Ticket Stub Time Travels

 12 years ago today... January 31, 2009 - Tampa, FL The annual on-site Bud Bowl Super Bowl week party was held at Channelside with adult entertainment including music from alt-rock band 3 Doors Down. Connections through Hensley, the Phoenix-area Bud distributor, we landed tickets to this invitation-only event.  It was outdoors in downtown Tampa along the waterfront in an area now renamed Sparkman Wharf. Bud flowed freely.  Dressed in our finest Arizona Cardinals wear, Therese and I were asked to stand in a few photos as proof there were Cards fans around, as the Steel Curtain outnumbered Big Red mightily.    Guest hospitality from the friendly and talented Bud Bowl dancers was exceptional.  We got the band's then-current CD autographed.  This was a wildly fun way to prep for the following day to come.

 5 years ago today... January 30, 2016 - Maricopa, AZ Classic rock from the 1970s was played loudly when Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat turned back time in concert at Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino. This show was held outdoors in a temporary festival setup near the casino entrance.  As the set lists indicate, there was not a song played newer than 1978.  This was a sing a long night for those of my era.  We were fortunate to have VIP credentials, so the comp F&B and side stage viewing took the night to the next level.  Thanks Abbie! BOC still sounds great as the two lead vocalists and guitar players, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and Eric Bloom from the band's peak are still rocking with the current group.  These two played at Alice Cooper's annual Christmas Pudding fundraising show one year and were a highlight of the night.  At Harrah's, they broke out a few laser lights, a flashback to when BOC was one of the first to use lasers in concert. Only original dr...

 17 years ago today... January 29, 2004 - Scottsdale, AZ Cheap Trick performed live at the Birds Nest at the FBR Open, aka Phoenix Open, PGA golf tournament. Formed in 1973 in Rockford, IL, Cheap Trick was a popular rock & roll band that played in small clubs around the Midwest.  The band's self-titled debut album came out in spring of 1977, my senior year of high school.  Just as the album was released, Cheap Trick played Second Chance, a Champaign, IL nightclub.  As underaged teens, our only ID was that of Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, fortunately good enough for the bouncer on this night.    We watched the band rip through that first album from a tiny barroom stage, and were immediate fans.  The original album had Side 1 and Side A on the flip, as they claimed they "had no 'B' material." We've seen Cheap Trick dozens of times since that night in 1977.  The sets don't vary a lot, highlighted by the songs from "In Color," "Live at Bud...

 38 years ago today... January 28, 1983 - Phoenix, AZ  Legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis performed in the round at Celebrity Theatre. Miles is lauded as a revolutionary and creative musical genius.  He is also one weird guy.  He played virtually the entire concert with his back to the audience and the bell of his trumpet pointed downward toward the stage.  He never addressed the crowd. Of the eight long songs Davis performed, six were from his upcoming album "Star People."    Even if you don't see yourself as a jazz aficionado, consider adding Miles' "Kind of Blue" album to your collection.  The best-selling jazz record ever made, this is perfect early morning wake-up music and dinner accompaniment.  Thank me later.  Unfortunately, nothing from this album was performed in this concert. To see the set list, go here: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/miles-davis/1983/celebrity-theatre-phoenix-az-53f66b85.html

 31 years ago today... January 27, 1990 - Scottsdale, AZ Jazz guitar and vocal duo Tuck & Patti performed in concert at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts. I was not very familiar with this husband-wife Windham Hill Jazz recording act when I saw them in 1990.  This concert was presented by KJZZ Radio, the market's PBS jazz station that hosted me and a parade of musicians that played the then-popular Boojum Tree Jazz Lounge.  I handled artists publicity for the jazz club, located within a Doubletree Hotel, and KJZZ would interview the performers live on air. Although I had taken a class titled "Evolution of Jazz" in college and was on a committee that brought jazz musicians to campus, driving jazz legends in my car to be interviewed at KJZZ at its Mesa studio was my true jazz education.  Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Richie Cole, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Mose Allison, Jon Hendrix, Charlie Byrd, Ahmad Jamal, Dan Siegel, Jimmy Smith and Francine Reed where among the j...

 20 years ago today... January 26, 2001 - Scottsdale, AZ The Heat Was On this Friday night when Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey spread his wings at a solo concert at the raucous Birds Nest Music Fest at the Phoenix Open golf tournament. Like most nights at the Birds Nest, this was a packed and rowdy affair.  Glenn played a mix of Eagles hits where he sings lead vocal, his solo work and rock & roll covers that inspired the audience and added to the wild scene.    Frey died five years ago this week at age 67.  Later that year, a full-sized statue of him was unveiled at Standin' On The Corner Park in Winslow, AZ, a cool little tribute to the song and the band that is another good reason to visit this little town along Route 66 and the railroad. The Eagles continue to tour (although we attended the "Farewell I" tour in 2005!) and have added Glenn's son Deacon to the band.  The Eagles 2020 concert tour playing the "Hotel California" album front to back with a f...

 6 years ago today... January 25, 2015 - Glendale, AZ The NFL Pro Bowl kicked off at University of Phoenix Stadium. This was the first Pro Bowl held outside of Hawaii since 2010, and was scheduled a week before Super Bowl XLIX which would be played in the same stadium.  The game used an unconferenced format with teams drafted and captained by NFL Hall of Fame wide receivers Cris Carter and Michael Irvin. Like every other Pro Bowl, the results are forgettable and the game action soft.  For the record, Matthew Stafford and J.J. Watt were the offensive and defensive MVPs respectively.    Perhaps the most interesting aspect of attending the Pro Bowl was to see the advance site preparations for the Super Bowl that was happening a week later, the third time the "Big Game" had been played in AZ and the second time at University of Phoenix Stadium.

 23 years ago today... January 24, 1998 - Sun City West, AZ Soft-rock trio America performed in concert in a retirement community at the Sundome. I like "Horse With No Name," "Sister Golden Hair" and a few other radio hits from America, but the show on this night was a yawner. Maybe the low-energy vibe was a byproduct of the concert being held in Sun City West, a 55+ active adult community.  I'm in that demographic now, but in 1998 it wasn't my scene. When Del Webb opened the Sundome in 1980, the 7,000-seat venue was the largest single-floor theatre in the nation.  Not all seats were good.  To the thrill of residents, the Sundome debuted with the Lawrence Welk Show live on stage. Arizona State University managed the Sundome from 1984 until Maricopa County took over and then back to ASU for its final years.   It closed in 2010 and was finally demolished in 2013, making way for a Fry's Food Store.  Fry's incorporated iron gates, a mosaic and arched arc...

 34 years ago today... January 23, 1987 - Phoenix, AZ The surf was up and the vibrations good when the Beach Boys brought fun, fun, fun to the round, revolving stage at Celebrity Theatre. This was my first time seeing the Beach Boys, so I never saw the full classic lineup.  Dennis Wilson had drowned in Marina del Rey four years earlier.  Brian Wilson was not in the band at the time, dealing with substance abuse and mental issues.  Carl Wilson and cousin Mike Love were the band leaders.   I was fortunate to see Brian present his 50th anniversary celebration of the "Pet Sounds" album at this same theatre in 2016. Brian was in good voice on this night, but offered little in banter and the briefest of song introductions.  Original Beach Boy Al Jardine remains in Brian's band, along with guitarist Blondie Chaplin. The current version of the Beach Boys is led by Love and Bruce Johnson.  Sadly, there has been a long-time family feud with multiple law suits wi...

5 years ago today... January 22, 2016 - Chandler, AZ Burton Cummings, lead singer of The Guess Who, brought his classic rock to the Ovations showroom at Wild Horse Pass Casino. Burton is the voice behind radio-friendly hits like "American Woman," "These Eyes," "Laughing," "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature" and "No Time" among many more. The Guess Who still tours as a band, but the only original member is the drummer, with the other group members serving as sound-alike hired guns.  Burton Cummings tours under his own name and brings the vocals and arrangements that you remember from the records.  He plans to tour with original GH guitarist Randy Bachman (who left the band to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive) in 2021.   The Ovations box office loaded the ticket stock upside down in the printer, creating the unusual look to the stub.  We'll overlook the error since the price is within the targeted budget, aka "comp," for ...

 27 years ago today... January 21, 1994 - Tempe, AZ Professional athletes representing sports other than basketball took to the hardwood to dunk for cash in the Foot Locker Slam Fest at ASU Activity Center. Taped to run at halftime of televised NBA games, this event included big name jocks like Carl Lewis, Ken Griffey Jr., Deion Sanders, Chris Carter, Michael Irvin, Barry Bonds and Olympic jumpers Mike Powell and Mike Conley, the Slam Fest winner two years prior.    I don't remember who won this contest in '94.  My memory highlight came from the celebrity judges, a panel which included Meadowlark Lemon, Connie Hawkins, Calvin Murphy and Wilt Chamberlain.   While the judges marked their scores, fans in the Activity Center were provided with their own set of scoring posters numbered 1 to 10, to offer up your own score for each dunk and perhaps influence the judging.    Wilt had recently published an autobiography titled "A View From Above."  In...

  11 years ago today... January 20, 2011 - Phoenix, AZ Pure Prairie League brought its blend of country-rock from the 70s and 80s to the Rhythm Room for a midweek show. I was introduced to Pure Prairie League in high school through the popular Top 40 radio classic "Amie," now a go-to karaoke tune after multiple craft beers.  I've seen them many times, but never with lead singer Craig Fuller, the voice of "Amie."  After recording the song, he fled to Canada to avoid the draft.  Eventually, he was replaced with a long-haired Vince Gill who generated airplay for the band with the pop singles "Let Me Love You Tonight," "Still Right Here In My Arms" and "Almost Ready" before embarking on a solo career. Neither Craig nor Vince was on stage at the Rhythm Room this night, but they did have long-time original band members Mike Reilly on bass and John David Call on pedal steel.  Both Mike and JD were friendly and cool to chat with and pleased...

 30 years ago today... January 19, 1991 - Phoenix, AZ Rhymin' Paul Simon brought his "Born At The Right Time" tour to Desert Sky Pavilion. Paul's set drew heavily from the recently-released "The Rhythm of the Saints" album and the Grammy-winning Album of the Year in '87 "Graceland," along with Simon & Garfunkel classics.  Later in 1991, Simon released his first "Best of" album with the same title as this concert tour. This was one of the first concerts at the new Desert Sky Pavilion, an open air amphitheater built in west Phoenix, a cultural wasteland in those days.  The concert venue had its grand opening just two months earlier in November 1990 featuring Billy Joel.  For a while, the venue would plant a new tree on the grounds for every concert booked, until the sheer volume of events made this impractical. This was a big date night as it was only the second time Therese had visited me in AZ from her home in Southern California ...

 8 years ago today... January 18, 2013 - Scottsdale, AZ Gary Allan turned Martini Ranch into a honky tonk in a concert presented by country radio station KNIX. This was not a typical show for this venue in the Old Town Scottsdale nightclub district, better known for club dance music catering to a young crowd.  On this night it was Western wear and longneck bottles as KNIX packed the club with winners of comp tickets awarded via station promotions. I was not very familiar with Allan, but liked his show and stage banter and knew more songs of his than I realized.  Among the highlights were performances of former No. 1 hits "Nothing On But The Radio" and "Every Storm Runs Out of Rain."  I also liked "Watching Airplanes" and his hysterical cover of Todd Snider's "Alright Guy."   We were planning to catch him in 2020 at the brand new showroom at Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino, but that concert was cancelled due to the pandemic.  We still haven't ...

17 years ago today... January 17, 2004 - Phoenix, AZ Playing to an enthusiastic home crowd, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers introduced a new album in a concert in the round at Celebrity Theatre. This was the CD release event for "Americano!," my personal favorite album from the band.  Commemorative key chains were given to all in attendance.  Credit to my Peacemaker pal and superfan Neill Fox for getting the CD signed for me. A local rock star, we have seen Roger several dozen times over the years, starting way back with the Refreshments and including his Circus Mexicus festival in Puerto Penasco, aka Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico.  RCPM tours nationally, has a loyal following of Peacemakers, and is a recommended live show.  "Heres To Life" - Roger Clyne  

 12 years ago today... January 16, 2009 - Phoenix, AZ  Despite a 22-point 11-rebound night from Shaquille O'Neal, the Phoenix Suns were upset at home by the Minnesota Timberwolves 105 - 103 at US Airways Center. This was year one following the Mike D'Antoni "seven seconds or less" fast-breaking high-flying offense.  Terry Porter was a disaster as the new head coach and was fired after just 51 games and assistant Alvin Gentry promoted to head coach. The Suns had traded Shawn Marion for Shaq the year prior. Shaq got his numbers and played well, but "The Matrix" defense, hustle and speed was missed. The offense slowed to a half-court game and the team missed the playoffs. Steve Nash, pictured on this season ticket, was a two-time NBA MVP with the Suns during the D'Antoni era.  He had 6 points and only 6 assists in this loss.

 12 years ago today... January 15, 2006 - Phoenix, AZ John Legend performed in concert at Dodge Theatre. I became a John Legend fan in 2006 when he was the musical guest on "Late Night With David Letterman" when we were part of the studio audience at Ed Sullivan Theatre in NYC.  He sang "Save Room" from the "Once Again" album and we liked his soulful R&B style right away. We saw him twice at Celebrity Theatre before his popularity really exploded and his next local show moved to the much larger Dodge Theatre.  I didn't particularly like this performance, as it featured his third and newest album "Evolver" produced by Kanye West, who also appeared as a guest artist. Kanye will never be part of my playlist as Hip Hop and club beats are not my jam.  He will not get my vote for POTUS either.  "Evolver" did not sell well, and can be found in a discount bargain bin near you.  Legend's albums since then have been more pleasing to m...

 10 years ago today... January 14, 2011 - Phoenix, AZ Janiva Magness brought the Blues to the Rhythm Room. Janiva has recorded 15 albums and was named the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2009 by The Blues Foundation.  She is now a Grammy nominated Blues artist who travels the world with her music, but it really got started in Phoenix in the mid 80s when she formed her first band, The Mojomatics.    The Mojomatics were popular locally, but Janiva relocated to Los Angeles in 1986 and released her debut album five years later.  If you have never heard Janiva, I recommend her favorite album of mine, "What Love Will Do," on Alligator Records.  Give it a spin. The Rhythm Room is a small live music club specializing in Blues, although occasionally offering Americana, folk, country and rock acts.  This is the premier Blues venue in the state, run by Bob Corritore, a harp player, record producer and host of the long-running weekly radio program "Those Lowd...

 43 years ago... January 13, 1978 - St. Louis, MO In the month that the double live album "Double Live Gonzo" was released, Ted Nugent rocked the Checkerdome. The first "Ted Nugent" album (on 8-track or cassette tape) could be found in virtually every car driven by a high schooler crusin' the town square in my hometown of Monticello, IL in the mid 1970s.  That album along with "Free For All" and "Cat Scratch Fever" were featured in this rock concert. Opening in 1929, the St. Louis Arena was renamed the Checkerdome in 1977 when Ralston Purina bought the arena and the Blues NHL team, the arena name a nod to the company's checkerboard logo. Loyal readers of this journal will recall our seeing Rush at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago just five days earlier.  Returning to college from the holiday break, we detoured to St. Louis for another rock show before returning for our second semester of freshman year. With St. Louis being less than a two h...

 26 years ago... January 12, 1995 - Tempe, AZ Stevie Wonder brings Motown to Gammage Auditorium on the campus of Arizona State University. I'm not typically one to rank performances, but this concert, luckily viewed from sixth row center, was one of my Top 10 live music moments ever. Touring behind his new "Conversation Peace" LP, Stevie brought a big band to Tempe, featuring a trumpet player, dual percussionists and several background vocalists.  Later in the year, this concert tour was featured on a live album and DVD titled "Natural Wonder." Stevie Wonder with opening act Rufus featuring Chaka Khan was my first concert in 1974 at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL, starting a concert addiction which continues to this day.

5 years ago... January 11, 2016 - Glendale, AZ In the first National Championship game resulting from the new College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide of Alabama defeats the Clemson Tigers 45-40 at University of Phoenix Stadium. This championship game was held in addition to the annual Fiesta Bowl which was played in the same stadium just 11 days prior.  There was a lot of future NFL talent on display, as 30 of the 44 starters on both teams were drafted including nine first-round picks. Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry ran for 158 yards and 3 TDs.  Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, a Heisman finalist himself, threw for nearly 500 yards in setting the record for a national championship game. I had been fortunate to attend the seven National Championship games held in Arizona from 1987 thru 2011, but had no tickets for the eighth, a high-demand event.  Channeling positive mojo, karma kicked in and I won VIP tickets from Nissan, sponsor behind the Heisman House ad campaign, an...

  10 years ago... January 10, 2011 - Glendale, AZ In a battle of unbeatens in the BCS National Championship game, Auburn defeated Oregon 22-19 at University of Phoenix Stadium. This National Championship game was independent of the Bowls, but the Fiesta Bowl was considered the game host.  This was also the first title game aired on ESPN rather than network TV. Auburn QB Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy for this season, his junior year.  After winning the National Championship, he declared for the NFL draft.

25 years ago... January 9, 1996 - Scottsdale, AZ Warren Zevon performs solo at the Rockin' Horse Saloon. It was a treat to see Zevon in a small club setting, playing his well-known catalog, alternating between piano and guitar.  Great show and the only time I saw him in concert. Four years later, I met him at a Phoenix Coyotes hockey game where he sang the National Anthem and let out a few howls ala "Werewolves of London."  He had seats on the glass at the blue line and wore a Coyotes jersey with his name on the back.  Between periods, he signed the back of my ticket stub and proclaimed the Coyotes as his new favorite team since they provided him a personalized jersey. Sadly, the Rockin' Horse caught fire and burned to the ground just a few months later in June, a loss for fans of country, Americana and acoustic shows.  

  43 years ago... January 8, 1978 - Chicago, IL Rush rocks the Aragon Ballroom in uptown Chicago. After finishing our first semester at college, some high school pals drove up to see my new Saluki buddy Rabs and take in the show.  This Rush concert, like most Rush shows, was 98% pre-teen and teenage boys who liked head-banging rock.  We fit right in. Rush put out a lot of sound for a 3-piece band.  I was most impressed by the huge and elaborate drum kit that Neil Peart sat behind.  One of the top percussionists in music history, Peart died of glioblastoma a year ago yesterday, the same illness that claimed my pal and concert companion Rabs just a couple years ago.  I think of Rabs often, even without a ticket stub to poke me.

 4 years ago... January 7, 2017 - Scottsdale, AZ Traffic guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason played the Showroom at Talking Stick Resort Casino. Mason tours constantly and annually returns to the metro Phoenix area.  He continues to play a terrific show with his solo hits, Traffic classics and a killer version of "All Along The Watchtower" which he picked up from playing a recording with Jimi Hendrix. I first saw Dave perform in college in 1978.  As fans of his Live album and "Let It Flow," we assumed he would headline the show.  We were disappointed to see him open for new solo artist Kenny Loggins touring behind his debut album "Celebrate Me Home."  Fair to say "We Just Disagree" with the promoter, but Dave still had us "Fellin' Alright" at the concert's end.

 9 years ago... January 6, 2012 - Phoenix, AZ Rock band Tesla played an acoustic show at the historic Celebrity Theatre. Tesla was the 95th of 127 shows I've attended at CT since 1982.  Built in 1963, the 2,650-seat theatre has you "rockin' in the round" as artists perform on a slowly rotating circular stage.  The last row of the theatre is only 75 feet from the stage. In this concert, Telsa pretty much played their live album "Five Man Acoustical Jam" that was released more than 20 years before this show.  The album title is a play off of the Five Man Electrical Band which had the hit "Signs," a song covered and recorded by Tesla many years later.

 36 years ago... January 5, 1985 - Tempe, AZ The travelling production of Dracula played at Grady Gammage Auditorium. A beautiful campus landmark at Arizona State University, Gammage Auditorium was one of the last public commissions by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who died prior to start of construction. This play was campy and corny, more like an Addams Family rerun, rather than dramatic and scary. We've seen some terrific stage shows at Gammage including Hamilton, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Lion King, Jersey Boys and 700 Sundays among others.

 22 years ago... January 4, 1999 - Tempe, AZ The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl hosted "college football's first united National Championship" under the BCS on this date 22 years ago.  Tennessee remained undefeated on the season with a 23-16 win over Florida State.  Peerless Price was the MVP.   This was the fourth of eight College Football National Championship games held in metro Phoenix.

18 years ago... January 3, 2003 - Tempe, AZ One of college football's most exciting games took place in this National Championship game at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl as Ohio State defeated Miami 31-24 in double overtime. The game featured many controversial calls on questionable penalties, none bigger than a pass interference call in the end zone on Miami in the first OT, giving the Buckeyes the chance to continue the game with a TD. The game had plenty of star power, with 37 of the starting players on both teams drafted in to the NFL, including 18 first-rounders.  Canes RB Willis McGahee shredded his knee in this game, but recovered for a good NFL career.  Buckeyes freshman RB Maurice Clarett should have been a stud at the next level. Family members/Buckeye Nation devotees Steve Bruns, Eddie Bruns and Rich Bruns extended their holiday trip to stay in AZ for the game.  The twists and turns of this back and forth game had us fired up well after it ended.  We stayed up a...