Ticket Stub Time Travels

 20 years ago today... September 29, 2001 - Phoenix, AZ  Proving it's Hip To Be Square, we watched Huey Lewis & the News in concert at Celebrity Theatre. Demonstrating The Power of Love and The Heart of Rock & Roll, Therese said I'm Stuck With You, so I'm Doing It All For My Baby and agreed to attend this show. She later said If This Is It, I Want A New Drug. These MTV darlings were fun to watch and as goofy as they appear in the videos.

 17 years ago today... September 28, 2004 - Phoenix, AZ  Leon Russell played an intimate club concert at the Rhythm Room. A member of both the rock & roll and musicians hall of fames, Russell did not look great at the Rhythm Room, needing assistance from the band to wobble onto the stage to his piano bench. It was a little sad seeing him play to maybe 300 people in a barroom. Six years later, Elton John would release a duet album with Leon that got him back into large arenas and making some real money. At the Rhythm Room, Leon sang his top hits like "Delta Lady," "A Song For You" and "Tightrope" along with a string of covers and medleys. His daughter with wife Mary sang backup vocals in his band. He left the stage with no encore and exited directly out the backstage door and onto his tour bus.

 12 years ago today... September 27, 2009 - Glendale, AZ The visiting Indianapolis Colts defeated the turnover-plagued Arizona Cardinals 31 -10 at University of Phoenix Stadium. Peyton Manning threw 4 TD passes to lead the Colts. Kurt Warner chucked the pig 52 times for 332 yards a TD and a pick in the losing effort. The Cardinals were the defending NFC Champions this season following their lone Super Bowl appearance. Larry Fitzgerald scribbled his autographed across his picture on the ticket, the only reason I would have kept a stub from a poor effort from the home team.

 11 years ago today... September 26, 2010 - Phoenix, AZ  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played a rock concert at US Airways Center. The band was touring behind its new album "Mojo" and played a few songs from it, but this was a greatest hits show. The Heartbreakers remain one of the tightest rock bands in a live performance that I've ever seen. ZZ Top was scheduled to open the show, but cancelled due to an illness within the band, and was replaced by rock & roll legend Chuck Berry. I was excited to see this rock pioneer but he was utterly terrible. Chuck could no longer play a guitar and blamed roadies for his terrible sound and kept complaining that his guitar was out of tune. The only thing out of tune was Chuck himself. Chuck was embarrassing, and I was embarrassed for Chuck. Berry is known for requiring the local promoter to find an area band to back Chuck and play his three-chord rock. The band had no clue what Chuck was playing and were lame ducks on t...

 17 years ago today... September 25, 2004 - Phoenix, AZ Sting and Annie Lennox left their core bands to perform together in concert at Cricket Pavilion. Sting was touring behind his "Sacred Love" album. Annie opened the show with her set of Eurythmics hits and her solo work. She joined Sting's set to sing "We'll Be Together." Sting's show featured four Police hits along with several songs from the new album. Here's a link to Sting's setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sting/2004/cricket-pavilion-phoenix-az-5bd1b7a4.html

 12 years ago today... September 24, 2009 - Phoenix, AZ  Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal played the blues both alone and together at Dodge Theatre. We sat right up front for this show from these Blues titans. Taj opened the show to be joined by Bonnie for a few numbers. Then Bonnie and her band performed and Taj joined in for a few more.

 41 years ago today... September 23, 1980 - Carbondale, IL The Chicago Symphony Orchestra traveled downstate to Southern Illinois University for a performance at Shryock Auditorium.

 2 years ago today... September 22, 2019 - Glendale, AZ The Carolina Panthers defeated the host Arizona Cardinals 38 - 20 at State Farm Stadium. Kyle Allen threw 4 TD passes for the Panthers. Kyler Murray had 2 TD passes, one to Larry Fitzgerald. This "commemorative ticket" marks the beginning of the end of TSTT. The Cardinals, and the rest of the NFL, had gone to digital ticketing. Your phone is now your ticket. The commemorative generic ticket shown was in the game program as a souvenir for old timers like me who still prefer the hard stock paper tickets of days gone by.

 25 years ago today... September 21, 1996 - Tempe, AZ  In one of the greatest games in Sun Devil Stadium history, Arizona State upset the #1 ranked, two-time defending National Champion Nebraska 19 - 0, ending the Cornhuskers 26-game winning streak. My guest for the game was a Nebraska alum expecting a 27-straight victory. Instead, he was nearly hit in the head by the goal posts as students uprooted it and hauled it down 5th Street to Mill Avenue as part of a rowdy celebration. The ticket stub is autographed by ASU quarterback Jake Plummer who threw for 292 yards and a TD. Pat Tillman led the Sun Devils defense in the shutout of Tom Osborne's team. ASU Coach Bruce Snyder had accused Osborne of running up the score in a 77 - 28 loss the year prior. Legendary ASU Coach Frank Kush was honored by having the field named after him at this game.

 38 years ago today... September 20, 1983 - Tempe, AZ  George Benson brought his smooth jazz style to Gammage Center on the campus of Arizona State University. Benson has a crooner vocal style and is an excellent guitarist. He is now a Valley resident and makes occasional unannounced appearances at the Musical Instrument Museum where he is a featured Arizona artist and club concerts.

 12 years ago yesterday... September 19, 2009 - Phoenix, AZ  Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers entertained in a postgame concert at Chase Field. The local rock stars took the field following a 7-6 Diamondbacks loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. When the home team wins, a rarity in recent years, Roger's song "Dbacks Swing" is played. We haven't heard it much recently. We were pleased to have on-field VIP access for the concert and to meet the band, again, prior to their performance.

 5 years ago... September 18, 2016 - Glendale, AZ Behind Carson Palmer's 308 passing yards and 3 TDs, the Arizona Cardinals thumped the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40 -7 at University of Phoenix Stadium. While Palmer was carving up the Bucs secondary, Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston threw 4 interceptions. Head coaches in this game were Bruce Arians for the Cardinals and former lousy ASU Coach Dirk Koetter for the Bucs. Calis Campbell is featured on the ticket.

 39 years ago today... September 17, 1982 - Phoenix, AZ Roberta Flack performed in concert at the historic Celebrity Theatre. This show was my introduction to the 2,600-seat theatre in the round with a revolving stage, the first of 127 events we have attended there to date. I was immediately captivated, stunned at the intimacy of the venue and the excellent acoustics for such a quirky concrete structure. The highlight of the show was Roberta bringing the audience to a whisper quiet, dropping the microphone and singing without the aid of amplification. You could hear a pin drop.

 19 years ago yesterday... September 15, 2002 - Seattle, WA In the first ever regular season game at the new Seahawks Stadium, the Arizona Cardinals spoiled the celebration with a 24 - 13 win over the host Seahawks. The game highlight was a 95-yard kickoff return for touchdown in the 4Q by MarTay Jenkins who autographed the inaugural game souvenir ticket from the stadium debut. Thomas Jones ran for 173 yards. The quarterbacks were Jake Plummer and Trent Dilfer. Head coaches were Dave McGinnis and Mike Holmgren. The new $440 million stadium is downtown and across the street from the baseball stadium. It opened without a naming rights sponsor.

 42 years ago... September 14, 1979 - Carbondale, IL Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes blew the doors off stately Shryock Auditorium. Our student concerts committee booked the Jukes following the wild success of Bruce Springsteen's campus stop. I worked the load in but watched the show from the balcony. The Jukes had a fabulous horn section including "La Bamba" on trombone that put out a big sound in the small theatre. The band played most of the new album "The Jukes," not commercially successful but one I really liked. I saw La Bamba play in Frank Sinatra's orchestra and later with Conan's TV band.

 18 years ago... September 13, 2003 - Phoenix, AZ  Finding it hard to say goodbye, Cher performed her "Living Proof - Farewell Tour" "final" concert at America West Arena. We thought we caught her "final" tour 13 months earlier in this same arena, the also named "Living Proof - Farewell Tour" but it's not over until it's over with these artists. We enjoyed her so over-the-top Vegas-flavored career retrospective on the first farewell, that we were happy to return the next year to see the same show in the same room with the same ultimate diva and it was fantastic, again. I recommend watching the NBC Special concert video. If I Could Turn Back Time we would be eternally ageless, like Cher. Here's the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/cher/2003/america-west-arena-phoenix-az-73d86e1d.html

 2 years ago today... September 12, 2019 - Mesa, AZ Maren Morris brought her "Girl: The World Tour" to Mesa Amphitheatre. Morris' style of pop country and her easy-on-the-eyes look has transported her to a top concert draw. "Girl" was her second album and the title track and "Bones" were both high on the country and pop charts. She performed 10 of the 14 cuts from the "Girl" album. I wasn't expecting a lot from this show but found myself really liking her and her band and would see her again. Here's a link to the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/maren-morris/2019/mesa-amphitheatre-mesa-az-6b9cf6ba.html

 6 years ago... September 11, 2015 - Phoenix, AZ Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers played a concert at Valley Bar downtown. This was a sort of alt-country/Americana/folk show. Bluhm had gained attention for her "Van Sessions," videos of the band playing cover tunes on the road between shows. The band became a You Tube sensation. Their best known cover/video was 'I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" by Hall & Oates. This small room holds 250 patrons SRO. We saw her open for Tedeschi Trucks Band the next year in San Diego (9/3 TSTT).

 41 years ago... September 10, 1980 - Carbondale, IL The Pretenders headlined a concert at Shryock Auditorium. This show was my introduction to concert promotion, as I was part of a committee that booked and produced events in a small historic theatre on the campus of Southern Illinois University. This was a good "get," as the committee had contracted with the band before its first hit "Brass In Pocket" from their debut album hit the charts. We hired them for a fraction of the rate they could now command with a top selling record. I helped with load-in and tore tickets at the door. Chrissie Hynde fronted the band and was the toughest looking female musician I'd ever seen. The English Beat, a British ska band, opened the show with a high energy danceable set. A strange thing happened the next day when the band's bass player, the late Pete Farndon, showed up at our apartment door to look at a motorcycle that was advertised for sale. He was at the wrong ap...

21 years ago... September 9, 2000 - Phoenix, AZ Iron Maiden played a rock concert at Desert Sky Pavilion. This was a reunion tour for the heavy metal rockers. I was never an Iron Maiden fan and only went thanks to comp tickets. This was not my jam and I don't recall much from the show.  

46 years ago today... September 16, 1975 - Champaign, IL Charlie Daniels Band and The Outlaws played a spirited southern rock concert at the Assembly Hall. The CDB was touring behind arguably the band's signature album, "Fire On The Mountain." Released in 1974, this classic LP included "The South's Goin' To Do It" and "Long Haired Country Boy," two songs included in most every CDB show ever. We sat up high in the Hall, and all you could see was the top of Charlie's Stetson cowboy hat while he sawed away on the fiddle. Newcomers The Outlaws had one record out, clearly the best one they every released with "There Goes Another Love Song" and "Green Grass and High Tides." The self-anointed "guitar army" blew us away with a sound reminiscent of the Allman Brothers.  

 19 years ago today... September 8, 2002 - Phoenix, AZ  Rick Springfield sang about "Jessie's Girl" in a concert at Celebrity Theatre. Formerly Dr. Noah Drake from daytime TV's General Hospital, Rick said "I've Done Everything For You" to an adoring, mostly female, audience. Highlighting the night was a meet & greet photo opportunity with Rick who posed with Therese and superfans Jenny and Sheila sporting their Rick Springfield Rockin' Cruise tshirts. Rick had no qualms "copping a feel" with Sheila who didn't seem to mind. Fast forward twelve years to 2014...Rick is on a book-singing tour promoting his new novel "Magnificent Vibration." The rocker/author was happy to recreate the earlier photo with the three amigos in different matching tshirts and to grab another handful of Sheila. Appropriately, the signing took place at Changing Hands bookstore.

 23 years ago today... September 7, 1998 - Phoenix, AZ Earth, Wind & Fire headlined the "Sweet Sound of Soul" tour that came to Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Before EWF took the stage embracing "September," the audience jumped on a "Love Train" with the O'Jays and to "Shout" with the Isley Brothers, two classic soul acts that made this a memorable night. This was a rare show at the fairgrounds Coliseum, as the venue had lost most of its concert business to the new arena downtown, with the State Fair concert series being virtually the only remaining shows there.

 28 years ago today... September 6, 1993 - Phoenix, AZ  Steely Dan reformed for a reunion tour at Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion. Steely Dan frontmen Walter Becker and Donald Fagen had taken some years off, but rejoined for this tour with a large band including a second lead guitar, three female background singers and a four-piece saxophone section which included Cornelius Bumpus, featured in the September 1 edition of TTST. The band played a sample of songs from each of their records to date. Shows from this tour were recorded and later released on the band's "Alive In America" album. We hope to see the current edition of Steely Dan next May at this same venue, a concert that will have been postponed for two years due to Covid restrictions. Here's a link to the setlist: Steely Dan Concert Setlist at Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix on September 6, 1993 | setlist.fm

 7 years ago yesterday... September 5, 2004 - Phoenix, AZ  Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers performed among others in a bizarre show at The Brickhouse in the downtown warehouse district. This may have been the only show ever held at The Brickhouse, a strange old building of hallways and nooks. It felt like a party in your friend's unkempt basement. Local favorites RCPM played along with Los Straitjackets, a shirtless band playing surf music while wearing Mexican lucha libre wrestling masks. You had to be there. I have no idea as to the message behind "The Password Is Your Key."

 5 years ago today... September 3, 2016 - San Diego, CA The Tedeschi Trucks Band jammed through a concert at Jacobs Music Center at Copley Symphony Hall. We took a Labor Day road trip to the coast and lucked into this date on the TTB tour. Hippie singer Nicki Bluhm opened the show. We were introduced to Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks in 2005 when both artists fronted their own bands at the inaugural McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Scottsdale. Now married and joining forces on stage, the couple leads a large band through a setlist that changes nightly. Susan is the vocalist and Derek shreds the guitar like he did as a member of Allman Brothers Band. Here's a link to the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tedeschi-trucks-band/2016/copley-symphony-hall-san-diego-ca-6bfc7a02.html

 10 years ago today... September 2, 2011 - Phoenix, AZ Sade and John Legend performed in concert at US Airways Center. This was a night for lovers as these two soulful singers played songs of romance from their sultry catalogs. Legend opened the show with an hour set that pulled from each of his albums to date. Sade was truly a Smooth Operator, commanding the stage with style and grace. These were No Ordinary Love songs that she was sharing on a special date night for so many in attendance. Here are the links to both sets: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/john-legend/2011/us-airways-center-phoenix-az-43d03f47.html https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sade/2011/us-airways-center-phoenix-az-3d0c567.html

August is a wrap, and we found a ticket stub for all 31 days of the month.  We've missed two dates in eight months with only the fourth quarter of the year to go.   On to September! 39 years ago today... September 1, 1982 - Phoenix, AZ  The Michael McDonald-led Doobie Brothers brought their "Farewell Tour" to Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Like many rock bands, the Doobie Brothers have found it hard to say goodbye, this summer celebrating their 50th Anniversary and recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with a concert tour taking them all around the world, including another stop in Phoenix next month. We were gifted comp tickets and backstage passes from Doobie Brothers saxophone/keyboard player Cornelius Bumpus. I met "Corny" months earlier when I promoted his quintet's appearance at the Boojum Tree Jazz Lounge. The band was breaking up over creative differences stemming from the switch to the soulful McDonald-led approach and away from the ...