Ticket Stub Time Travels

 19 years ago today... June 30, 2002 - Phoenix, AZ An All-Star cast of musicians celebrated the Beatles in "A Walk Down Abbey Road," a tribute concert at Celebrity Theatre. This was a unique concert in that the first half of the show was the musicians playing the hits they are known for, followed by the same artists joining together to play songs from the Abbey Road album. Alan Parsons (Alan Parsons Project) led the band which included Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Jack Bruce of Cream and Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad. Bruce and Farner were still stuck in the seventies in terms of their tunes and stage wardrobe, but were the top performers of the night IMO. This variety show of greatest hits and Beatles classics was a lot of fun.

 8 years ago today... June 29, 2013 - Flagstaff, AZ  Tommy Castro & the Painkillers headlined the Flagstaff Blues & Brews Festival on the driving range at Continental Golf Club. Tommy had a horn section for a big sound. Sugar Ray Rayford, Sugar Thieves, Chuck Hall Band and Tommy Dukes were among the bands also on the bill.

35 years ago today... June 28, 1986 - Chandler, AZ Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks played a solo concert at Compton Terrace at Firebird Lake, a new pavilion owned by her father. Stevie was touring behind her third solo album, "Rock A Little." I love Stevie, but this wasn't her best album and the show itself was average. It was later reported that Stevie was in the midst of cocaine abuse, and checked herself in to Betty Ford Clinic at the tour's conclusion. The "new" Compton Terrace wasn't a great concert venue. Jess Nicks, Stevie's dad, built this outdoor amphitheater in the south Valley off I-10, a replacement for the original Compton Terrace in central Phoenix near Papago Park. The new CT had limited amenities, was next to a race car track and sometimes tough to access when traffic was bad. It was deserted years ago and ultimately demolished. Here's a link to the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/stevie-nicks/1986/compton-terrac...

 22 years ago today... June 27, 1999 - Phoenix, AZ Paul Simon and Bob Dylan co-headlined a concert at Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion. Dylan came on first, part of a four-man acoustic band with a stark minimalist light show. After an encore, Dylan was joined by Simon to sing a few together including "The Sound of Silence" and "Knocking On Heaven's Door." Simon followed with a big band including some of the musicians from the Graceland album and tour. Here's the setlists: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bob-dylan/1999/blockbuster-desert-sky-pavilion-phoenix-az-6bd2aa8e.html https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/paul-simon/1999/blockbuster-desert-sky-pavilion-phoenix-az-53da93f9.html

 2 years ago today... June 26, 2019- Phoenix, AZ Paul McCartney brought his"Freshen Up" tour to Talking Stick Resort Arena.

 22 years ago today... June 25, 1999 - Phoenix, AZ  Jose Jimenez of the St.Louis Cardinals threw a no-hitter to beat Randy Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 in a pitchers dual at Chase Field. I've been to hundreds of MLB games and this is the only no-hitter I've ever witnessed.

 16 years ago today... June 24, 2005 - Phoenix, AZ Hall & Oates played a concert on the revolving round stage at Celebrity Theater.

 2 years ago today... June 23, 2019 - Phoenix, AZ Rob Thomas brought his Chip Tooth Tour to Comerica Theatre.  Thomas is the front man for Matchbox Twenty. This was s high energy show with hits from the band and Rob solo. The next night, Santana played Ak-Chin Pavilion and Thomas joined him on stage for their hit "Smooth,"

 7 years ago today... June 21, 2014 - Flagstaff, AZ Janiva Magness headlined the Flagstaff Blues & Brews at Continental Country Club. The lineup included Coco Montoya and Bob Corritore. Hopefully the event returns in 2022 after a two year pandemic absence.

 34 years ago today... June 20, 1987 - Phoenix, AZ James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, performed in concert at the Celebrity Theater.

 2 years ago today... June 19, 2019 - Phoenix, AZ Hootie & the Blowfish reunited for a concert at Ak-Chin Pavilion. Now a country music artist, Darius Rucker is the lead singer for this band. No, there isn't a "Hootie" in the group. Although the band had a new album out, most were there to hear "Cracked Rear View," the great album from the mid 90s. I still listen to it regularly.

 13 years ago today... June 18, 2008 - Phoenix, AZ Tom Waits made a rare concert appearance at the historic Orpheum Theatre downtown. Billed as the "Glitter and Doom" tour, Waits toured with a band that included his two sons on drums and clarinet/conga. Every song seemed like its own mini story with his banter, storytelling and set changes. The ticket shown is more of a receipt than a ticket. To cut down on ticket scalping, patrons were limited to two seats with no tickets actually issued. Guests presented the credit card used for purchase at the door, and the receipt with seat location was printed once the card was swiped. Here's the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tom-waits/2008/orpheum-theatre-phoenix-az-63d5d227.html

 3 years ago today... June 17, 2018 - Phoenix, AZ Illinois-founded bands Chicago and REO Speedwagon teamed up for a co-headlining outdoor concert at Ak-Chin Pavilion. Regular reader will remember the entry from six days ago when Chicago toured with the Doobie Brothers and played this same venue a year prior. This show was similar with REO opening and playing just over an hour while Chicago closed with a two-hour performance. In this show, Chicago played the entire "Chicago" double-album from 1970, aka "Chicago 2 (although there was never a Chicago 1, as it was titled "Chicago Transit Authority." I have loved "25 or 6 to 4" from this record since junior high band, but the bulk of this two-record set felt very dated 38 years later. A hits set followed the album performance and was better received. REO's setlist has remained similar for the past several tours, leaning heavily on "Hi Infidelity" cuts. This show was no exception. Here...

 10 years ago today... June 16, 2011 - Phoenix, AZ Dr. John and Mavis Staples, both members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, were co-headliners in a concert in the round at Celebrity Theatre. Mavis opened the show, paying tribute to her pops and siblings in The Staple Singers with soulful songs of freedom. The highlight was her uplifting rendition of "I'll Take You There." Surrounded by voodoo dolls and skulls and wearing a flamboyantly colorful suit, Dr. John shuffled to the piano and let loose his New Orleans-based style of bayou boogie-woogie. The Night Tripper made this desert concert venue feel like a jazz club on Frenchman Street in the Big Easy. It was a treat watching these two legendary performers share the stage in an intimate venue. We were in the Right Place at the Right Time.

 13 years ago today... June 15, 2008 - LaJolla, CA In one of the most iconic moments in US Open history, Tiger Woods drained a birdie putt on the 18th green at Torrey Pines South, forcing a next-day 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate that Wood eventually won. We attended Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Torrey Pines, a municipal public golf course that we have played several times in the past. We walked most of the course for the first two days before settling in to the grandstands on 18 for the final round. Patrons were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the grandstands on 18. No one wanted to give up their seat, so when nature called and the need for cocktails arose, marshalls gave seated guests a golf course token and a “password” for re-admission to the packed stands, good for 30 minutes. Our patience and refusal to leave paid off as we watched live one of the most famous moments in golf history, now known as “The Putt.” Therese and I appeared in Sports Illustrated the next wee...

 6 years ago today... June 14, 2015 - Scottsdale, AZ Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick, bands behind two of the best-selling live albums ever, joined forces for a concert at The Pool at Talking Stick Resort. "Frampton Comes Alive" was the album of the year in 1976 and one of the top sellers of all time. "At Bukokan," the Cheap Trick album with "I Want You To Want Me" put the band on the rock and roll map and in the Hall of Fame. This concert was held around the huge outdoor pool at Talking Stick Resort. A permanent stage was built to accommodate this type of show. Cheap Trick, the pride of Rockford, IL, came on first during the twilight. I still smile at the memory of seeing them at Second Chance, a Champaign, IL bar, as a 17-year-old when the band had just released their debut album. Three of the four guys I saw that night are still rockin' to this day. Frampton headlined the night and had the benefit of a full light show. Some 35+ years after his ...

 8 years ago today... June 13, 2013 - Phoenix, AZ Grace Potter and the Nocturnals rocked the house from the round revolving stage at Celebrity Theatre. As featured in the April 25 entry in TSTT, we discovered Grace at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in the early 2000s as a barefoot jamming hippie chick. By the date of this show, Grace had modified her look and image, going glam and gorgeous and highlighting a sexier persona. This concert drew heavily from her most recent two records at the time, "The Lion The Beast The Beat" and "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals." I shot the phone of Grace on stage from my phone. Here's a link to the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/grace-potter-and-the-nocturnals/2013/celebrity-theatre-phoenix-az-53d9d799.html

 8 years ago today... June 12, 2013 - Phoenix, AZ  Jerry Douglas demonstrated why he is the master of the resonator guitar in concert at the Musical Instrument Museum music theater. Jerry lends his dobro sounds to many artists and tours and records with Allison Krauss & Union Station. For this performance, Allison's brother Viktor played upright bass. Jerry is an amazing player and he and the band sounded great in an acoustically excellent theater. After the show, Jerry signed our "Traveler" CD that won a bluegrass Grammy. We also chatted up Viktor about his home in Champaign, IL and Allerton Park.

 4 years ago today... June 11, 2017 - Phoenix, AZ Chicago and the Doobie Brothers joined forces for a big Sunday night show at Ak-Chin Pavilion. Both of these Rock & Roll Hall of Fame bands are favorites of mine. On this night, the Doobies played first. Chicago closed the show and played twice the number of songs. Both band pulled songs from their first few albums. We stretc hed out on the lawn and sang along for most of the night. Here's the setlists: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-doobie-brothers/2017/ak-chin-pavilion-phoenix-az-13e751a9.html https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/chicago/2017/ak-chin-pavilion-phoenix-az-13e751ad.html

15 years ago today... June 10, 2006 - Glendale, AZ Performing a dance-driven concert, Madonna brought her Confessions Tour to Glendale Arena. The Material Girl had just released her "Confessions On A Dance Floor" LP, winner of a Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance album. More than half the songs in this concert came from this new record. Erotic video, religious imagery and a large troupe of athletic dancers made regular appearances throughout the show, loosely based on a night in a disco with a DJ. We saw her Drowned World tour in Las Vegas in 2001. That show was similar to this one in that it was all about the new record. In both concerts, the setlists focused heavily on the current album, leaving little time for her radio-friendly hits. While I liked the flash and energy of the Confessions Tour, I still expected to hear songs like "Holiday" and "Like A Virgin" but she elected not to sing those. Here's a link to the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/...

 3 years ago today... June 9, 2018 - Flagstaff, AZ For the final time, my best friend joined me for top flight Blues and craft beer at the Flagstaff Blues & Brews Festival at the Continental Country Club driving range. Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Ana Popovic, Curtis Salgado and Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling were the top national acts on this bill. We have attended all but one festival since its debut in 2013, although the '20 and '21 editions were cancelled due to Covid. This year's edition should be happening this weekend. My college buddy Rabs and his wife were fans of and friends with Chicago-based Nick Moss, so they made the trip from the Bay Area to attend the festival with us. The show was great and we had fun chatting with Nick and his band following his set. Conversation centered around Rabs' home brewing expertise and his brother, a blues bassist in Chicago. Sadly, this would be the final encore I would have with Rabs as he passed...

 33 years ago today... June 8, 1988 - Sun City West, AZ Folk-rock singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg performed an acoustic concert at Sundome Center. Born in Peoria, IL and a student at University of Illinois, Fogelberg is another favorite musician from my hometown area. His dad, subject of his song "Leader of the Band," was indeed the band director at high schools in Peoria and Pekin, IL. Dan's earliest albums of mellow love songs served as "make out music" for me and other classmates throughout high school. He could rock out with a full band, but this show was acoustic, with Dan trading off between guitar and piano. His first hit, "Part of the Plan," remains my favorite song of his. The Sundome, a theatre situated in the middle of a Del Webb retirement community, was an unusual but popular venue for Fogelberg. We saw him on the same stage six years earlier in a fundraiser for the Bruce Babbitt for Arizona Governor campaign. I saw Dan for the last ti...

 8 years ago today... June 7, 2013 - Flagstaff, AZ The rock & roll pride of Champaign, IL, REO Speedwagon, played classic rock and radio ballads among the pines at Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park. Along with Lyle Lovett, REO Speedwagon is at the top of the list of bands I have seen the most times. I have 20 ticket stubs from past REO shows and I know that I am missing a few. A little before my time in clubs, REO played bars and small theaters surrounding my home town. Bassist Bruce Hall played in a country-rock outfit that is pictured in my high school senior yearbook playing our homecoming dance. Live in concert, REO covers a lot of their biggest album, "Hi Infidelity" including many radio-friendly ballads. I prefer the rockin' REO of the mid and late 70s and they faithfully play several numbers from that era and their first three albums. R-Entertainment, an area concert and events promoter that I have freelanced with over the years, promoted this show a...

 13 years ago today... June 6, 2008 - Phoenix, AZ The Rippingtons and saxophonist Mindi Abair showcased their smooth jazz stylings in a concert on the revolving round stage at Celebrity Theatre. The Rippingtons were celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band with this long running tour. Fact checkers and nit pickers will note that this show should be called their 22nd Anniversary Tour as the Phoenix stop was two-years in to the run. Technicality aside, the jazz fusion group released the album "20th Anniversary" in 2006 in conjunction with the tour. Mindi Abair opened the show playing her saxophone and fronting her band. Her CD at the moment, "Life Less Ordinary," had hit #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts. I met Mindi at a local radio promotion where she signed a CD to us and offered us comp tickets to the show that night. Mindi is a sweetheart who embodies the joy of sax.

 10 years ago today... June 5, 2011 - Mesa, AZ Prolific singer-songwriters Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt traded acoustic numbers in a wonderful concert in Ikeda Theatre at Mesa Arts Center. Lovett and Hiatt are witty, charismatic guys with a friendly banter between them. The between song conversation is a fun and intimate part of the show and the Ikeda Theatre was a good venue for quality audio of soft voices and acoustic music. Hiatt played most of his best-known songs like "Tennessee Plates," "Perfectly Good Guitar," "Drive South" and "Riding With The King." Lyle played some deeper album cuts and songs he doesn't typically do with His Large Band. "North Dakota" was a memorable highlight and he ended with the popular "If I Had A Boat."

 43 years ago today... June 4, 1978 - Rockford, IL Outlaw country and southern rock performed loudly was on the bill for Waylon's Midwest Jamboree at Rockford Speedway. Waylon Jennings headlined this one-day festival that rocked from noon until dusk. Joining Waylon on the bill were his wife Jessi Colter, Hank Williams Jr., Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Pure Prairie League and Heartsfield. This show and all of these bands were squarely in my wheelhouse at the time, and we played their 8-track tapes in my El Camino on the drive there. This concert was only a couple years following the release of the album titled "Wanted: The Outlaws," a release featuring Waylon, Jessi, Willie Nelson and Tompall Glaser that is credited for launching the Outlaw Country musical genre. Hank Jr. had just ditched the rhinestone suits and playing his father's lovesick blues in favor of turning up the amps and blasting electric guitars. NGDB renamed themselves "Dirt Band," in an attempt...

 10 years ago (and 3 years ago) today... June 3, 2011 & 2018 - Phoenix & Scottsdale, AZ In an unusual scheduling quirk, classic rock band Kansas played concerts on the same date in the same metro area seven years apart at Celebrity Theatre and Talking Stick Resort Grand Ballroom. Perhaps the June 3 shows in Arizona can be attributed to boiler plate tour routing from past years. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Regardless, the band found that they were not in Kansas anymore, and must have found Arizona in early June to be early enough to beat the summer heat here, despite the Dust In The Wind. Kansas had different band members and changed up the setlist for these two concerts, but both shows leaned heavily on hits from the band's two multi-platinum albums, "Leftoverture" and "Point of Know Return" released back-to-back in 1976 and '77. The more recent tour was named "Radio Classics and Fan Favorites." The single "Carry On Wayward S...

 14 years ago today... June 2, 2007 - Phoenix, AZ The Charlie Daniels Band headlined a traveling "Volunteer Jam" show at Dodge Theatre. Charlie had hosted an annual one-off "Volunteer Jam" at an arena since the mid 1970s. He would invite Southern Rock brothers as well as rock and soul artists for a show that highlighted each act individually, but brought them together for extended jams. In 2007, Charlie took the Volunteer Jam on the road, recruiting long-time jam mates Marshall Tucker Band and Outlaws, to multiple cities on a nationwide tour. While these bands were all well past their prime, I still enjoyed their music. CDB was clearly the tightest band on the bill. The show-closing jam on MTB's "24 Hours At A Time" was the highlight and still one of my all-time favorite songs.

 8 years ago today... June 1, 2013 - Phoenix, AZ Rickie Lee Jones turned north Phoenix into Coolsville during her concert at the Musical Instrument Museum Music Theater. We wore out the grooves of her debut record when it was released in the spring of 1979. She was a relative unknown, but got Dr. John, Randy Newman and Michael McDonald to contribute to the album. Behind the success of her biggest hit, "Chuck E's In Love," she appeared on Saturday Night Live and was written up in Time Magazine. I saw her in 2005 at a coffee house in Cave Creek in a strange, disjointed performer that had me thinking she wasn't all together then. We had renewed anticipation for this concert in the acoustically-excellent MIM Theater. This was a much better performance in a superior venue. And although it was a better show, I still left shaking my head, as RLJ played 6 of the 11 songs from that popular debut record, but did not play "Chuck E's In Love," her biggest hit b...