ZZ Top: 9/6/1981

This was my first time seeing the little ol’ band from Texas. This show was part of the El Loco-motion tour and I was pretty psyched to see them.

While I am not 100% sure of this, I think I went to see this concert with my friend and fellow guitarist Mike. What I do remember most vividly about this concert, though, was the laser light show.

Our seats were in the back of the Sportatorium. I confess that when the first blast of lasers erupted from the stage I was taken aback. ZZ Top was not a band I expected to have lasers. I equated lasers with bands like Blue Oyster Cult, Yes, and Pink Floyd. But I have to say, the lasers worked really well, especially during “Cheap Sunglasses.”

The band was totally rockin’ the entire show. I don’t recall any weak spots at all.

I have no recollection of an opening act. I read on Wikipedia that the Joe Perry Project opened for a bunch of shows on this tour, but Joe was definitely not at the Sporto show.

Anyway, here’s the setlist. Rock on!

Setlist:

• Groovy Little Hippie Pad
• I Thank You
• Waitin’ For The Bus
• Jesus Just Left Chicago
• I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
• Ten Foot Pole
• Manic Mechanic
• Heard It On The X
• Francine
• A Fool For Your Stockings
• Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings
• Pearl Necklace
• Cheap Sunglasses
• Dust My Broom
• Arrested For Driving While Blind
• Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers
• Just Got Paid
• Party On The Patio

Encore:

• Jailhouse Rock
• Tube Snake Boogie
• La Grange
• Tush

Cheap Trick: 10/28/1984

It’s been a long time since I posted. Life has gotten in the way. It happens. But here we go.

I think this was the first time that I saw Cheap Trick in concert. I know the first time I saw them was at the Sunrise Musical Theatre, and I am pretty sure I only saw them there once, but memories get foggier the father back you go.

Anyway, if this is indeed the concert I was thinking about, I went with my friend Jim who was a big Cheap Trick fan. He was telling me about the plethora of guitar picks that Rick Nielsen would toss into the crowd, and some of the other rock and roll antics. And they did not disappoint in this area. I was amazed at how far Nielsen could flick a pick. And yes, when they played “Surrender” as an encore, they sailed a KISS record out into the crowd too!

I looked online and the following is an average setlist from 1984. It seems to be about right from what I remember. Rock on!

• Hello There
• California Man
• Reach Out
• I Want You to Want Me
• I Want Be Man
• The Ballad of T.V. Violence (I’m Not the Only Boy)
• If You Want My Love
• Baby Loves to Rock
• Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
• I Can’t Take It
• Up the Creek
• Dream Police
• She’s Tight
• Stop This Game
• Surrender

Jethro Tull: 11/17/1993

So I have to confess that this concert was a little disappointing. I am a big Jethro Tull fan, and the first time I saw them they were AWESOME. For this reason, I had very high expectations, especially seeing them in a smaller venue like the Sunrise Musical Theatre, as opposed to an arena like when I first saw Tull.

My wife and I went to this show with my friend Stewart and his girlfriend. We had fairly good seats, although there were no bad seats in the Sunrise.

I was pumped when Tull took the stage, but my excitement waned, and then I found myself thinking that I should be enjoying the show much more than I was, and finally realizing that they were just dragging through the performance. The contrast to seeing Jethro Tull in the 70’s was stark. As I watched them plod through their songs, I was forced to remember a scathing review I had read about the band in a rock magazine, where the writer referred to them as “Jethro Dull.” Sadly, that about summed up this concert for me.

Stewart seemed to have enjoyed the show, so I played along and said I thought it was good. I didn’t want to spoil someone else’s musical experience. And honestly, there were a couple songs that got me pumped, particularly “Living in the Past” and “The Whistler.” But mostly, it was weak. Even “Locomotive Breath” lacked steam.

Anyway, that’s the thing with a live performance—sometimes it’s great, and sometimes not so much. Here’s the setlist…

Setlist:

• My Sunday Feeling
• For a Thousand Mothers
• Living in the Past
• Bourrée in E minor
• So Much Trouble
• With You There to Help Me
• The Whistler
• Farm on the Freeway
• Thick as a Brick
• Sossity; You’re a Woman / Reasons for Waiting
• Songs From the Wood / Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die / Heavy Horses / Songs From the Wood
• Later, That Same Evening
• Budapest
• Andy Gidding’s Parrot
• Passion Jig / Seal Driver
• A New Day Yesterday
• Aqualung
• Locomotive Breath

Encore:

• Cross-Eyed Mary
• Dharma for One

Wilco: 4/21/2009

The first time I heard Wilco was when someone turned me on to their collaboration with Billy Bragg, which is an amazing album (check it out if you are not familiar). After that, I began to explore more of Wilco’s music and gained a deep appreciation for them. Since I had not seen them before, my wife and I jumped at the opportunity to see them at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, an intimate venue.

There really isn’t a whole lot to talk about with this show. Wilco was amazing, and I had a wonderful evening with my wife. Sometimes just enjoying live music with someone you love is all you need.

Here’s the setlist.

Setlist:

• Sunken Treasure
• Remember the Mountain Bed
• You Are My Face
• I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
• Pot Kettle Black
• Handshake Drugs
• She’s a Jar
• Impossible Germany
• At My Window Sad and Lonely
• Forget the Flowers
• Jesus, Etc.
• I’m Always in Love
• A Shot in the Arm
• Box Full of Letters
• Heavy Metal Drummer
• Hummingbird (with Lilac Rain – vocals)

Encore:

• The Late Greats
• Candyfloss
• Hate It Here
• Walken
• I’m the Man Who Loves You

Encore 2:

• Misunderstood
• Hoodoo Voodoo
• I’m a Wheel

Warren Haynes 18th Christmas Jam: 12/16/2006

This Christmas Jam was a strange one, with some highs and some lows. Also, things on a personal level were very unsettled at the time, so that affected the overall experience.

The lineup was pretty solid:

• Dave Matthews
• Gov’t Mule
• The John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic
• Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives
• New Orleans Social Club (featuring Henry Butler, Leo Nocentelli, Ivan Neville, George Porter & Raymond Weber)
• Taj Mahal Trio
• Special Guests: Mike Barnes, Brendan Bayliss, Randall Bramblett, Audley Freed, Col. Bruce Hampton, Taylor Hicks, Kevn Kinney, Branford Marsalis, Mickey Raphael, Dave Schools

I was really psyched to see Branford Marsalis. He is a virtuoso on the saxophone, and I had really high expectations of him jamming with various groups.

I guess I should address the low points first. John Popper’s group was pretty boring. He is a great harmonica player, but something about him as a frontman just doesn’t spark excitement for me. The other weakness in this show was Dave Matthews. Although I like Matthews, he was totally sick at this show, obviously fighting the flu. He was struggling to sing, and actually had to stop midsong once to get a drink and catch his breath. I give him a lot of credit for getting up there in such condition, but it did not make for a great performance.

As far as the high points, Branford and Taylor Hicks jamming with New Orleans Social Club was mind-blowing. Hicks, the American Idol winner, played harmonica alongside Marsalis, and the look of admiration and awe on Taylor’s face of getting to jam with Branford was priceless. Branford also performed a killer sax solo on “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.”

The last thing I want to say is that Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives were awesome. I had seen Marty solo at the Christmas Jam, just sitting in on mandolin, but to see him with his full band was really great. They were really top notch musicians and their entire set was flawless.

I was only able to locate the setlists for Dave Matthews and Gov’t Mule, so here they are. If anyone has any other setlists from this show, feel free to post them in the comments section.

Dave Matthews:

• Bartender
• Grace Is Gone
• #40
• Save Me
• So Damn Lucky
• Smooth Rider (aborted)
• Gravedigger
• Crush
• Long Black Veil

 

Gov’t Mule:

Set I

• Cortez the Killer (w Dave Matthews)
• All Along the Watchtower (w Dave Matthews)
• Reggae Soulshine
• Brand New Angel
• Unring the Bell
• Leaving Trunk

Set II

• Sco-Mule
• Mule
• Sugaree
• I Shall Be Released
• Time to Confess
• 3 String George
• Child of the Earth
• Devil Likes It Slow
• The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
• I Shall Be Released

The Allman Brothers Band and Phil Lesh & Friends: 10/4/2008

This show was a jam-band fan’s dream. The Allmans and Phil Lesh. I was pretty psyched for this one. I made the drive from Asheville to Charlotte with my friend Greg, which took us a little over two hours. We had scored lawn tickets, which was fine. I felt no desire to be up close. Plus, the lawn tickets were only $16.50++, which was very reasonable for two great bands in 2008.

We staked out our little patch of grass at the Verizon Amphiteatre and waited for Phil. He came out and opened with “Cumberland Blues,” which was great. But the band didn’t seem able to sustain the energy for this particular show. There were a few high points, like “Golden Road” and “Cosmic Charlie,” but overall I was left with the impression that this was probably the weakest Phil & Friends show I had seen. It happens. As a musician, I know that you can’t be 100% all the time, and that any number of factors can affect a performance. Still, it was great seeing Phil, as always.

Then came the Allmans, and in comparison, they were stellar. Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes together on guitar were phenomenal. You could tell that they were feeding off of each other’s energy, seamlessly shifting between solos and augmenting and supporting each other like the seasoned veteran musicians they are. And Gregg Allman was in great form, belting out the tunes and making the hairs stand up on the back of the neck. By the time the last note of “Whipping Post” faded, I was completely rocked out.

My friend Greg and I wandered back to the car, only to discover to our dismay that the car would not start. One of the wires had come loose from the battery terminal. I tried not to panic, but the thought of spending the night in a parking lot in Charlotte was, shall we say, less than appealing. Thankfully, a friendly concert goer offered to help. We got the wire reattached, got the car started, and made it home without further incident.

Here are the setlists from the respective acts. Rock on!

Phil Lesh Setlist:

• Cumberland Blues
• Gone Wanderin’
• Rock-n-Roll Blues
• Minglewood Blues
• Row Jimmy
• The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)
• Uncle John’s Band
• Dark Star
• So Many Roads
• Dark Star
• In the Midnight Hour

Encore:

• Cosmic Charlie

Allman Brothers Setlist:

• Done Somebody Wrong
• Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’
• The Same Thing
• Gambler’s Roll
• Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More
• Manic Depression
• Come and Go Blues
• Come On in My Kitchen
• Into the Mystic
• Dreams
• Black Hearted Woman
• Southbound

Encore:

• Whipping Post

Grateful Dead: 10/16/1988

This was the last night of a three-night run of Dead shows. The previous night’s show was excellent, and my friends and I all crashed and slept late.

After waking up and having a late breakfast, I convinced Armando and Tim to join me on an excursion to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. Immersing ourselves in surreal artwork seemed like a good way to prepare ourselves for the third Dead show.

The museum was very cool, and we were not the only Deadheads who had the idea of checking out the Dali Museum. There were many tie-dyed freaks wandering around, gazing glassy-eyed at the many artworks that were on display. Two in particular stood out for me. There was a hologram of Alice Cooper wearing a tiara, which was very cool, especially since I am such a big Cooper fan. But without question, it was the massive painting entitled The Hallucinogenic Toreador that was the most captivating. I stood for what seemed like an eternity, getting lost in the psychedelic colors that pulsated on the canvas. Here is a link to an image of the painting to provide a sense of context.

The Hallucinogenic Toreador: Wikipedia

After the museum, we made our way back to the Bayfront Center and hung out with the other intrepid music fans until show time. It was decided amongst us that we would drive back to Miami after the show. I was not too keen on this idea and felt it would be better to spend the night in St. Pete and drive back early in the morning, but Armando was adamant that he had to leave tonight to be in Miami in time for work in the morning, so I acquiesced since he said he would be the designated driver.

This particular evening was Bob Weir’s birthday, and as expected, the show was stellar. Our seats were not as good as the first night in St. Pete, but since the venue was so small, it really didn’t matter. The second set was especially hot, with Phil opening the set with “Box of Rain.” The set also included “Terrapin Station,” one of my favorites, and “Morning Dew” to close, followed by “Quinn the Eskimo” for an encore. If you are at all interested, the full concert is available on YouTube, with actual video from the show and not just pictures.

Anyway, after the show, we skipped hanging out because Armando was eager to get on the road. We were facing a good five-hour drive, which would get us in to Miami close to 4:00 am. Once we were on I-75 southbound, Tim stretched out in the back seat and fell asleep, while I sat up front with Armando and had the important task of keeping the music going. But eventually, the hypnotic lines on the road got the best of me and I leaned my head against the window and slipped into slumber. I was ripped from my sleep by the sound of Tim screaming as the car was bouncing and careening off the road. Everything was a blur as I waited for the inevitable crash, but somehow, Armando miraculously got the car back on the road without us hitting anything. Tim was yelling from the back seat, and Armando was apologizing that he fell asleep. At this point, we were all wide awake with the collective adrenaline rush, but after a while, the rush was replaced by a deeper fatigue brought on by the adrenaline crash. This time, Armando consented to our suggestion that we pull over at a rest area and sleep a bit in the car. We cracked the windows and sank into some much-needed sleep.

When we awoke, we were all groggy, but rested enough to make the remainder of the drive. We rolled in to Miami around 8:00, which wasn’t bad, all things considered. It was a long, strange trip, which could have ended in disaster, but the four winds blew us safely home again.

Here’s the setlist.

Set 1:

• Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
• Never Trust a Woman
• Feel Like a Stranger
• Friend of the Devil
• Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again
• To Lay Me Down
• Don’t Ease Me In

Set 2:

• Box of Rain
• Victim or the Crime
• Foolish Heart
• Looks Like Rain
• Terrapin Station
• Drums > Space
• The Wheel
• Gimme Some Lovin’
• All Along the Watchtower
• Morning Dew

Encore:

• Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)

Grateful Dead: 10/15/1988

I had gone to see the Dead the previous evening in Miami, and the morning of Saturday October 15, I got in the car with my friends Armando and Tim and we made the drive up to St. Petersburg for two more shows. The drive was fairly uneventful. We took Alligator Alley across the Everglades and then I-75 north up to St. Pete. The drive was pleasant and uneventful, and we had a steady stream of bootleg tapes that we listened to as we drove.

The drive from Miami to St. Pete was about five hours, so we got there with plenty of time to check in to our hotel and make our way to the Bayfront Center Arena. Once there, we spent some time wandering the parking lot, buys wares from vendors and grabbing some food from the entrepreneurial purveyors of vegetarian food. We also connected with friends from Miami, including my good friend Todd, who was determined to join us inside the arena.

Armando, Tim, and I had some great 7th row seats that we managed to score through the mail order ticket sales. We snuck Todd up there with us and no one seemed to care, so he was able to hang with us for the entire night.

The show was phenomenal! Bob Weir was in exceptional form and it seemed like the band was feeding off his enthusiasm. Add to that the fact that the audience was in a constant state of ecstasy, and it made for a magical evening.

During the second set, the band came out of drums > space and went into “Truckin’” and the energy was tangible. At the end of the song, the band went into an instrumental jam, building in intensity like some cosmic crescendo. At this point, my friend Todd screamed out to the band: “Give it to Bobby!” And sure enough they did, segueing into the Howlin’ Wolf blues classic “Smokestack Lightning,” which would be the only time I would experience the Dead playing this one. It was an amazing show that is etched into my memory.

After the concert, we hung out in the parking lot for a while, until the mental burnout of a road trip and a show took its toll and we headed back to the hotel to crash. But tomorrow would be another show, and it would be Bob Weir’s birthday, so we had high expectations.

Here is the setlist from this night’s performance.

Set 1:

• The Music Never Stopped
• Sugaree
• Blow Away
• Walkin’ Blues
• When Push Comes to Shove
• Queen Jane Approximately
• Tennessee Jed
• Let It Grow

Set 2:

• One More Saturday Night
• Crazy Fingers
• Playing in the Band
• Uncle John’s Band
• Drums > Space
• Truckin’
• Smokestack Lightning
• Stella Blue
• Turn On Your Love Light

Encore:

• U.S. Blues

Grateful Dead: 10/14/1988

This was the first night of a three-night run of shows. I would see the Dead on October 15 and 16 in St. Petersburg, FL, and those nights I remember, but for some strange reason, I have no recollection of this first show in Miami. No idea why that is. Anyway, I can only assume that I hung out with my Deadhead friends and had a real good time. In the morning after the show, I would be heading up to St. Pete with my friends Armando and Tim, and we had a bit of an adventure. More to come on that one. For now, all I have left to share about this show is the setlist. Rock on!

Set 1:

• Touch of Grey
• Minglewood Blues
• Row Jimmy Row
• It’s All Over Now
• Brown-Eyed Women
• When I Paint My Masterpiece
• Bird Song
• Promised Land

Set 2:

• China Cat Sunflower
• I Know You Rider
• Saint of Circumstance
• He’s Gone
• Drums > Space
• Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad
• I Need a Miracle
• Dear Mr. Fantasy
• Hey Jude

Encore:

• Black Muddy River

Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat, and Whitford/St. Holmes: 10/9/1981

Here is why it was so cool growing up in the 70s and 80s. A great triple bill for a whopping $9.00! Even though I had seen Blue Oyster Cult earlier in 1981 with Heart, I could not pass up on this one.

First to play was Whitford/St. Holmes, a band comprised of Brad Whitford from Aerosmith and Derek St. Holmes from Ted Nugent’s band. This was one of those moments in rock history, where I had the chance to see a band that really was not around very long, but was very cool.

Next up was Foghat, and if memory serves me well, this was the first time I saw them. I admit I was into Foghat as a teenager, so seeing them live was a big deal for me (I would see them more times than I care to admit afterwards). They played a short, tight set that included all their hits, and the generally intolerant Sportatorium crowd was appreciative.

Then came BOC. As always, they were nothing short of excellent. This was the Fire of Unknown Origin tour, which was definitely a high point in the band’s career. I have some distinct memories from this performance, like the amazing version of “Godzilla” and “Roadhouse Blues” for the encore, at the end of which Buck Dharma systematically popped his guitar strings one by one during the closing solo, grasping and tearing the last string as the final note decayed. It was rock and roll at its finest.

So as I was researching this show online and I found the setlists for Foghat and BOC, I discovered something ultra-cool. It seems that “The Red &The Black”, “Joan Crawford”, “Burnin’ For You”, “Godzilla”, “Veterans of the Psychic Wars” and “E.T.I (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)” were all recorded at this show and released on the Extraterrestrial Live album (here is track list on Wikipedia). Once this Shelter-in-Place restriction is lifted, I will definitely be scouring the record stores to get a copy of this.

Anyway, here are the setlists. Rock on!

Foghat Setlist:

• Stone Blue
• My Babe
• Eight Days on the Road
• Wide Boy
• Fool for the City
• Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was a Fool)
• Honey Hush
• Live Now Pay Later
• Slow Ride
• I Just Want to Make Love to You

Blue Oyster Cult Setlist:

• The Red & the Black
• E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
• Joan Crawford
• Burnin’ for You
• Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll
• Veteran of the Psychic Wars
• ME 262
• Godzilla
• Born to Be Wild

Encore:

• (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
• Roadhouse Blues