Concerts, part 2

After cleaning out some of the frontal lobe cobwebs I came up with a list of other concerts I’ve attended. There are surely more lost to the currents of time, but these come to mind:

- I mentioned Bette Midler in Richmond in the 70s: her band was fronted by Barry Manilow. I had never heard of him before but remember thinking he was an ace piano player and led a really tight band. The second half of the concert opened with him and the band doing three numbers sans the Divine. Manilow was not yet the schlockmeister he became.

- Labelle at around the same time: Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. They put on quite a show but nothing quite topped their entrance, especially Patti’s: descending from the fly space, her fifteen-foot long dress train preceding her.

- The first musician I remember seeing live was Lionel Hampton, the vibraphone master, at the Camp Zama Officer’s Club in Japan. I would have been fourteen maybe. It was a dinner dance and this weird mallet instrument I had never before seen enchanted me.

- The Kingston Trio also paid a visit to Japan and that was the first concert I ever attended where I could sing along, knowing many of their songs.

- I saw Henry Mancini at Notre Dame and though some might laugh, he put on an incredible show. When there was microphone trouble at one point he brought the house down by whistling the Fight Song.

- My buddy Malette and I heard Barbara Cook at a New York cabaret (the Oak Room maybe) and she was phenomenal – hell, at 80 years old she’s still phenomenal today. I mentioned Frank Sinatra at Carnegie in my earlier post. He was, alas, past his prime then, but it was Sinatra at Carnegie. How could I not go? I was so glad I did.

- Joan Baez at the Mosque was very special, though some of that specialness wore off later: she ended the show and came back for an encore; with her guitar held at her feet she sang an a cappella version of Amazing Grace. After a verse she lead us through several more. When it was over she looked at us and said "thank you; that was beautiful." It was magical and, as I say, special -- until a couple years later, when she released a live album. She ended the show and came back for an encore; she sang an a cappella version of Amazing Grace. After a verse she lead the audience through several more. When it was over she said "thank you; that was beautiful." ------ Wasn't quite so special anymore.

- Special though was going backstage after their Notre Dame concert to meet Peter, Paul and Mary. I was with Tina and they had sung a song about "Tina," so we had to chat with them. I remember Mary’s hair being the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

- I forgot the other day to list the Doors, Al Kooper and Steve Forbert. The Doors concert was in Chicago in 1968 or 1969 and I’m afraid I don’t remember much of it – you know, if you remember the sixties, you weren’t there. Kooper (of Blood, Sweat and Tears et al) was at B B Kings in New York fairly recently and put on a great show. It’s such a fun venue to hear music. Steve Forbert I've seen four times I think. You might not know him, though you likely remember his one Top 10 hit, Romeo’s Tune. When he arrived on the scene in 1979 he was lauded as the next Dylan and his debut album was highly praised. Unfortunately his career never really took off. He’s still recording – I have 25 of his albums – but he never managed to become the superstar he should’ve been.

The worst concert I ever saw? I was at home in Richmond one afternoon when my friend Don called. “What are you doing tonight?” he asked. “Nothing,” I replied. “Great, he said; I have free tickets to the John Denver show; let’s go.”

“No thanks,” I replied. “I thought you were doing nothing,” he cajoled. “Yeah, and I’d rather do that.”

Shoulda stuck to my guns. It was like being smothered by a bale of cotton candy. I ate raw lemons for a week to get that taste out of my mouth.

I saw Randy Travis in New York City during my 80s country phase -- also Dwight Yoakam -- and Tito Puente at Yale, and Rufus Wainwright likewise. 

I believe I saw Solomon Burke and maybe Wilson Pickett but I can’t swear to that. I was still inhaling.

Edith Piaf and Judy Garland for sure.

Oh, no, wait, that was a dream.