Alice Cooper and Vinnie Vincent Invasion: 12/31/1986

I had basically seen this exact same show three days earlier at the West Palm Beach Auditorium, but I could not pass up a chance to see the Coop again, especially on New Year’s Eve.

I went with a woman I was dating at the time, Christine, and I painted my face up as Alice. Figured I would get my full fan-boy on. I knew a lot of people who were going this night, including my brother and our friend Jon.

Vinnie Vincent was kind of a joke the second time around. I literally burst out laughing at one point when he did his best Karate Kid kick and knocked over the same dummy amp from the other night. Oh well, at least he tried.

During intermission, Christine and I went and met up with my brother and Jon in the lobby area. Now there was this one section in the lobby where some stairs were above, and the headroom as not that high. A basketball player would have to duck, for sure. Well, we were hanging out there, and Jon decided to have a little fun with some inebriated headbangers. “Hey,” Jon said, “I bet you can’t jump high enough to touch the ceiling there with your head.” They would not walk away from a dare, and proceeded to jump up and down, clonking their heads on the cement above them. It was humorous, and I suspect they woke with a splitting headache the following morning.

After a long intermission, Alice took the stage. The show was exactly the same as the WPB show, which, if I am being honest, I had hoped he would have at least thrown one or two treats in there for NYE, but still, it was a great show, even if it was the same.

Here is the setlist, in case you missed it from my last post. Rock on!

Setlist:

• Welcome to My Nightmare
• Billion Dollar Babies
• No More Mr. Nice Guy
• Be My Lover
• I’m Eighteen
• The World Needs Guts
• Give It Up
• Cold Ethyl
• Only Women Bleed
• Go to Hell
• Ballad of Dwight Fry
• Teenage Frankenstein
• Sick Things
• I Love the Dead
• School’s Out

Encore:

• Elected
• Under My Wheels

Alice Cooper and Vinnie Vincent Invasion: 12/28/1986

This stub is from Alice’s “The Nightmare Returns” tour. My memory of this show is a little spotty, mainly because I would see the same show again a few days afterwards on New Year’s Eve (that stub and memory to come soon). I can’t remember with whom I went to this show, but I have some recollections about the performances.

The Vinnie Vincent Invasion opened the show. Vincent was the guitarist for KISS prior to striking out on this solo venture. They were very much an embodiment of 80’s glam metal, and mildly entertaining. But I had to chuckle to myself, because at the end of the set, Vincent kicked over one of his amplifiers, but since I was close to the stage I noticed there were no cords or wires connected to it, and it did not seem to have speakers inside the cabinet, so I deduced it was a dummy amp (my assumption was confirmed on NYE when he kicked over the same “amp”). Anyway, not the best opening act I had seen, but not the worst either.

After a break, the Coop took the stage, opening with “Welcome to My Nightmare,” a great opener and right up there with “Hello Hurray,” which in my humble opinion is the best opening song ever.

Anyway, the rest of the show was all killer and no filler, as is evident from the setlist below. Rock on, and be sure to check back soon for my memories of the New Year’s show.

Setlist:

• Welcome to My Nightmare
• Billion Dollar Babies
• No More Mr. Nice Guy
• Be My Lover
• I’m Eighteen
• The World Needs Guts
• Give It Up
• Cold Ethyl
• Only Women Bleed
• Go to Hell
• Ballad of Dwight Fry
• Teenage Frankenstein
• Sick Things
• I Love the Dead
• School’s Out

Encore:

• Elected
• Under My Wheels

The Moody Blues and The Fixx: 9/29/1986

Here is a great example of why it was cool to be around in the 70s and 80s. You could go and see two cool bands for a mere $16.50. I’ve spent three times that much just for parking at concerts these days.

Anyway, I had seen the Moody’s the night before in Miami, but I figured, “Why not go see them again?” Supposedly The Fixx opened at the Miami show too, but I don’t really have any recollection of that concert. This one I remember better. I went with my friend Carlos and we had a great time. While the West Palm Beach Auditorium was not nearly as intimate as the Knight Center in Miami, it was cool because you could walk around and pretty much do what you wanted. It was a very laid-back venue.

Nothing really extraordinary to share about this show. I was able to locate the setlists online, so here they are. Enjoy!

The Fixx Setlist:

• Lost Planes
• Saved by Zero
• Built for the Future
• Secret Separation
• Are We Ourselves?
• Treasure It
• Deeper and Deeper
• One Thing Leads to Another
• Red Skies
• Stand or Fall

The Moody Blues Setlist:

• Gemini Dream
• The Voice
• Rock ‘N’ Roll Over You
• Tuesday Afternoon
• Your Wildest Dreams
• Isn’t Life Strange
• The Story in Your Eyes
• It May Be a Fire
• Reflective Smile
• Veteran Cosmic Rocker
• New Horizons
• The Other Side of Life
• I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
• Nights in White Satin
• Legend of a Mind
• Question

Encore:

• Ride My See-Saw

Hot Tuna: 1/24/1988

I’ve seen Hot Tuna a lot of times, so the shows tend to blend together in my memory, but this one stands out. I went with my friend Jon to this one, and Jon was also a huge Tuna fan, so we were pretty psyched.

The Carefree Theatre was an old movie theater in West Palm Beach that opened in 1947 and was converted to become a venue for smaller acts. It was a really cool place for a concert, because every seat was a great seat. That said, we had sixth row, so we were close to the stage.

This was the classic acoustic Hot Tuna duo, with just Jack and Jorma. They played a long time and the crowd was really into it. Great selection of songs, including “Good Shepherd,” which hearkened back to Jack and Jorma’s days with the Jefferson Airplane.

I was able to find a partial setlist on tunabase.com. Sorry I can’t fill in the blanks, but it was over 30 years ago. Rock on!

Set 1:

• I Know You Rider
• Hesitation Blues
• Walkin’ Blues
• I See The Light
• Candy Man
• 99 Year Blues
• Killing Time In The Crystal City

Set 2:

• Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
• Ice Age
• Too Many Years
• Sea Child
• Trial By Fire
• San Francisco Bay Blues
• How Long Blues
• Good Shepherd
• I Am The Light Of This World

(missing rest of set)

Bob Dylan and Paul Simon: 9/2/1999

I had seen both of these musical icons before this show, but it was impossible for a music fanatic like me to pass up the opportunity to see them both together.

I got tickets for my wife and I to go to the show, and we made the long drive from Miami up to Coral Sky Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. We had lawn “seats,” so we were pretty far back. But that was fine. Like I said, I’d seen them both before and didn’t feel the need to be up close.

The details of this show are a little hazy. I have impressions of each of them performing, and I vividly remember the two of them performing together at during Dylan’s encore. I’m pretty sure that Paul Simon played first. Since the two played together during Dylan’s encore, it seems to support my recollection. Also, my wife agrees that she remembers Paul Simon playing first. I know for certain that I enjoyed the show, and thought that both artists played well.

Here are each of their setlists.

Paul Simon Setlist:

• Bridge Over Troubled Water
• Can’t Run But
• The Boy in the Bubble
• The Coast
• Trailways Bus
• Mrs. Robinson
• Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
• Further to Fly
• Graceland
• The Cool, Cool River
• Slip Slidin’ Away
• Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
• You Can Call Me Al

Encore:

• Late in the Evening
• Still Crazy After All These Years

Encore 2:

• Proof
• The Sound of Silence

Bob Dylan Setlist:

• Somebody Touched Me
• My Back Pages
• Masters of War
• Love Minus Zero/No Limit
• Tangled Up in Blue
• All Along the Watchtower
• Just Like a Woman
• Silvio
• The Heart That You Own
• Highway 61 Revisited

Encore:

• Like a Rolling Stone
• It Ain’t Me, Babe
• The Boxer (with Paul Simon)
• That’ll Be the Day / The Wanderer (with Paul Simon)
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (with Paul Simon)

Joni Mitchell: 5/17/2000

At the time, this was the most expensive concert ticket I had purchased to date; but I have always loved Joni’s music and my wife is a huge Joni Mitchell fan, so I had no qualms about buying tickets for this show and spending a little extra for good seats.

What can I say about this show? She was magical on stage, and even though her voice had the smoky quality to it, she was enchanting for the entire performance. When I picture in my mind’s eye an image of a creative, intelligent, and inspiring woman, it’s someone like Joni Mitchell that I see. She’s a cultural icon who, in my humble opinion, has made a tremendous impact on our society and the world as a whole. Thank you, Joni, for all you do!

I noticed that on Joni’s website she has the setlist from the concert, as well as some great pictures. Please visit the site and enjoy the images. Here is the setlist from the concert. By the way, “Both Sides Now” had me on the verge of tears.

Setlist:

• Orchestral Overture
• You’re My Thrill
• At Last
• Comes Love
• You’ve Changed
• Answer Me, My Love
• A Case Of You
• Don’t Go To Strangers
• Sometimes I’m Happy
• Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me
• Stormy Weather
• I Wish I Were In Love Again
• Both Sides Now
• Be Cool
• Judgement Of The Moon And Stars (Ludwig’s Tune)
• Hejira
• For The Roses
• Trouble Man

Alice Cooper: 7/17/1980

This is my ticket stub from the very first time I saw Alice Cooper. This was a huge deal for me, because I was a major Coop fan and was psyched beyond words to see the man live. This was the “Flush the Fashion” tour, which was not my favorite album at the time, but I have learned to appreciate it over the years. Anyway, on to the story.

I was living in Miami at the time, and West Palm Beach was a bit of a hike. I worked with a guy named Floyd, who was a bit of a redneck but he liked rock music, and he had a car. He agreed to drive me and my two friends Vinnie and Leanna, so the four of us piled into his car and headed down the road.

We were driving up I-95, Vinnie and Leanna were in the back, I was shotgun, and the three of us were talking and laughing while Floyd was driving. Then he suddenly pulled off onto the shoulder and started yelling at us: “STOP LAUGHING!! My license is expired and if I get pulled over by the cops, I go to jail.”

I looked at him. “Umm, the cops probably won’t pull you over if we are laughing, but they might if you are stopped on the side of the highway. But if it makes you feel better, we will be quiet.”

An uncomfortable silence ensued for a while. After a bit, Floyd said, “It’s ok. Y’all can laugh if you want.” At that point, I was failing to see the humor in anything.

We got to the West Palm Beach Auditorium, hung around the parking lot a bit, then went inside. It was a triple bill, so the first act to play was Billy Squire. He was OK. Next up was Mike Pinera’s Sea Rock. Mike was also playing guitar with Alice on this tour, but it was cool to see his solo band. For those of you who don’t know, Mike Pinera was from the Blues Image, so of course they played “Ride Captain Ride.”

While we were waiting for Alice to come out, Floyd asked us to kick in money towards gas, since he filled the tank prior to the drive and we had agreed to give him some money. I gave him $3 and Vinnie gave him $3. Leanna didn’t have any money. Gas was cheap back then. Floyd had spent $12 to fill the tank. Anyway, he stood there, looking at the money, and said: “Hey. I put $12 in the tank. There are four of us, and 12 divided by 4 equals $3 each, so you all owe me another $3.” Vinnie had no more money, and all I had was $3 to my name. I told him that Leanna didn’t have any money, explained our cash situation, and told him I would give him a few dollars at work when we got paid that week. He responded by saying that Vinnie and I could get a ride back, but he would not drive Leanna because she didn’t pay. At that point, I lost it and got in his face, yelling and cursing at him. People were backing away because the argument was getting really heated. Finally, I gave him the last of my money and said, “Here you go, asshole! Take my last three fuckin’ dollars. Cheap fucker! Hope you’re happy!” At that point, he tossed the $9 at me, turned around, and walked away.

Now I started to panic. West Palm was a long way from Miami, especially in the days before cell phones and Uber, and $9 was not going to pay for a cab. I envisioned us hitching, which was not what I wanted to do. Alice came out, started rockin’, but I was obsessing. Visions of me kicking this guy’s ass at work were dominating my thoughts. I tried my best to enjoy the show, but each song seemed to fuel my anger more and more.

Finally, after a few songs, who shows up beside us, but Pretty Boy Floyd. “Hey guys! WOOOOOOO! Killer jams!” I looked at him with a feeling of disgust, but had enough common sense to keep my mouth shut. After a while, my anger subsided as I realized that we were getting a ride home, and he didn’t even ask us for a penny. I figured that this guy must not be playing with a full deck. I would be sure to keep that in mind.

The show was awesome. Extremely loud, but I was lovin’ it to death. The stage show was scaled back, no guillotine or anything like that, but the fight scene in “Gutter Cat vs. the Jets” was very cool. I would see Alice many times after this, but there is nothing quite like the first time.

The ride home was uneventful, thankfully. Here is the setlist. Rock on!

Setlist:

• Model Citizen
• Grim Facts
• Go to Hell
• Guilty
• Pain
• I Never Cry
• Talk Talk
• I’m Eighteen
• Gutter Cat vs. the Jets
• Only Women Bleed
• Clones (We’re All)
• Nuclear Infected
• Under My Wheels
• Dance Yourself to Death
• Road Rats
• Elected

Encore:

• School’s Out

Tom Petty: 7/25/1987

When I heard that the great Tom Petty passed away today (10/2/2017), while we were all still reeling from the massacre at the concert in Las Vegas the night before, all I could do was shuffle through some old stubs until I found one from Petty. I saw him a couple times, and he was great each time. This particular show was a triple bill, with Tom Petty, the Georgia Satellites, and the Del Fuegos. I have fuzzy memories of this show, but I recall distinctly how much I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I could not find a setlist online. After 30 years, the details are gone, but I know I was happy with the set.

Tom was a great musician and songwriter. He will be sorely missed. I am certain he has briskly ascended to Rock and Roll Heaven.

RIP Tom!

Rainbow: 7/23/1982

Here is my ticket stub from when I went to see Rainbow on the “Straight Between the Eyes” tour. I don’t remember much from this show, which was post Ronnie James Dio. What I do remember is that Ritchie Blackmore was as fast as ever on the Strat. I also recall them playing “Long Live Rock n’ Roll” and finishing up with “Smoke on the Water.” I could not find the setlist from this particular show online, but I did locate a setlist from Madison Square Garden on the same tour, which is probably similar to the show I saw.

Here’s the MSG setlist:

• Spotlight Kid
• Miss Mistreated
• I Surrender
• Can’t Happen Here
• Tearin’ Out My Heart
• All Night Long
• Stone Cold
• Power
• Difficult to Cure
• Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll
• Smoke on the Water

Santana with Ozomatli: 10/17/1999

Santana is always great in concert, but this concert was especially nice since he had Ozomatli opening, and members of Ozomatli joined Carlos and his band during their set.

My wife and I went to this show with some acquaintances, another couple who we sort of knew but were not really friends with. The concert was at Coral Sky Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, which is your typical amphitheatre. There are seats in the front half and an open field in the back. We had seats, which was nice.

I was not very familiar with Ozomatli at this time, but they came out and totally rocked. I was really impressed with their sound and energy, and during their last song, they all picked up percussion instruments and walked out among the audience, jamming like a conga line. It was the perfect opener for Santana.

Santana was, as I said, amazing. His tone and the clarity of his guitar work are the signs of a musical virtuoso. He played a great mix of his classic music, as well as songs from his then new album, “Supernatural,” which I think is an incredible album and one I was listening to quite a bit at that time. The only down side about this show was the drive home. We lived in Miami at the time, so it was a bit of a long trek back from West Palm.

Anyway, here’s the setlist. Rock and roll!

• Spiritual / (Da Le) Yaleo / Hannibal (with Ozomatli)
• Migra (with Ozomatli)
• Put Your Lights On (with Ozomatli)
• Santana Sandwich
• Day of Celebration
• Victory Is Won
• Maria Maria (with Ozomatli)
• Europa (Earth’s Cry, Heaven’s Smile)
• Smooth
• Bacalao con pan (with Ozomatli)
• Make Somebody Happy / Get It in Your Soul
• Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
• Oye como va
• Everybody’s Everything
• Love of My Life
• Jin-go-lo-ba