Ticket Stub Time Travels

 41 years ago today... April 30, 1979 - Murphysboro, IL A natural amphitheater with bands playing from the Salt Peter Cave was the setting for Shawnee Jamboree II. A 12-hour music festival including beer in the $4 ticket price was sure to attract nearby college students and small town residents. Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows, a Chicago-based rhythm & blues band with roots in Carbondale, was the headlining act. This Alligator Records artist was the most talented and popular group that played the club circuit throughout our college days. Along with Big Twist, I remember seeing the Vince Gill-led version of Pure Prairie League at this same venue the next year. After a long absence, live music is returning to the cave, rebranded as Shawnee Cave Amphitheater, on Memorial Day weekend with Sam Bush, Infamous Stringdusters and Leftover Salmon. We won't make that one, but hope to see another show there soon, which would be my first in over 40 years.

 6 years ago today... April 29, 2015 - Glendale, AZ Kenny Chesney brought "The Big Revival Tour" to Gila River Arena. We have seen Kenny, the multiple-time winner of Entertainer of the Year in country music, many times and his high-energy shows touch familiar topics of beaches, boats, booze and babes. His "No Shoes Nation" fanbase sings along to many of his radio hits. This show was inside the area hockey arena, and sounded better than the outdoor amphitheater and stadium shows we have seen at venues like Chase Field and University of Phoenix (Cardinals) Stadium. Here's a link to the setlist that night: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/kenny-chesney/2015/gila-river-arena-glendale-az-53c8cf5d.html

 41 years ago today... April 28, 1980 - St. Louis, MO The Who rocked My Generation in a concert at The Checkerdome. I Can't Explain why a friend and I skipped classes to make the Monday drive from college to cross the Mississippi River for this performance in a hockey arena. Long Live Rock is the only plausible answer. The Who had an eventful two years leading up to this show, releasing the "Who Are You" album, premiering "The Kids Are Alright" documentary movie and mourning the death of their outlandish drummer, Keith Moon. For this show, Kenney Jones replaced Moon on drums and a keyboard player was added. This was a hits retrospective concert, with only two songs from the new album featured. The setlist drew heavily from the bands earliest records. We really enjoyed this show, not surprising as the band's "Live at Leeds" LP is one of the great live albums of all time. Here's a link to the setlist from this night: https://www.setlist.fm/se...

 47 years ago today... April 27, 1974 - Champaign, IL The University of Illinois Fighting Illini football team held its annual Orange vs. Blue intrasquad game at Memorial Stadium. The research team at TSTT made a deep dive into the archives to find this date-specific memorabilia. The cover of this autograph-ready program includes offensive lineman Revie Sorey who had a nice career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. He was larger-than-life, bringing a Soul Train hipster vibe and funky wild wardrobe to the Great Corn Desert of central Illinois. He called himself "Rock Hollywood," a nickname I still use for a great friend of mine and reader of this journal. His signature phrase "Do It Today" remains a greeting and farewell when we see one another. Bears head coach Abe Gibron and St. Louis Football Cardinals head coach Don Coryell were honorary coaches who promoted an NFL preseason game to be played at this historic college stadium later that fall. Coming full circ...

 35 years ago today... April 26, 1986 - Phoenix, AZ Doc Severinsen, the trumpet-playing band leader on the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, brought some friends for a concert benefitting the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra in an outdoor setting at Pointe Tapatio Cliffs resort. Doc was named principal POPS Conductor of Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, using his celebrity status in promoting symphony tickets to a broader audience. Rather than play in Symphony Hall, this special event was the first to be held in a new outdoor amphitheater at a resort hotel. There was cabaret-style table seating for 1,020, and another 2,600 general admission bleacher seats. Billed as the Doc & Friends Gala Event, the conductor enlisted a group of celebrities that would feel at home sitting next to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show couch. Christopher Cross, fresh off a Grammy win for his self-titled debut album, fronted the orchestra and performed his hits "Sailing" and "Arthur's Theme....

 13 years ago today... April 25, 2008 - Scottsdale, AZ Jam bands were center stage on the opening day of the McDowell Mountain Music Festival at the Westworld Polo Grounds. This was the fifth MMMF, now an anticipated event on the spring calendar. The Friday slate was headlined by Gov't Mule, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. Saturday featured John Butler Trio, Blues Traveler, The Wailers and JJ Grey & Mofro. We had attended this festival since its inception, and decided that we were ready to try camping next to the festival grounds with other attendees staying for the weekend. We're not really campers, but we borrowed a tent from a friend, pitched in on communal F&B and settled in for a weekend of music and merriment. Of course torrential wind and rain hit the area as the last notes were played Saturday night. I know how Dorothy felt in Wizard of Oz as it felt like our tent could be airlifted to a neighboring state. A morn...

 43 years ago yesterday... April 24, 1978 - Normal, IL The Grateful Dead performed in concert at Horton Fieldhouse on the campus of Illinois State University. What a Long Strange Trip it was loading on to a bus of Southern Illinois University students making the four hour drive to another state school for the show. This was my first time seeing Jerry Garcia and being amongst Deadhead fandom. A memory of this show was the encore of Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London." It's a classic now, but at the time, we had never heard it before. The band seemed surprised and a bit miffed that the college crowd didn't sing along with the chorus. When they were singing the words in the song title, we thought they were saying "there goes the thunder." We obviously weren't hearing it correctly. We may have been impaired. Here's a link to the setlist from that night: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/grateful-dead/1978/horton-field-house-normal-il-13d605c1.h...

 41 years ago today... April 23, 1980 - Carbondale, IL Muddy Waters had his mojo working in an electric Blues concert at Shryock Auditorium on the campus of Southern Illinois University. This was the one and only time I saw this legendary King of Chicago Blues in concert. He was age 65 at the time, leaning on a stool while leading his band which included long-time backing musicians Pinetop Perkins on piano, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on drums and Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin on guitar. My newspaper review of the show noted that the 80-minute concert kicked off with "Hoochie Koochie Man" and concluded with "Kansas City," "Mannish Boy" and a single-song encore of "I've Got My Mojo Working." When the house lights came on, the 1,000 in attendance refused to leave and remained on their feet cheering for another song. The band returned for a quick instrumental, but without Mud. I went backstage after the show hoping to meet him, but h...

 3 years ago today... April 22, 2018 - Scottsdale, AZ The Dixie Dregs played their unique blend of instrumental jazz and rock in a reunion concert at Piper Theatre at Scottsdale Center for the Arts. All five of the original members agreed to put the band back together for the first time in over 20 years for this tour they named "Dawn of the Dregs." This was some old school nostalgia for me, having been part of a committee that booked this band for a college festival in 1979. Dixie Dregs recorded on Capricorn Records, the label that virtually created southern rock by recording and releasing LPs from Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, Grinderswitch and Wet Willie. Dixie Dregs had an electric violin and featured fret-busting jazz guitar licks that did not sound anything like the other label-mate bands. Dregs front man Steve Morse is one of the world's top lead guitar players. I was wowed when I first saw him play over 40 years ago, and continued to be impressed when ...

 11 years ago today... April 21, 2010 - Phoenix, AZ Touring behind their "Long Road Out of Eden" album, the Eagles landed at US Airways Center for a concert. This performance came five years after we saw the band's "Farewell 1" tour that is memorialized with the Live at Melbourne DVD. The fake farewell tour concept has been used over and over again (Cher, KISS, Motley Crue, Doobie Brothers, et al) and the Eagles were quick to feather their nest with ticket revenue as well. This was a good show with the weakest numbers being the six they played from the current album, a release that I won't remember as one of their finest. Joe Walsh was a featured player in a setlist that included five of his solo and James Gang classics. We're hoping in The Long Run, the Long Road will wind its way back to this same arena One of These Nights September 24 & 25 when the postponed "Hotel California" tour with full symphony orchestra is slated to play here. ...

 8 years ago today... April 20, 2013 - Queen Creek, AZ The Beach Boys, at least a few of them, brought Fun Fun Fun to the Good Life Festival at Encanterra. This was the Mike Love / Bruce Johnson touring version of the Beach Boys, an alternative band to the Brian Wilson / Al Jardine group that tours under Brian's name. Love and Wilson have feuded over the years and their disagreements have ended up in lawsuits and court appearances. Love is a jerk, and demonstrated it on this night, a show that I worked as part of the production crew. He wasn't particularly pleasant to the staff or sponsors, nor the VIPs that paid for meet/greet opportunities. I got a small grin from him when I suggested that his nephew Kevin Love threw the best outlet pass after a rebound in the NBA. Part of the show includes running a gaggle of girls on stage to dance and sing along to "California Girls." I found it funny that when Mike stuck a microphone in a girl's face to sing along, most ...

 38 years ago today... April 19, 1983 - Phoenix, AZ The Phoenix Suns hosted the Denver Nuggets in Round One/Game One of the Western Conference in the NBA Playoffs. The TSTT research team led by Google uncovered that Game One of the 1983 Playoffs in Phoenix was this date 38 years ago, although the ticket stub states date/time TBA. The game was played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, aka "the Madhouse on McDowell," the Suns home from its debut in 1968 before moving to the current downtown arena 1992. For several years in the early 80s I worked on the TV crew for Suns games at the Coliseum, sitting at the scorer's table with legendary HOF play-by-play man Al McCoy. My job was to traffic the live read commercials to Al, some were radio only/some TV only as he simulcast both media, and he would mute one with an A/B switch. It was a great gig being courtside watching the athletes and personalities of that era. The TV contract was regular season only, so these playoff tix wer...

 28 years ago... April 17, 1993 - Scottsdale, AZ Bela Fleck and the Flecktones played its hybrid of jazz and bluegrass outdoors at the Scottsdale Mall Amphitheatre. Bela was formerly with New Grass Revival before starting this band that included bass player extraordinaire Victor Wooten. They are hard to classify, but I would call them a jam band, combining progressive bluegrass with jazz fusion and rock. It was a beautiful night under the stars on the hillside just outside Scottsdale Center for the Arts. I wish they would present more shows there.

 9 years ago today... April 15, 2012 - Phoenix, AZ British rock band Squeeze played an intimate club show at Crescent Ballroom. Band founders Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook continue to front the band. The show was sold out and the club electric. They played their top singles like "Tempted," "Pulling Mussels" and "Black Coffee In Bed." I ran in to some friends at this show that seldom go to concerts. I got to meet Squeeze co-founder and singer Glenn Tilbrook after the show.

 36 years ago today... April 18, 1985 - Tempe, AZ Trumpet player Wynton Marsalis played a jazz concert at Gammage Center on the campus of Arizona State University. Wynton was the hottest name in jazz at the time. He was touring behind his "Black Codes (From the Underground)" release that would go on to win the Grammy for Best Jazz Album that year. In the two years prior, he won Grammys in both jazz and classical, the first musician ever to do so. Wynton was part of a musical family that included his grandfather, father and brothers, all of whom were professional musicians. At this show, older brother Branford played saxophone as part of a quintet.

 35 years ago today... April 16, 1986 - Tempe, AZ Frank Sinatra performed a concert in the round at ASU Activity Center benefitting the Arizona Ballet Company. "The Chairman of the Board" was in black tie, solo on a square stage with a full orchestra in the pit. Teleprompters scrolling the song lyrics were at all four corners and could be read easily from my seats. Ol' Blue Eyes commanded the stage and sang a collection of American standards and signature tunes. "The Best is Yet To Come" and "One For My Baby (and One More For the Road)" were my two favorites of the night. Phoenix sports king Jerry Colangelo played a role in getting Sinatra to the area in raising funds for Arizona Ballet Company. I had excellent seats thanks to a client who was an event sponsor. I took the photos with my Canon 35mm camera from my seats at ASU Activity Center. A program was produced to recognize Sinatra's career and the supporting sponsors. Rock trivia note: A...

 5 years ago today... April 14, 2016 - Phoenix, AZ Carrie Underwood brought her Storyteller Tour to Talking Stick Resort Arena. This was a big production performed in the round with a drop away stage that allowed for multiple wardrobe changes and instrument swaps. Fireworks, bombs and a flashy light show with the 360 stage and an ACDC open gave the show a rock concert feel. She sang great and looked spectacular. Here's a link to the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/carrie-underwood/2016/talking-stick-resort-arena-phoenix-az-6bf18e96.html

 19 years ago today... April 13, 2002 - Phoenix, AZ Jerry Seinfeld talked and joked about nothing in a stand-up comedy show at the new Dodge Theatre. Seinfeld did four sold-out shows over two nights at the grand opening of Dodge Theatre. The 5,000-seat theatre was a welcome addition to downtown. I'd much rather see stand up in a small comedy club, but Seinfeld played to the crowd and was as funny as you'd expect.

 42 years ago today... April 12, 1979 - Carbondale, IL Jazz guitar virtuoso Pat Metheny brought his Pat Metheny Group to Shryock Auditorium on the campus of Southern Illinois University. Metheny has three gold albums and 20 Grammy Awards and is the only musician to win Grammys in 10 different categories. This show served as my introduction to jazz guitar. It was also my first working concert as a new member of the Student Government Activities Council Consorts Committee, a volunteer organization formed to produce and promote on-campus concerts at 1,200-seat Shryock Auditorium. This committee was my foot-in-the-door to the concert business and an opportunity for real world experience. My roles over time included booking, promotion, ticketing, production, load-in/load-out and artist relations. I saw Pat again 10 years later in 1989 at Symphony Hall in Phoenix. He returned there again in 1992 and 1995 and to Union Hall in 1998. He is an incredible player, his fingers flying up a...

 3 years ago today... April 11, 2018 - Chicago, IL Weezer played a corporate gig for software conventioneers at McCormick Place. I tagged along when Therese attended a vendor's convention in Chicago. Weezer was booked as the headline act in a grand finale of corporate entertaining. The band was set up on a smallish stage in a grand ballroom, easy to get up close. This was a very fun hosted party and the band played their best known hits from the 90s and later, particularly from the Blue and Green albums. The audio tech running the soundboard gave me his setlist from the show.

 7 years ago today... April 10, 2014 - Augusta, GA It was Wednesday at The Masters, the first of four days at the tournament, played in perfect weather at Augusta National Golf Club. "A tradition unlike any other," as Jim Nantz would say, was a bucket list event for me. My dad went to The Masters in a motorhome on an annual guys' road trip for several years in a row in the mid 70s & 80s, as one friend had some tournament badges. The badges have stayed in the friend's family, and I was honored and thankful for an invitation to use them in 2014. To walk the grounds of Augusta for four days as a patron, following in the footsteps of my dad, was an amazing experience and I'm forever grateful to the family friend for this special opportunity. We arrived early and stayed til the last ball dropped each day, walking every inch of the golf course, the practice area and any accessible common area. We bought the famous Masters armless folding chair that you set up at...

 39 years ago today... April 9, 1982 - Tempe, AZ Ain't No Mountain High Enough to keep us away from seeing Diana Ross perform in the round at ASU Activity Center. The Motown diva was at the peak of her popularity, having just sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, guest hosting the Tonight Show, recording "Endless Love: with Lionel Richie and starring in a TV concert special with Michael Jackson. This show was the hot ticket in town in an arena seating over 15,000. Four years later we saw her in the intimate 2,600-seat Celebrity Theatre at the then excessive ticket price of $30, the most I had spent on a show to date. I had a Love Hangover. I took the photos of Diana from my lower level seats using my Canon SLR camera and a borrowed zoom lens.

 5 years ago today... April 8, 2016 - Mesa, AZ Elvis Costello alternated between guitar and piano in a solo performance titled "Detour" at the Ikeda Theatre at Mesa Arts Center. Elvis sang and talked in front of a large video screen featuring a old fashioned television with constantly changing images. Playing without his band, Elvis talked at length with the audience, sometimes funny, sometimes moving, in a unique show that included hits, deep tracks and covers. His quirky personality, British wit and sense of the absurd came through in this intimate concert. Roots-rocker Blues duo Larkin Poe opened the show and the sisters joined Costello later for a few numbers. In a surprise, local resident rocker Nils Lofgren, lead guitarist of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band joined Costello on stage for the last few songs including "What's So Funny 'bout Peace, Love & Understanding." Here's a link to the show's setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlis...

 7 years ago today... April 7, 2014 - Arlington, TX The College Basketball National Championship game saw UConn defeat Kentucky to win its fourth title in five finals appearances in the Final Four at North Texas at AT&T Stadium. Wisconsin and Florida rounded out the Final Four, played inside "Jerry World" with the massive overhead video screen that dominates a football field. The basketball court was tiny by comparison. My hoops pal Gary lives in the area and scored our tickets direct from Jerry Jones Junior's office; fine seats in the first club loge just beyond the baseline. There was great music tied to this Final Four. Dierks Bentley and Kid Rock each played free pregame concerts to ticket holders just outside the stadium. On the Sunday off day, we toured Fan Fest and then went to the free Bruce Springsteen concert just outside. It had rained hard all day and scared away the big crowds that were expected for a day of free concerts. About 5,000 die hards weat...