THE SUMMER OF '69...

DAZED AND CONFUSED:

Just before I cleaned out my high school hall locker for one last time before the long needed summer break from a tough school year I had an epiphany which went something like this...
I saw a Fillmore East advertisement in the Village Voice for a Led Zeppelin performance Memorial Day weekend 1969. That combined with having had " Led Zeppelin 1" on my turntable for what seemed like an eternity(since February), I contacted my concert going friends and we all agreed "this is the one". Running down to the local drug store I purchased a $20.00 money order, and with a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) enclosed I mailed it out to 105 Second Ave, NY requesting four (4) seats for Woody Herman's Thundering Herd; Delaney Bonnie and Friends; and the headliner, LED ZEPPELIN, scheduled for May 30, 1969.To my surprise the tickets arrived a few days later, as did my friend's who also requested four. So "the eight"  had now planned  a beautiful start to a holiday (Memorial Day) weekend. Orange Julius on West 8th for a bite to eat, a few head shop visits along our walk , a record store here, and a shoe shoppe there (more on the shoe in September), we strolled peacefully toward our East Village destination. Show time 8PM would find  4 in one section, four in another section only a few rows back, but all eight in the house.

Wow, life was great, an early 8 PM show on a Friday Night of a Holiday Weekend, a freshly cashed paycheck loaded my wallet, a pack of Marlboro Red, bottle of wine (purchased by an age appropriate friend) and a gift from one of my factory friends to help "lighten" up the mood. Four on the train, meeting four more there, we were a Rock and Roll army outfitted with new jeans, new Chuck Taylor high tops, and hair getting longer by the moment. " See you tomorrow Mom". A nice buzz was developing while we waited on line seeking admittance to the sacred hall. Finally, in and seated, house light down and BOOM, I fall in love. Rita Coolidge of Delaney/ Bonnie was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, well that night anyway. Woody Herman's Big Band was way too cool and Pop would have been proud as I recognized a few of Woody's tunes from our family's record collection.Then, "OHHHHH, I CAN'T QUIT YOU BABY...",and a power chord shook me to the core. This followed by Dazed and Confused, White Summer, How Many More Times, a drum solo, Communication Breakdown... Sweating profusely we leave into the warm May air at a bit before midnight. Through the East Village, Greenwich Village, a bit to eat, a gift or two, the E train to Penn and the late train home.Arriving home I felt like a new person, never to return to the old one.


MAGIC BUS:
A few weeks prior to getting the Led Zep tickets I purchased two seats for another show at Fillmore East: CHUCK BERRY and ALBERT KING. I was especially looking forward to hearing Albert King as I probably wore out his KING OF THE BLUES GUITAR album.When the tixs arrived I noted the location of the seats and when I attended the Zep show I looked for where I would be actually sitting for the Albert King show ( fourth row aisle seat on the left). Too cool, really nice sight lines. At the Zep show an announcement was made that an additional act was added to the bill, headlining would now be.... THE WHO. OMG... I was ecstatic...

Having only (0nly???) two tickets led to a slight problem with seven others I attended The Zep show with but they all had an opportunity to pick up a tix at the box office before we left. But... Albert King played a short but sweet set highlighting BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN, PERSONAL MANAGER,AS THE YEARS GO PASSING BY and STORMY MONDAY. Chuck Berry did what I found out years later was his traditional set list, nothing too outstanding for me except seeing his duck walk. He closed with Ding-a-ling , a really stupid song, and then did a quick encore.THE WHO were fantastic, anything short of fantastic. In awe the entire time, mouth opened awe. Needless to say my very limited concert experiences just had a new threshold to beat and that would be... THE WHO.



SUMMER of 69:

Prior to the hot weather really hitting with a part time job turning full time summer employment, combined with having now had two major shows in only six day apart under my belt, stopping me from attending more shows would have been next to impossible. Working full time I had plenty of cash to spend on my obsession; music, live music. Money Orders and Self Addressed Stamped Envelops became the norm for pay day with tickets were arriving almost daily.


Blind Faith with FREE and ( again) Delaney Bonnie and Friends, July12, 1969 at Madison Square Garden. A stage set in the middle of The Garden with FREE kicking things off. Pretty good lead singer, guitarist not too bad and a nice bottom sound. DB and F were proselytizing, doing their funky stuff but Rita was too far away this time. Blind Faith was just that. Having only a single out, the album awaiting release in a months time, Blind Faith did their Cream/Traffic thing until tensions grew and the show ended by the NYPD. Ginger Baker hit some security guard who "manhandled" a girl near the stage.Show over. But a great experience.


The next week was Creedence Clearwater Revival with TERRY REID and AUM, July 19, 1969 at FILLMORE EAST. With my kid brother a fan of Creedence at my side I was there to see Terry Reid. AUM opened and did their GOD IS BACK IN TOWN thing which was getting some air play at the time. Terry Reid hit the stage announcing his favorite Les Paul was stolen the previous night and he begged for its return. Despite not having his trustworthy axe, Terry had the place on its feet by sets end, demanding MORE. CCR was pretty good. Dressed like rich hippies with flannel shirts. jeans and boots, the swamp rockers closed it all out with a 20 minute" KEEP ON CHOOGLIN".



Having dug Terry Reid so much at The Fillmore I traveled to the Action House in Island Park, not far from my home a few night later to see him again. While in a less than capacity house Terry was off to the side of the stage when I engaged him in a conversation. Just a delightful person, too. His set this night was much longer than Fillmore's and just as tasty.

Not much happening on the circuit the next week or so until the LI Rock Fest @ Freeport Race Track 8/6/69 (2 weeks before Woodstock) with Canned Heat,TenYearsAfter, Cat Mother,and Orpheus, a mid week event. TEN YEARS AFTER was the tease here. Unbelievable to say the least. In total after all is said and done I have seen TYA eighteen times with this being the first. Canned Heat was the full ensemble with the Blind Owl in tow but a 45 minute boogie was a bit much for me. I know I nodded off while laying on the grass.

A week before "3 Days of Arts' Music and fun" AKA WOODSTOCK I hit the Fillmore East for The Jefferson Airplane and Joe Cocker. Cocker was a visual experience as well as sounding a bit like Ray Charles. And THE AIRPLANE was a trip, really a trip. Light show, amps cranked up, three vocalists, a bass player who stalked around the drum kit, a sheriff for a drummer and a guitarist making the strangest feedback. Was I high or where they THAT good?

and the prize of my END OF THE SUMMER celebration show was to end it where I started it, with... Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin, Buddy Guy/ Jr Wells and RAVEN 8/30/69 originally at Singer Bowl  rescheduled for the opened air standing room only, Pavilion at The World's Fair site. This was a different experience as I got there early enough to find a standing spot in front , mid stage against the stage. This became dangerous as the Zep set went on. Having to only perform one show the set list was expanded.And yes Zep fans this IS the show where Bonzo collapsed on the drums to end the night.