On May 17, 1994, I was in Nashville (staying at the Opryland Hotel) with several hundred company sales people for a three-day sales meeting. The company hosted a large group event at the Boots Randolph Dinner Theater in Printer's Alley. When the buses pulled up to the front entrance, Boots Randolph met each one of us personally and then seated us. It soon dawned on me that we were the only ones there. As dinner concluded, Boots took the stage with his band and put on a rambunctious show that concluded with his big hit Yakety Sax. Then he announced to all of us that it was his final show. He was closing the restaurant that night. One of our sales guys shouted, "What are you going to do with the leftover booze?" Boots retorted, "Oh hell, let's drink it!" Which we did ... while he played his entire set over again. I think I heard Yakety Sax at least four times that night. And as we were leaving, Boots signed and handed each of us one of his leather-covered menus. A truly unforgettable night.
99. JESSE McCARTNEY
"2003 Forest Park Concert Series" August 11, 2003 Forest Park Bandshell
New York City
Jesse McCartney was a major hearthrob for my daughter, Michelle, beginning with his time with the singing group Dream Street. She had posters of him on every wall of her bedroom. She was determined to meet him one day, and when a concert in New York City was announced, concurrent with our family vacation there, she begged us to go. So we did.
We took a cab from Times Square to the Forest Park Bandshell in Queens. We walked up, and there he was, doing a soundcheck. I started to film it, when a lady came up and asked us to stop. It was his mother, Ginger. We struck up a conversation, telling her that we had driven all the way from Michigan to see her son. She was honestly shocked and told us that she would make sure to have Jesse meet Michelle.
When the concert concluded, Ginger placed us among the first in line for a meet and greet. Jesse not only spoke with and signed for her, he also gave her a hug and posed for a great photo. It was an unforgettable moment for sure!!
98. SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS
"Rockabillaque 2023"
January 21, 2023 Seminole Casino Parking Lot Immokalee, Florida
The phone rang. It was my bud, Craig. He was imploring me to come to the 2023 Rockabillaque Festival. The event was a combination biker/hot rod show (and general celebration of the good old days). In addition to the most original beard and tattoo contests, was live music by local rock and roller garage bands. The Saturday night headliner, however, was an act called the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Craig was incredibly fired up to see them.
I had heard of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, but had no idea of who they were or what kind of music they played. Why not? It was free! So we jumped into the car and headed to Immokalee.
A near-perfect afternoon was spent in the parking lot packed with gleaming metal of all sorts. The massive crowd of mostly old white men with gray beards and their women, many dressed as Lucy Ricardo, celebrated Americana in the warm sunshine … eating pulled pork and brisket with Bud Light. Music from the stage was often drowned out by the sound of Harleys revving.
The Zippers were scheduled to go on at seven, but the Miss Rockabillaque Contest ran long and the band couldn’t do a soundcheck until the contestants vacated the stage.
Watching the band tune up with an amazing array of instruments including fiddles, ukuleles, harmonica, banjo, trumpet, sax, and oboe was a performance in and of itself. It was clear that this band was about to give us something special.
The Zippers' amazing seventy minute set was as enthusiastic and entertaining as a vaudeville show. Even if I only recognized one song, it was a blast. I would describe their music as Brian Setzer meets Manhattan Transfer meets the B-52s. Their excellent musicianship and their comic showmanship were old fashioned show-biz at its best! It was one of those little gigs that exceeded all expectations!
Violinist Andrew Bird ended the show by wryly blurting "Alright Rockabillaque!! You wanted the best ... you got the Squirrel Nut Zippers!!"
97. AVERAGE WHITE BAND
"The Final Funk Tour" October 18, 2024 Common Ground At The Bay Park
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota had been brutalized by two major hurricanes in the autumn of 2024. Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc in the region, destroying thousands of homes and many lives all along the gulf coast. On a gloriously clear and calm evening a week after the storms, at The Bay Park, the Average White Band performed a fabulous and free set of funk and jazz for 3,500 grateful attendees worn out from cleaning up after the storms.
There was an opening act, WBTT Sistas In The Name Of Soul, four ladies who harmonized along to karaoke music of 60s and 70s R&B classics. It was a half-hour-long never-ending medley of hits that was brilliantly fun and got everyone out of their lawn chairs and dancing and singing. As a bonus, at the conclusion of their act, we all turned and watched a SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral over the Sarasota skyline.
Average White Band took the stage at sunset. The seven member band was not all white. The lead singer, Brent Carter, was black. He added a bit more soul to the six suptagenarians wearing orthopedic Red Ball Keds. His vocals were excellent.
Original member Alan Gorrie greeted us and thanked us for being there, considering the circumstances, and informed us that this was their final performance in Florida. In fact, it was one of the ten final gigs of their lives, calling it "The Final Funk Tour." He introduced us to the band, making particular note of guitarist Onnie McIntyre who, along with himself, were original members of the band when it was founded in Scotland in 1972.
The early part of their fourteen song set consisted mostly of smooth jazz, allowing us to slip into the groove and enjoy our drinks. The band then tightened things up with Person To Person and Schoolboy Crush, placing more emphasis on their iconic twin-sax funk sound. The crowd was beginning to feel it and soon everyone was on their feet.
Alan then announced that the last forty tour shirts in existence were available in a gym bag at the rear. The two founding members had signed them all and they were donating the proceeds to Sarasota hurricane relief. I was instantly out of my chair and bought two of the last shirts for my bud, Craig, and myself. We wore them as we charged the stage for a photo op, just as they began jamming with Cut The Cake.
They saved the best for last, with a rousing seven-minute encore rendition of their smash Pick Up The Pieces before taking a bow and disappearing into the night. It was certainly a memorable performance and a needed distraction for all of us. Thank you, Average White Band!
On-stage Average White Band setlist
at The Bay, Sarasota, Florida
October 18, 2024
96. JOHN DENVER
"An Evening With John Denver Tour" August 7, 1974 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Sitting in the 'grass seats' took on a whole new meaning at this show, the first major concert I ever attended. I was fourteen years old. I can't really recall who took me, but I do remember a funny smell all during the show, sort of a 'sweet-funky-smoky' stench.
John Denver was in great form. He was at his peak musically, with back-to-back number one songs in the country on the Billboard charts at the time - Sunshine On My Shoulders and Annie's Song. His mellow demeanor and cheerful acoustic songs helped create a wonderfully bucolic evening.
This was an important show for Denver because it was his last dress rehearsal before heading out to the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles to record An Evening With John Denver, one of the biggest selling live albums of all time.
SETLIST: The Music Is You Farewell Andromeda Mother Nature's Son Summer Today Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio Matthew Rocky Mountain Suite Sweet Surrender Grandma's Feather Bed Annie's Song The Eagle & The Hawk My Sweet Lady Annie's Other Song Boy From The Country Rhymes And Reasons Forest Lawn Pickin' The Sun Down Thank God I'm A Country Boy Take Me Home Country Roads Poems, Prayers, And Promises Rocky Mountain High
This Old Guitar
95. CARL PALMER
"The Return Of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
featuring Carl Palmer"
February 21, 2024
Seminole Center
Seminole Casino Hotel
Immokalee, Florida
Drummer Carl Palmer was the sole remaining member of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, the legendary prog-rock trio known for deep album cuts and massive synth anthems. Both Keith Emerson and Greg Lake died in 2016, leaving Palmer to carry on the band’s legacy, now known as “The 50th Anniversary Return of ELP.”
At 73 years old, Palmer had recently dealt with health issues, including ablation surgery to correct atrial-fibrilation (a poorly-syncopated heartbeat). Seems odd for a drummer.
The venue was the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, capacity 800 seats. Its auditorium looked more like a convention ballroom than a performance arena. As we wandered down to our third-row seats, surround-sound speakers were playing ancient Gregorian chants. On the stage, sparkling in the center was a massive polished stainless steel drum kit. Together, with the ominous music, it seemed to glow in the blue stage lighting like a grail from an Indiana Jones film. They were definitely trying to create a mood (a little difficult when slot machines were constantly ringing in the next room).
On stage left was a dude programming a foot-stomp effects panel. It was Paul Bielatowicz, the band's guitarist. I chatted briefly with him about his Line-6 modeling equipment. He was a very pleasant guy. Little did I know how incredible this player was!
From the multitude of video display screens, it was apparent that Emerson and Lake's return would be in video form. In fact, Palmer opened the show with a video clip expressing his gratefulness to the families of his former band-mates for giving their blessing to use their likenesses during his performance (my guess is they were probably also compensated for it).
Conspicuous by their absence was the lack of any keyboards on stage. Instead, there was just a guitarist and a bassist on either side of Palmer and his massive double-kick drum kit.
Palmer, in his low-key manner, stepped out from the drums to solemnly introduce each song, often including a thoughtful reminiscence of Keith and/or Greg. His playing was not low key, however. It was intense as he pounded through ten-minute avant-garde works, often with audacious counter-rhythms and obscure time signatures.
Bielatowicz, the guitarist, was technically brilliant, running his midi-strat through a Line 6 Helix effects board that enabled him to emulate everything from Hammond B3 and Moog synthesizers to bagpipes. His precision tapping skills were amazing to watch, as was his beautiful solo interpretation of Debussy's Clair De Lune.
On stage right was Simon Fitzpatrick, laying down highly-articulate jazz downbeats on a six string bass … when he wasn’t mesmerizing us with his technique on his Chapman Stick. Ahem, it's a bizarre polyphonic twelve string cross between a zither and sitar.
The trio was able to replicate the dense aural tones of ELP to the satisfaction of the hard core fans who closed their eyes and rocked back and forth in their seats. To the uninitiated, however, much of the esoteric and atonal music was an acquired taste, and a few people departed early.
The over/under in the casino on the length of Palmer’s drum solo during Carmina Burana was ten minutes … he came in just under at 9 minutes and 25 seconds.
Emerson and Lake were both spotlighted individually on the video screens. Palmer's skillfull bongo-work accompanying Lake's 1992 Royal Albert Hall performance of From The Beginning was a welcomed acoustic change of pace from the blistering setlist.
During the twenty minute finale of Aaron Copeland’s Fanfare For The Common Man, the audience was entranced by the depiction of Emerson’s brutal and often hilarious destruction of a Hammond L-112 keyboard cabinet during a 1971 Belgium concert, all while Palmer plowed forth in front of us at center stage. Like most of the evening, it was a surreal and unforgettable moment.
Carl Palmer's Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee Setlist
94. BOSTON / SAMMY HAGAR
"Don't Look Back Tour"
October 21, 1978 St. John Arena Columbus, Ohio
It had been a long drive from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio to Columbus. I hooked up with a couple of Ohio State buddies for a few beers along High Street before heading over to St. John Arena for the concert. Unfortunately, it was 'bucket night' and turned out to be more than a few beers at Papa Joes.
Sammy Hagar opened the show as we continued our celebrations. He blew the roof off the place, both vocally and with three screaming guitarists.
By the time Boston took the stage, we were in pretty bad shape. Making matters worse, the arena was like an echo chamber. Try to imagine a twenty-minute Tom Scholz synthesizer solo inside a large concrete box. When we walked out, we all had roaring headaches. But damn, Peace Of Mind was good!!
SAMMY HAGAR SETLIST:
Red
Rock And Roll Weekend
Make It Last
I've Done Everything For You
Bad Motor Scooter
Cruisin' And Boozin'
Rock Candy
Gimme Some Lovin'
BOSTON SETLIST:
Rock & Roll Band
Shattered Images
Peace Of Mind
Something About You
The Man I'll Never Be
Smokin'
Foreplay/Long Time
Don't Be Afraid
More Than A Feeling
Television Politician
93. ALABAMA
Opryland USA
May 18, 1994
Nashville, Tennessee
This was clearly a case of not knowing how important a concert was until long afterward. I was in Nashville for a company sales meeting and the entire group was taken by bus to Opryland USA, an amusement park built next to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. We were escorted to a large outdoor seating area in front of bandshell. I asked somebody who we were going to see, and he said Alabama. I had only vaguely heard of the group, and assumed they were some hayseed country band.
Boy, was I wrong. There was no twang at all, and I recognized almost everything they sang. Their lead singer, Randy Owens, had a compelling presence and a full, rich-sounding voice. Their harmonies were incredibly tight.
It took me decades to realize that I had witnessed one of the great bands in country music. Now, I am very glad I did!
92. BRIAN WILSON / AL JARDINE / BLONDIE CHAPLIN
"The Christmas Album Live"
December 11, 2018
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota, Florida
We were excited to see Brian Wilson again. This time in Sarasota. And we thought that he might bring us into the holidays withsome fun music. However, while waiting in the Van Wezel lobby for the show to begin, a woman wearing a "Brian Wilson Backstage" sticker erupted from behind a door and whispered worriedly to her husband, "He's having a bad day."
The concert began promisingly, with an enthusiastic performance of Little Saint Nick. But it was soon apparent that Brian was not feeling merry. For most of the concert, Brian remained motionless, like a buddha, behind his piano at center stage. He did not sing. He did not play. He frequently took swigs from a nearby bottle of water while his band quickly ripped through the set. The other musicians, including Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin, tried to keep things going, but it was clear to everyone (other than the fanatics) that Brian was done.
The second half of the concert turned to Beach Boys classics, and Brian seemed to show some life. He was fully-engaged during God Only Knows and Good Vibrations, to which the crowd reciprocated with standing ovations, perhaps hoping to send a signal to the musical savant that they appreciated being in his presence.
The concert was worthwhile because it got us into the Christmas spirit. But barely.
Brian Wilson Presents:
"The Christmas Album Live"
Setlist ...
91. TOBY KEITH / MIRANDA LAMBERT / FLYNNVILLE TRAIN
"Big Dog Daddy Tour" September 12, 2007
Allegan County Fair
Allegan, Michigan
When Toby Keith rolled into the Allegan County Fairgrounds (for the fifth time in six years), he had already achieved fame not only for his testosterone-influenced bar anthems, but also for an ongoing rabble with the Dixie Chicks. He had a built a solid reputation as a dude with an attitude. His opening act, Miranda Lambert, was earning a similar reputation as one of the hot up-and-coming acts in country music.
Miranda played a short but intense set that included her hits Kerosene and Gun Powder & Lead to a sold out crowd (sitting on folding chairs on the dirt track of the Allegan County Fairgrounds). She was rough, and tough, and lacked finesse. Still, the crowd fed off of her hard-edged energy, and appreciated every minute of her performance. She was definitely going places.
On the other hand, Toby walked out emotionally flat, and played a didactic set, ninety minutes in length. No encore. No interaction with the crowd. Yeah, he played all the hits, but his mind seemed somewhere else. When he sang As Good As I Once Was, it sounded like he was singing it for real.
MIRANDA LAMBERT SETLIST: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend New Strings Dry Town Gunpowder And Lead Desperation Me And Charlie Talking Famous In A Small Town Highway Hillbilly Travelin' Band Kerosene TOBY KEITH SETLIST: Big Dog Daddy Honky Tonk U Stays In Mexico I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight High Maintenance Woman Get Drunk And Be Somebody The No No Song Whiskey Girl I Wanna Talk About Me Love Me If You Can You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This Who's Your Daddy As Good As I Once Was Should Have Been A Cowboy Weed With Willie Beer For My Horses How Do You Like Me Know A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action American Soldier Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue
"An Evening With John Denver Tour"
"Don't Look Back Tour"
"Big Dog Daddy Tour"
