IN THE HOUSE:June 13,2018: THE LSD TOUR- It’s Worth The Trip

IN THE HOUSE: June 13, 2018- THE LSD TOUR featuring Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and Dwight Yoakam (LSD)@ The Beacon Theatre.

Bucket list bands are sometimes the best to see, especially after waiting for years to get the chance. Once in the rare opportunity you could be disappointed. Tonight was NOT one of those disappointing shows by any stretch of the imagination.DWIGHT YOUKUM on the bill of the “LSD TOUR- It’s Worth The Trip” featuring STEVE EARLE and THE DUKES and LUCINDA WILLIAMS, how could we go wrong?  BRAVO to whom ever thought of putting this show together and at a reasonable price.For me DWIGHT was the attraction as I saw STEVE EARLE last time through town (with Los Lobos) and LUCINDA not that long ago.

BIG LEG, a Dwight Yoakam protege,opened the evening to a receptive crowd. STEVE EARLE and THE DUKES (with a DUTCHESS) are next. The guitarist (playing a DanElectro) and the fiddle player in the band are the hubby/wife duo known as THE MASTERSONS, an alt-country group based out of all places BROOKLYN, NY. Check ‘em out, they are amazing playing and singing with STEVE.

Clear the stage and get ready for LUCINDA WILLIAMS. First off, her guitarist has about a dozen or so classic guitars on the rack and a stomp box board about an acre in size, some of which he uses to make incredible sounds. ‘Drunken Angel”, “Lake Charles”,”Bitter Memory”, “Changed The Locks” (which she dedicated to her friend TOM PETTY who covered the song),”Honey Bee” and “Foolishness” were stand outs this evening. Nice applause and the lights come up immediately, no encore as was with STEVE.

A VOX amp was given the road crew fits as they attempted to set up for DWIGHT YOAKAM. Finally, ready to go with the risers, amps, drums, all placed far back allowing a huge expanse of open stage, the house lights dim and flashes of white lights appear, each accenting the rhinestones on the musicians jackets as they sprint across the stage to take their spots. A CHUCK BERRY riff is heard off stage, “Little Queenie”, and as the spotlight hits the side of the stage, enters DWIGHT YOAKAM, the star for this evening and the guy playing that riff. The band kicks in, the lights flash across the huge stage, LAS VEGAS style is in the house tonight. True professionalism, no idle chatter, no tune ups required, change of Dwight’s electric to acoustic guitar occurred while the band completed a tune, and he dances and shuffles across the stage to the delight of dare I say, the large contingent of women in the audience. And the Vox amp crapped out in the second song to which Dwight directed the attention to by putting his boot on it and shaking his head to the crew still not missing a beat or a shimmy. Quickly the amp was by-passed to another and the show continued on for over an hour.”Little Sister”, “Streets of Bakersfield”, a few MERLE HAGGARD tunes thrown in as a nice tribute,a cover of  WARREN ZEVON’S amazing “Carmelita”, “ the obligatory (for me anyway) “Honky Tonk Man”, “Guitars and Cadillacs” and the closer with STEVE EARLE and LUCINDA WILLIAMS on back up vocals “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and Loud, Loud Music).Song over, lights up, time to exit. Bucket list item done, add DWIGHT YOAKAM to the roster of shows.

 

THE HEARTBREAKERS NOT THE HEARTBREAKERS

THE HEARTBREAKERS NOT THE HEARTBREAKERS

Circa 1980 Johnny Thunders reunites with his mates Jerry Nolan or Ty Stix (drums) depending on which night, Billy Rath or some other guy on bass depending on which venue, and the ever present WALTER LURE, a story unto himself, to play a few local dates in and around NEW YORK CITY as THE HEARTBREAKERS, a name which they used since 1976.

Having seen them numerous times at MAX’S KANSAS CITY, IRVING PLAZA, The PEP LOUNGE and lesser known venues in the NYC area it came as a shock to see an ad advertising THE HEARTBREAKERS on a Spring 1980 Saturday night at MY FATHER’S PLACE in the quaint Long Island village of Roslyn, New York. Johnny was coming out of the City to visit The Tunnel people, as many Long Islanders were called when they visited clubs in Manhattan.

Recently I had surgery to repair a torn wrist so I wearing a shoulder sling and taking a few pain killing meds. I took an extra one when I arrived at the show, to avoid any pain if I got bumped into. (If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you) Alcohol was also consumed by our group. During one of my trips to the bar area I met Johnny Thunders who was seated at a rear table. He called me over asking about my injury and inquiring if the doctors recommended any meds. Laughing I told him that the pills were already working and I had none to spare.He smiled.

Back at our table, now with waitress service and the place starting to fill up, I noticed a table of about ten folks seated behind us. Young men with Izod golf shirts and young women dressed up a bit. Not the leather and lace attire usually seen at Max’s but hey, we are on Long Island. Due to the close proximity of the seating arrangement I overheard one guy say how much he loved Tom Petty and wonder how good his band would be without him. Bells went off in my head. These folks were expecting to see THE HEARTBREAKERS not THE HEARTBREAKERS. The dilemma is whether or not to slip them a hint that they might be a bit confused when this band of HEARTBREAKERS hit the stage. Not to mince words I told the speaker.

The dude was confused as was those in his crowd. So he posed the question to me: Should they stay or should they go? Laughingly I said I can’t answer that but be advised we are in for a long evening as JT and his HEARTBREAKERS are notoriously late. The guy got up seeking management. In a few moments they all vanished.

Johnny Thunders and his THE HEARTBREAKERS were late, very, very late and mostly, except Walter Lure, quite intoxicated. The set was amazing as always, that is, amazing that it occurred, amazing that Johnny could remain standing and amazing that we all had another great story to tell. God Bless THE HEARTBREAKERS, which ever one you choose.

ONE OUT OF EVERY 40 SONGS IS A TOM PETTY TUNE…

ONE OUT OF EVERY 40 SONGS IS A TOM TUNE

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers is a strange anomaly in the music business.The band was hitting the scene out of Gainesville, Florida as our great nation was celebrating The Bi-Centennial with 1976 being a year in flux, musically.  Check the BILLBOARD album charts and see how we the record buying public were all over the place: Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Bob Dylan’s DESIRE, Eagles Greatest Hits (71-76), Led Zeppelin’s PRESENCE, Wings,The Stones, FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE, FLEETWOOD MAC and Stevie Wonder’s amazing SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIVE. Who in their right mind would want to challenge that line up. Hey, I was enjoying shows by TODD RUNDREN who was morphing into UTOPIA at the time, Frank Zappa, Bowie, and The Stones of course.

Then 1977 has only two albums that control the charts for most of the year, HOTEL CALIFORNIA and Fleetwood Mac’s RUMOURS. 1978 was also stagnate in chart movement with RUMOURS continuing its long run at the top followed by two soundtracks SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and GREASE. Billy Joel ends the year with his 52nd STREET.

So, How does TP and The Heartbreakers get into the mix?

Kudos to Sasha Frere-Jones for her insightful VILLAGE VOICE piece of October 3, 2017 describing the radio audience that TOM PETTY walked into circa 1977-1980. Her article helped me further understand the music business/radio dynamics of that time.

This period was one of a changing environment in radio. Within months stations started the labeling of artists, categories which did not exist before. And Program Directors were pigeon holing artists as well as attempting to define their specific audience’s tastes.  At this date we also witness the demise of free form radio hosts, my radio idols at the time, those willing to play anything and everything unconditionally. The pre Classic Rock format is slowing developing as stations were searching for identities, attempting to capture listeners by their tastes and grabbing the almighty advertising dollars.

 

Into this radio scene, albeit a confusing one, (1977) AMERICAN GIRL is released, a recording lost in the crossfire of the emerging “punk” rock and what Program Directors now defined as “rock”. How does one define this recording or better yet, WHY define it?

For me AMERICAN GIRL was a great record upon release, kinda catchy as they say and today it is still is a great listen. That Byrds Beatles genre which we were missing is somehow captured in  3 minutes and thirty five seconds: The twanging guitars, words that grab your attention. Quite a difference from RUMOURS, no disrespect intended, but hey, this AMERICAN GIRL record was different.

NY radio at this time, again in my opinion for my listening taste and again kudos to Sasha Frere-Jones for reminding me, had only two major players left.WPIX and WNEW. The PIX PENTHOUSE PARTY with Meg Griffin was a delight introducing newer music to us, not the standard Eagles or Frampton. Here at 101 FM we heard Talking Heads, The Clash, Elvis and Elvis Costello as well as the arrival of The B-52’s.

WNEW hitched its wagon to Springsteen (all day-everyday), Pink Floyd soon to all be labeled CLASSIC ROCK.

1979 we get DAMN THE TORPEDOES and Refugee which is another game changer.

So the question is: What’s your point?

According to data accumulated by FiveThirtyEight, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are the fifth biggest classic-rock group in the country, responsible for one out of every forty songs you hear on the radio.

That’s the point, TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS helped change the sounds which emulate out of that device Marconi made so many years ago.

Next up: TOM PETTY and THE HEARTBREAKERS versus THE HEARTBREAKERS

DAISY DUKES AND COWBOY BOOTS

Tags

#JasonAldean, #LasVegas59, #SNL, #TomPetty

 

Tom Petty died the other day in his house in Malibu, a long way in time and space from his origin in Gainesville Florida .Well actually he had succumbed to cardiac arrest in his  Californian home but pronounced dead the next day, October 2 in a hospital. We the public were still reeling from the tragedy the day before in Las Vegas where a gun man assassinated 59 of our concert going brethren. Then the other confusing news, Tom died, then he was placed on life support, ultimately it was reported Tom Petty left us, physically.

As typically done when a recording artist of some renown passes the radio stations play a few of his/her/ their hits. Even the 11 0’clock news plays a “going to commercial break” with a sound bite of the musician’s work. Record sales go through the roof, as noted in Tom’s case by VVN MUSIC NEWS reporting of AMAZON’S TOP SELLING ALBUMS by VETERAN ARTISTS listing 14 of the top 20 belonging to Tom solo, Heartbreakers,and/or Traveling Wilburys, and better yet, of the Top Ten Tom has the Top 9 spots only to be bested at 10 to Shania Twain’s new release.

After the reports on the shooting in Las Vegas and the reports on Tom Petty’s passing I was thinking about both incidents and the 60 folks (59+1) who passed away in a short period of time. Some were smiling , surrounded by friends, family and fellow concert audience members, the daisy dukes and cowboy boots crowd before a few seconds later tragedy struck for no apparent reason. One can not fathom how or why but it puts a fear in my heart. Those poor souls silenced.

Then Tom Petty dies.

A few nights later SNL at it’s 10PM re-run spot played the November 10, 1979 show starring BUCK HENRY and featuring “musical guests” Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers performing “Refugee” and “Don’t Do Me Like That”. I sit in front of the screen silently, but with a slight smile, nodding, yeah, Tom.

The 11 O’Clock nightly news is over and it’s time for SNL. Me, I’m expecting ALEC BALDWIN as #45 throwing rolls of paper towels into the audience. Nope, not tonight America. Jason Aldean, the performer who graced the stage when the gunman hit Las Vegas was the cold opener of Sat Night Live this week and after a heart wrenching intro he led the band with Tom Petty’s I WON’T BACK DOWN. Again, I sat at the screen silently but without a smile. God Bless Us All.