2/18/1976 Heartsfield & Vassar Clements, Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL


 45 years ago today...

February 18, 1976 - Champaign, IL

Country rock and bluegrass were on display when Heartsfield and Vassar Clements performed in concert at the Virginia Theatre.

From Chicago, Heartsfield was a tight and talented 5-piece band that was very popular in the Midwest, but never reached the popularity peak of other country rock bands of the early 70s.  Heartsfield could headline a 1,400-seat theatre like Virginia, but often was tour support for bands like Atlanta Rhythm Section, Marshall Tucker, etc.  In my view, Heartsfield was on par with many of these groups they opened for.

By 1976, Heartsfield had released its self-titled debut record, "Wonder of It All" and "Foolish Pleasures," their three best albums, highly recommended for readers not familiar with them.

Bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements opened the show.  A few years earlier, he had played on the classic "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, winning an instrumental Grammy, and was in Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia and Peter Rowan.  He called his style "Hillbilly Jazz" and was a popular guest musician on many other artists records.

Built in 1921, Virginia Theatre is the performing arts jewel of Champaign.  I saw the movie "Jaws" here when it came out a year before this Heartsfield show, but had not been back since '76.  In 2018, I got to see the results of its beautiful restoration when we saw Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen in an acoustic storytelling show. 

Virginia Theatre was a cool venue in 1976, and I was really impressed with the "new" intimate old theatre.

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