paul Rudd tries to explain his passion for Rush to his fiancee, Rashida Jones. He plays a song and is met by her complete disinterest and puzzlement. This scene perfectly captures Rush's general appeal to women, which is none.  Whether it's their lack of "rock star" sex appeal or their lack of songs about love and romance or something else, ladies don't seem to get Rush, and that's fine. Just the way Rudd and his bromance buddy (Jason Segel) enjoyed some male bonding in the movie, Rush concerts are a boys' club. They're a place where the burnouts and the geeks and the college kids and the aging hipsters can play some air guitar and jam with one of the greatest rock groups in history.  "Happy solitude", indeed.

Unofficial setlist: The Spirit Of Radio, Subdivisions, The Body Electric, The Enemy Within, The Weapon, Witch Hunt, New World Man, Between The Wheels, Red Barchetta, Distant Early Warning, Red Sector A, Closer To The Heart, Afterimage, YYZ, 2112 Part II: The Temples Of Syrinx, Tom Sawyer, (Encore) Red Lenses (with drum solo), Vital Signs, Finding My Way, In The Mood

100 Concerts / Concert #5

Headline Act: Elton John

Touring Album:Breaking Hearts

Opening Act: none

Date: October 14, 1984

Venue: The Hollywood Sportatorium. Hollywood, FL

Ticket price: $15.75

Ooh la la! Sasson!

"And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then...."

It's not uncommon to smell pot being smoked at a concert. When you're 16 and you sit behind adults who are passing a joint and you recognize them as friends of your parents? Well, that's damn confusing. My friend Brian experienced this exact situation when we went to see Captain Fantastic, The Pinball Wizard, the legendary Elton John.  I mean do old people (in their forties) smoke pot? That's just weird.

How do you think he does it?

I'd grown up with much of Elton's music, thanks to my sister who often played "Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player", "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy" and other LPs. Elton had emerged from the early '70s singer-songwriter boom, thrived in late-'70s disco with "Philadelphia Freedom" and was now getting some pre-VH1 heavy rotation on  MTV with "I Guess Why They Call It The Blues" and "Sad Songs (Say So Much)", the latter was the big single on this tour.  Elton has made some fine records in the years since, but if his career had ended in '84 he would still have earned a major place in rock history.

Trippy cover, great album.

If you look carefully at the ticket stub at the top of this post, Elton was one of the first artists to have a corporate sponsor's name attached to his tour. In this case, Sasson (designer jeans) was a "perfect fit" as the sponsor. Elton made the ultra-smart / ultra-cheesy move of converting "Sad Songs" into a TV commercial, changing the words to "Sasson Says So Much". Surprisingly, this commercial seems to be one of the few videos unavailable on YouTube or anywhere on the web. This concert sponsorship trend began in 1981 when Jovan (perfume) paid The Rolling Stones $1 Million to sponsor their tour.  Apparently Keith Richards' Heroin sponsorship fell through.

At 37, Elton was still a young man and had great energy during the show we saw, especially during "Bennie And The Jets" and "Saturday Night's Alright...".  His band was composed of musicians who had performed with Elton for years, they had the chemistry that a band achieves by playing hundreds of gigs together. Check out the setlist below, there are at least a dozen classic songs, just part of an incredible catalog from John and lyricist Bernie Taupin.  One of those songs, "Rocket Man", has been the subject of much scrutiny, thanks in part to William Shatner's unforgettable interpretation at The Science Fiction Awards in 1978.  If you've never witnessed this magic, please drink in the glory that is the Shatner experience! 

Unofficial setlist: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Lil 'Frigerator, Rocket Man, Daniel, Restless, Candle In The Wind, The Bitch Is Back, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Who Wears These Shoes, Sad Songs (Say So Much), Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, Bennie And The Jets, Philadelphia Freedom, Blue Eyes, I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Kiss The Bride, I'm Still Standing, Your Song, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Crocodile Rock

100 Concerts / Concert #4

Headline Act: Yes

Touring Album: 90125

Opening Act: Berlin (scheduled but a no-show)

Date: April 21, 1984

Venue: The Hollywood Sportatorium. Hollywood, FL

Ticket price: $12.75

 

If Yes is the answer, what is the question? Before "90125", Yes had achieved success in an unconventional fashion. They had released 12 studio/live albums built on new-age lyrics, classical orchestration, acoustic guitar, a strong bass/drums rhythm section, heavy use of synthesizers and one of the most distinctive singers in rock history. Six of their albums cracked the top-10 on the U.S. charts despite music that was not considered radio-friendly. Many songs lasted 10 minutes or more, none of which utilized the verse-chorus-verse pop formula.

Early Yes lineup: Steve Howe, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Jon Anderson. Bill Bruford

They built a loyal fan base and a reputation as a musically gifted band but they were widely considered pretentious and self-indulgent by rock critics.  Labeled "progresive rock", Yes was lumped together with early Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and King Crimson.  These "prog rock" artists were influenced by the late '60s psychedelic wave of musical and chemical experimentation Yes added a more refined musicianship to the style. Despite their critics, Yes did have a few songs on FM Radio, such as "Roundabout", "Starship Trooper", "Long Distance Runaround", and "Yours Is No Disgrace".  To me, these complex, mysterious songs jumped out of the radio and needed multiple listens to digest properly. What does it mean when "mountains come out of the sky and stand there"? 

One of my early impressions of Yes was their image, not as "rock gods" but their pre-MTV image that arose from Roger Dean's fantasy-inspired art. Dean created many album covers for Yes, some of the most beautiful in rock history (as well as Asia's successful debut) . Yes' iconic logo  reinforced their eclectic, esoteric and mysterious image.  They emerged from their '70s shroud of mystery with a 1983 MTV video, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", which created controversy and had to be re-edited for containing some disturbing imagery.  The song was a huge hit, their first and only #1 U.S. single, a real game-changer for a band of their stature and history.

I was a fan of their earlier work (the 5 or 6 songs I heard on the radio), and "90125" was a new album worthy of attention. My friends and I devoured the entire album (when it was still the norm to listen to entire albums and not cherry-pick singles like these crazy kids today).  I mean, back in my day....blah blah blah. Like much of their earlier work, "90125" was beautifully produced and contained many unconventional compositions such as "Changes","It Can Happen" and "Leave It". These were multi-layered songs that demanded repeated listens and we obliged.

90125 > 90210

With their strong new '80s release and their '70s catalog, my friends and I jumped at the chance to see Yes in concert. 
We arrived at the Sporto for the show, but my buddy Dave had temporarily lost our tickets! After a frantic search they were found inside the car and we scrambled to get inside. While entering the gates of the arena, we heard the music start and were just able to get to our seats without missing very much.  The scheduled opening act, Berlin ("The Metro"), failed to appear so there was a brief Bugs Bunny cartoon instead (thanks to my buddy Tim for that memory jog).  As part of my concert routine, I make every effort to be in my seats before the show starts, even if I have to sit through an opening act I don't particularly know. This habit has paid off with some memorable opening acts (more on those in future posts).

Jon Anderson & Lord Of The Bass: Chris Squire

Fragile (Roger Dean cover)

While their records are great to listen to, in concert Yes is an incredible quintet of power and precision. Chris Squire is one of rock's all-time greatest bass players, he commands the stage with a regal presence in long, flowing robes that drape his large frame. Squire has the distinction of being a founding member of the band and the only man to play on every Yes album.  During Yes concerts, Squire puts on a solo bass display, where he show off his prodigious talents. He is one of the very few bass players who deserves this type of spotlight.

Over the years, Yes has had almost as many lineup changes as Spinal Tap (but thankfully no need to dust for vomit). On the "90125" tour, young singer-songwriter-guitarist Trevor Rabin had replaced Steve Howe. Original Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye was back with the group after a 12-year hiatus, a position filled more notably by Rick Wakeman (more on him in future posts).  Alan White was the drummer as he had been for most of the band's career, the original drummer was Bill Bruford.

Tales From Topographic Oceans (Roger Dean cover)

The most recognizable aspect of Yes is the voice of lead singer Jon Anderson who has appeared on all but 2 of the group's albums.  The circumstances of his recent replacement in the band is a fascinating story, one to be shared down the road. In concert, Anderson has an effortlessly angelic voice and a boundless spirit that elevates the music with an other-worldly quality.  When he tells the audience between songs something like "It's so beautiful to be with you tonight", you can tell he really believes it.  Listening to him sing, you understand why the mountains come out of the sky and stand there, it's to hear him sing.

Very few bands in rock history can boast their musicianship and originality. Their albums have withstood critics and the test of time. In concert, their music is cinematic, moving, ethereal, and for hardcore fans a true joy to witness.

Isn't it time for them to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? The answer of course? YES.

Unofficial setlist: Cinema, Leave It, Yours Is No Disgrace, Hold On, Hearts, I've Seen All Good People, Si, Solly's Beard, Changes, And You And I, Soon, Make It Easy, Owner Of A Lonely Heart, It Can Happen, Long Distance Runaround, Whitefish, Amazing Grace, City Of Love, (Encore) Starship Trooper, Roundabout

100 Concerts / Concert #3

Headline Act: Billy Joel

Touring Album:An Innocent Man

Opening Act: none

Date: March 15, 1984

Venue: The Hollywood Sportatorium. Hollywood, FL

Ticket price: $15.75

"Sing us a song, you're the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. Well we're all in the mood for a melody and you've got us feeling all right..."

 

We gathered together on weekend nights where the sand met the salty air. Buzzed on cheap beer and teenage hormones, guys and girls leaned on each other for support, in more ways than one. We were the performers and the audience. We sang our asses off. The band was anyone's boom box which played one cassette tape after another. We sang like our lives depended on it, and maybe they did.

"A bottle of white, a bottle of red. Perhaps a bottle of rosé instead..."

Certain artists and songs can define specific moments in your life, but very few artists serve as the soundtrack for an entire era of your life.  For much of high school and college, Billy Joel was a common musical thread for many of my friends and me.

"They say that these are not the best of times, but they're the only times I've ever known..."

It's unrecognizable, but where a swanky high-rise condo now borders a city park along the Atlantic Ocean, there was a place that mattered to us. It was just a little side street off A1A, tucked between a few acres of mangrove trees and a generic little bank. It was close to a turtle-hatching enclosure, near some condos and run-down hotels built in the '50s. This is where we would gather on dozens of Friday and Saturday nights for a few years.  Located on Hollywood beach, Sherman Street was our teenage sanctuary.  

"Little Geo is a friend of mine, we get some money and we buy cheap wine, sit on the corner and have a holiday. Hide the bottle when the cop goes by, talk about women and lie, lie, lie. My other world is just a half a mile away..."

It was a place the Hollywood police (mostly) ignored, a place we would meet after lame movies or lame parties or lame high school football games, a place where we could drink beer and just be idiot teenagers. The boom box would crank out much of the Billy Joel library ("The Stranger", "52nd Street", "Turnstiles", "Songs In The Attic") and it seemed each one of us knew every word of every song.

"Saturday night and you're still hanging around, you're tired of living in this one-horse town. You'd like to find a little hole in the ground for a while..."

We didn't care if it was considered the coolest music around, it wasn't punk or artsy or edgy or even fresh, but we felt it.  No matter the era, Billy Joel's lyrics speak the truth about love, romance, betrayal, anger, isolation, show biz, dysfunctional families, the suburbs, New York, Vietnam, rock and roll, and so much more.

"Well we all have a face that we hide away forever and we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone. Some are satin, some are steel, some are silk and some are leather, they're the faces of the stranger but we love to try them on..."

When I first saw Billy Joel in concert, it was a reunion with an old friend I'd never met. Thanks in part to my older siblings, I'd grown up hearing Billy from "Piano Man" (1973) all the way up through "An Innocent Man", his new album supported by this 1984 tour . "Glass Houses" (1980) was the first of his albums I digested when it was new, followed by "The Nylon Curtain" (1982), perhaps his most underrated album.

While many artists needed MTV to make their name,  Billy had already been there, Grammy'd that.  Having sold millions of records and won numerous awards, he could afford to look into his past. He crafted a love letter to his musical heroes of the '50s and early '60s with "An Innocent Man". Its musical engine was driven by the spirits of Elvis Presley, Dion & The Belmonts, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and the like. 

"If you said goodbye to me tonight, there would still be music left to write. What else could I do? I'm so inspired by you. That hasn't happened for the longest time..."

 

Mrs. Joel #2

In 1984, Billy was still married to the "Uptown Girl", supermodel Christie Brinkley.  With her looks and his musical charms, Billy was an MTV staple for a little while, reaching a new audience with the album's first single, "Tell Her About It", a tribute to Motown-era groups like The Supremes.

"Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood. Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood. Me, I'm taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line. I'm in a New York state of mind..."

Billy's on-stage persona is fairly unique. He's equal parts rocker, balladeer, storyteller, jokester, smartass, and one hell of a singer/songwriter/ musician. I can't say I remember all the details of this show, but I know that 6 or 8 friends (from the Sherman Street gang) were there with me in the upper levels of the arena. And we sang our asses off.

"I am the entertainer and I know just where I stand, another serenader in another long-haired band.  Today I am your champion, I may have won your hearts, but I know the game, you'll forget my name. I won't be here in another year if I don't stay on the charts..."

Here's the unofficial setlist: Prelude/Angry Young Man, My Life, The Stranger, Piano Man, Don't Ask Me Why, Allentown, Goodnight Saigon, Pressure, Just The Way You Are, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, An Innocent Man, The Longest Time, Stiletto, Sometimes A Fantasy, It's Still Rock And Roll To Me, Uptown Girl, Big Shot, (Encore) Tell Her About It, You May Be Right, Captain Jack, Only The Good Die Young

On a side note, this was the first of several shows I saw at the Hollywood Sportatorium, "The Sporto", accessible from a 2-lane road (now Pines Boulevard) in west west west Hollywood (present day Pembroke Pines, west of I-75). This legendary venue was the site of performances by numerous Hall Of Fame artists: Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, and many more.  It was also the site of numerous arrests for drugs and weapons, overdoses, and a million other stories.

The Sporto from the outisde.

Before a 1981 Rush show, police sprayed tear gas on several fans who attempted to storm the gates, this led to some rock throwing and general chaos. The Sporto had plenty of issues over the years and the old barn was razed in 1993 following damage from Hurricane Andrew.

The Sporto from the inside.

Its fate was sealed when the state-of-the-art Miami Arena opened in 1988.  In typical South Florida fashion, the Miami Arena only lasted 20 years and was demolished in 2008, several years after the AmericanAirlines Arena opened just blocks away. Much more on those downtown venues in future posts. If you want to read more (mostly true Wikipedia) info about the infamous Sportatorium, click this link.