The last real concert I went to was, if memory serves, REM back in the mid-90's at the Shoreline Amphitheater. Fantastic concert.
The last time I attended a concert at Harrah's Tahoe was 1977, when we saw The Captain and Tennille still near the height of their popularity.
This Saturday I'll be at Harrah's Tahoe to see Lindsey Buckingham perform. I've always been a big fan of Fleetwood Mac (in its Lindsey and Stevie configuration), and even had tickets to see them when I was in high school. Unfortunately, Stevie "caught a cold" (which I think was code for "in rehab") and they had to reschedule, dropping the Sacramento concert completely.
I've seen a Center Stage show featuring Lindsey. As a guitarist, and a very creative/artistic one at that, he had seven guitarists on stage with him as he performed, giving a very interesting sound to the music. You might think they would overwhelm the percussion or bass, but they didn't--and it was fantastic.
So as I drove to meet a friend for lunch today, and saw a billboard advertising this Saturday's show, I decided to go. Frankly I was surprised to find that tickets were still available, and I snatched one up. I don't know what my seat is, but the agent told me that it's a very good seat. I guess we'll see!
A few months ago I tried to get tickets at Harrah's for Pat Benatar, but apparently they'd been sold out for several weeks. Not so this time.
I'm looking forward to this little trip. And no, there will be no pictures or bootleg audio from the show!
That's funny, I was just pondering Lindsay Buckingham yesterday when the radio had played "Say You Love Me" which I used to sing with my last band. (I was really disappointed that our otherwise good guitarist neglected to play anything like the second part of the guitar lead in the middle. Poor guy had only one side of his stereo working I guess.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I thought Buckingham was a great session guitarist. To me the great lead players make or break a song. Other favorites of mine are "Only the Lonely," "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" etc.
Your disappointment at their no-show reminds me of when I went to see the Doors in 1967 at the Pasadena Civic. Someone was "sick" and for years I remembered it as the keyboardist, but I think it was in fact Morrison and it was rather the keyboardist who showed up and apologized.
Apparently they'd had time to book a substitute, so out danced a new group--the Fifth Dimension! People were streaming out for the exits of course.
"And no, there will be no pictures or bootleg audio from the show!"
ReplyDeleteNo, no, of course not. *cough* youtube *cough*
I love his song "Countdown" from 1992.
ReplyDeleteDarren
ReplyDeleteEnjoy. A few months ago I got to have one of my childhood dreams and see Bob Seger in concert in Houston. It was great. It did scare me that for the most part I saw 50 somethings around me and my date, but what the hell...there were a few teeny boopers around and the older crown wasn’t into being too obnoxious.
Seger's awesome. I'll bet it was a great show!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what Lindsay's current chemical-dependence status is, but when I saw Fleetwood Mac a few years back, he gave the appearance of being, um, a little coked up. Maybe that's his natural state.
ReplyDeleteI'm off to see The Police tonight, a triple-bill of ZZ Top, Pretenders and Stray Cats in August, and Genesis in October.
1983 lives on!
Dean
ReplyDeleteSounds great but I got one question...who is lead singer for Genesis now? I saw Phil Collins on his "First Final Farewell" Tour last year and from what he is saying he's giving up on touring after this because he's going deaf.
Collins was awesome...came out, held up his drum sticks, started on his drums, a second drummer came up and then a third drummer came out...they went for about 15 minutes before they got to "real" music.
There are some songs I've wanted to hear live to make me die happy (Darren will say don't ask, you wouldn't understand) and
"Hotel California" New Orleans 1994
"Free Bird" Houston 2004
"Still the Same, Night Moves" Houston 2006
Not about to say my life is complete, but I've had a few things punched on my card!
Mikeat,
ReplyDeletePhil's back on board. He may be short and bald, but he's got an ego the size of Montana. The original plan was to reform the "old school" Genesis with Peter Gabriel up front and to essentially reprise the "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" tour of 1975. Collins, Ritherford and Banks floated it to Gabriel who cogitated and said he'd get back to them by Christmas. But he didn't name the year of that Christmas. So C, B, and R decided to reconstitute the 1978-1992 iteration for the "Turn It On Again" tour.
Remember, Collins show (which I saw in San Jose) was titled "The First Final Farewell Tour." He calls this new tour "a series of dates" to get around the apparent contradiction.
Disco Phil, whaddya gonna do? I actually met him in 1981. Story for another day...
I saw Collins in concert at Shoreline--summer of 94, I believe it was. Had plenty of adult beverages in the parking lot beforehand so much of the concert is a blur, but I remember I liked it! It was no Seriously Live, though, which I have on video.
ReplyDeleteDean
ReplyDeleteThanks....I will put Genesis on my "must see" list.
Mike
Darren,
ReplyDeleteI saw Phil's first tour (which followed his second album) and his last tour. First show was at a 2000-seat theater in Ann Arbor where I had seen Peter Gabriel just weeks before. Wore a Peter Gabriel shirt to the last tour and a veteran T-shirt vendor snapped at me (light-heartedly).
Seems the Genesis star brightened and faded under the same influence. The band ditched sophisticated/cerebral musicnand lyrics for light pop/lovesongs. Prog-rockers Yes sustained a loyal following and lucrative tour schedule throughout the 80s, 90s, and 00s by sticking to the tough stuff (9/8 time signatures, etc.)