| QUOTE (Handsome Dan @ Apr 12 2006, 07:40 PM) |
| Cheap Trick 1981, Portland Maine- someone flicked a bottle cap and it hit Robin Zander just below the left eye, during Dream Police. He walked off the stage, lights went up and folks were pissed that the show was stopped, and the bottlecap flicker got a good beating...Rick Neilson came out and said if 1 more thing hits the stage, the show was over for good... |
| QUOTE |
| Mellencamp concert becomes patriotic rally By Steve Morse, Globe Staff, 9/15/2001 Reprinted from late editions of yesterday's Globe. This story ran on page 2 of the Boston Globe on 9/15/2001. MANSFIELD - Where there might have been an anti-Yankees chant from the crowd just a few weeks ago, this time it was ''U.S.A.!, U.S.A.!'' And it went on all night between songs. The patriotic spirit was in full evidence at Thursday night's John Mellencamp show. Dozens of fans waved American flags or had flags embroidered on their clothes. Even the beer taps were festooned with red, white, and blue. It was an unusual night, but Mellencamp felt the show should go on. ''We took a survey of our fans and they said to play the show,'' Mellencamp said beforehand. ''A couple of guys in the band didn't want to play it, but I told them, `This is our job. This is what we do. Remember how Frank Sinatra would sing during World War II.''' Clearly, the 15,000 fans who showed up were glad that he came by bus from a previous appearance in Montreal. (''I hadn't ridden a bus in 15 years,'' he said.) And he gave them a needed dose of rock therapy in return. His heartland sound of jangly guitars and anthemic vocals had them singing along with more bite than ever. He also debuted three new songs that were well-received, including the show-stopping title track of his upcoming album, ''Cuttin' Heads,'' which denounced racism amid a hip-hop vocal trade-off between him and backup singer/rapper Moe Z. Mellencamp came on right after the front part of the crowd finished singing an impromptu ''God Bless America.'' He immediately tore into the Vietnam War-era ''Gimme Shelter'' by the Rolling Stones (which fit the occasion, though he's been performing it throughout the summer), followed, also appropriately, by new single ''Peaceful World.'' He made no reference to the terrorist attacks on Tuesday until about 30 minutes into the show. He stammered and said he wasn't much good at talking, but noted, ''I just know that something positive is going to come from this.'' He added, ''I'm not a preacher. I'm just a guy who sings in a band, but we can make a difference.'' Mellencamp had already made a difference by allowing a booth to be set up on the Tweeter Center concourse to accept donations for injured members of the New York Police Department. And he said backstage that he has been contacted to participate in a benefit concert to help fallen police and firefighters in New York, though he didn't know the details yet. The pugnacious Mellencamp kept the hits coming late into the night with ''Authority Song,'' ''R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.'' (imagine how the crowd sang along to that one), and ''Pink Houses.'' He was in excellent form and also played a new solo-acoustic tune, ''Woman Seem,'' in which he joked about how women like him but never seem to stay with him long. The crowd was grateful for the comic relief. The Wallflowers opened with a rocking set of their own. Singer Jakob Dylan also addressed the tragedy by saying, ''It's a tough day to be an entertainer, because there's nothing significant to say. We just want to play some songs and hope that people have a good time for a moment.'' They did, especially when the Wallflowers ran off a few hits (''6th Avenue Heartache'' had a new poignancy) and finished with The Who's stirring ''Won't Get Fooled Again.'' Its revolutionary fervor in light of this week's events earned the Wallflowers a standing ovation from the flag-waving crowd. ************************* Mellencamp raises crowd's spirit Music Review/by Sarah Rodman Saturday, September 15, 2001 Boston Herald John Mellencamp, with the Wallflowers, at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Thursday night. At times, the John Mellencamp show at the Tweeter Center on Thursday night resembled a patriotic pep rally. Flags of all shapes and sizes were waved, people were clad in red, white and blue, spontaneous chants of ``U.S.A.!'' erupted and even an impromptu singing of ``God Bless America'' occurred during intermission. But even as those actions reminded people of the tragic events of earlier this week, there was a sense that the 15,000 folks in attendance were glad to have torn themselves away from the tube and its images of devastation, that they were almost desperate to have a good time and that this concert was a first step on the road to recovery. In other words, a galvanizing heartland rocker such as Mellencamp was just the salve they needed. Thankfully, the diminutive Indiana chain smoker, never big on stage banter, laid off the talk and laid down the rock. He and his top-notch nine-piece backing band let the music do the talking, replacing inadequate words with raw emotions. And from the tumultuous opener of the Rolling Stones' dread-filled ``Gimme Shelter'' to the racism-denouncing ``Peaceful World'' to the prayerful and encouraging encore of ``Your Life is Now,'' that music spoke volumes. Each sing-along chorus of ``Small Town,'' each fiery fiddle lick in the manically percussive ``Paper in Fire'' and every particularly meaningful lyric from ``life goes on'' to ``home of the free'' offered an exhilarating sigh of relief. A collective catharsis was felt throughout the amphitheater as fists pumped and voices were raised. When Mellencamp did speak, it was brief but heartfelt. After a frenzied version of a song some thought he might not perform, ``Crumblin' Down,'' the singer emerged with an acoustic guitar and said he knew that most people came to hear him sing, not ``run my (expletive) mouth.'' But he felt compelled to say something. ``I know that something positive is going to come from this,'' he said, ``because if we're not better for it, then those people died in vain.'' He added, ``I'm not a preacher, but I don't know if revenge is the greatest idea.'' After saying, ``I'm gonna shut up and do a song,'' he launched into the perfectly silly ``Women Seem'' from his upcoming album ``Cuttin' Heads.'' The thrice-divorced singer detailed the way women seem to like him, but not for long, injecting a much-needed dose of levity into the evening. Openers the Wallflowers got a good response for hits such as ``One Headlight'' and ``6th Avenue Heartache,'' but it was their explosive cover of ``Won't Get Fooled Again'' that brought the crowd members to their feet, waving their flags and singing along, lending The Who's famous song a whole new meaning. Mellencamp show jammed with patriotism ***************************************** By AUSTIN O'CONNOR Sun Staff CONCERT REVIEW: John Mellencamp, Tweeter Center, Mansfield, last night. There aren't many musicians who can deliver pure American rock 'n roll the way John Mellencamp can, and there aren't many nights when it works as well as it did last night. Though some may question the decision to play a rock concert so quickly after Tuesday's tragic events, the flag-waving, nearly sold out Tweeter Center crowd that welcomed the 49-year-old Indiana rocker certainly hadn't put the horrific attacks out of its collective mind. At nearly every opportunity, chants of "USA!" washed over the audience, and Mellencamp did all he could to soothe their minds, mixing hits from across his two decade career during a 16-song, 105-minute ride full of American pride and energetic rock. It wasn't all old tunes, either. The show opened with a pulsating cover of "Gimme Shelter," with Mellencamp slowly strolling onstage under falling rose petals, joining his nine-person band and bringing the crowd to its collective feet. Their version of the Stones hit was a thrilling one, enhanced by longtime backup singer Pat Peterson, who is the possessor of one serious set of lungs. "Peaceful World," the first single from Mellencamp's upcoming album Cuttin' Heads, followed the opener, then the singer dipped back into his bag of tricks to play a driving, rhythmic "Jack and Diane." The crowd stayed on its feet and joined in on the chorus, as it did for most of the night's hits. If Mellencamp is quietly excellent, his band is loud, brash and fun. Most notable among the fantastic ensemble were multitasking Moe Z, who flipped and boppled, literally, between drums and keyboard (and rapped with the rocker on the title track from Cuttin' Heads) and violinist Miriam Strum, who provided the night's most memorable solos on songs like "Peaceful World" and "Paper In Fire." About halfway through the show, the band left Mellencamp alone on the stage with his acoustic guitar, and with typical Midwestern straightforwardness, the singer addressed Tuesday's tragic terrorist attacks. "I generally don't talk from stage anymore. I figure people come here to see me sing," he said quietly. "But I just know that something positive is going to come from these people's lives. ... If we're not better for it, then these people died in vain. We can make a difference." "And now I'm going to shut up and do what I'm supposed to be doing," he added. "And sing a song." And he did, launching into the new "Women Seem," then calling his band back onstage to run through a few more old hits as the show regained steam. It's possible to dismiss some of Mellencamp's biggest hits -- including "Small Town," "R.O.C.K in the U.S.A." and "Pink Houses" -- as folksy fluff, but last night they all sounded like anthems, as comforting as a warm slice of apple pie. "Ain't that America, for you and me" the whole crowd sang during Pink Houses, "Ain't that America. The home of the free..." It was spine-tingling, lump in the throat stuff. Mellencamp seemed to sense it too, lingering onstage after that song closed the main set to listen to the patriotic chants. "Your Life is Now" then provided an appropriate encore to a memorable show and a night on which Mellencamp and his audience seemed to want to forget their troubles and remember them, all at once. Opening act The Wallflowers were solid, though singer Jakob Dylan didn't look like he was enjoying himself too much. Must be in the blood. ********************************************** Mellencamp delivers a welcome reprieve from a grim week BY VAUGHN WATSON Journal Pop Music Writer Top Music stories: 9.14.2001 00:20 MANSFIELD, Mass. -- The potential of music, when it pulls in diverse voices to make noise together, is to lift a mood. It's why members of Congress broke out in song after Tuesday's terrorist attacks. We wield music to proclaim victory, or to sugarcoat our bitterness. "God Bless America," loud and spontaneous, was a public show of spirit and toughness. Pockets of the 15,000 concertgoers last night at the Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts burst into spontaneous cheering -- "U.S.A." -- and song -- "The Star-Spangled Banner." Rock 'n' roll, especially, shows tons of teeth, and comforting compassion when it finds this tent-revival mode, when lots of people in one place share a goal: to lose it, for just a little while. "It's a tough day to be an entertainer," Jakob Dylan acknowledged during the set his band, The Wallflowers, performed before the headliner, John Mellencamp. "There is really nothing significant enough we have to say. We're just going to play some songs -- and hope everybody has a good time -- for a moment." The best song of The Wallflowers' set was someone else's -- The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again." It soared because of the way we recall its lineage, not who is performing it now -- much like The Wallflowers. They are an ordinary trad-rock 'n' roll band who performed several songs just about in tune, but their frontman -- singer-songwriter and guitarist Jackob, Bob Dylan's son -- was photogenic, engaging and fun to watch, nonetheless. The crowd searched, meanwhile, for meaning in each song, for a yellow-ribbon song. The tough-lipped durability of "Won't Get Fooled Again" and blessed optimism of Mellencamp's "Peaceful World," from his new album, were needed anthems in a weary week with reminders here: Concertgoers got a full pat-down at the gate; firefighters collected spare change and held signs that read: "For the NYPD and NYFD." It was all a comforting display of nationalism and security. Mellencamp, 49, is a strong heartland rocker who finds novel ways to remake aging songs. In concert with his nine-piece band, he tosses a lot of percussion into his hits "Crumblin' Down," "Authority Song," and "Paper In Fire." Most memorable is that he makes a point of making music mean something. Songs from his new album, Cuttin' Heads , to be released Oct. 16, make us look in the mirror. Mellencamp wants us to see us, stereotypes and all. "It's what you do and not what you say," Mellencamp sang in "Peaceful World." "If you're not part of the future then get out of the way." "I just know," Mellencamp said of the terrorist attacks, speaking from the stage -- which he rarely does -- "that something positive is going to come from this." For a few hours, music made you know so too. While Many Bands Cancel Their Tours, Mellencamp Delivers Americana Classics Wall Street Journal; New York, N.Y.; Sep 18, 2001; By Jennifer Ordonez; Credit: Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal Among popular performers struggling with the question of how and when to return to the stage after last week's terrorist attacks, John Mellencamp may be in an enviable position. His canon of anthemic rock songs about America and small towns seems likely to resonate with audiences battered by the events of the past week. Still, when Mr. Mellencamp decided Thursday to go ahead with a long-planned show in Boston, the decision was not made lightly. Like other rock musicians whose tour plans have been upended by the crisis, Mr. Mellencamp and his managers had to carefully weigh a complicated equation that includes security concerns, the public's uncertain appetite for entertainment, and the feelings of members of his own band. Artists with concerts scheduled now face the awkward issue of how to entertain their audiences so soon after a profound tragedy. Some bands like heavy metal acts Judas Priest and Anthrax are postponing tours. Madonna, who on Thursday played to a Los Angeles crowd, had the uncomfortable task of performing party songs. Mr. Mellencamp said performers "can figure out a way to handle this with dignity." By the day of the show, the rock star's manager said the Tweeter Center, a venue about 40 minutes outside of Boston, had received 10 calls calling for its cancellation and hundreds more saying they wanted to hear Mr. Mellencamp play. Mr. Mellencamp canceled his show in Hartford, Conn., the Tuesday of the attack. But two days later, when some expressed safety concerns, Mr. Mellencamp balked and said Thursday's show would go on. "To think that someone is going to shoot John Mellencamp on stage would have been so . . . egotistical," he said. Watching from the wings of the stage as the crowd chanted "U.S.A." and broke into a rendition of "God Bless America," Mr. Mellencamp, a near 30-year touring veteran, said that for the first time in decades, he grew a bit jittery before he went on. Then he started playing, following the same set list he has used throughout the tour, but one that seems oddly relevant now. He opened with the Rolling Stones tune "Gimme Shelter," and followed that with "Peaceful World," a new song he wrote about racism that was released just weeks ago. Mr. Mellencamp said that, after Tuesday's attacks, the song "took on a whole new meaning." But it was the familiarity of his Americana classics that seemed to give the audience what they had come for, whether comfort, community or just to escape for a few hours from thoughts of bad news. Songs like "The Authority Song," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.," and "Jack and Diane" brought a loud response from the audience, which sang along and waved American flags. Mr. Mellencamp said he decided to spare them political commentary, addressing the terrorist attacks only briefly in the middle of the show when he called for goodwill. "I'm not going to sit there and patronize them," he said. The show ended with "Pink Houses," a pointed commentary on the psyche of blue-collar America. Even when that song topped the radio charts more than 10 years ago, "it never got the response it did" on Thursday, he said. "People were crying." After the show, Mr. Mellencamp, who will turn 50 years old this year, left thinking that the week's events could alter a music landscape that has been dominated by candy-coated pop. "Things are gonna change," he said. "People are not gonna want to hear about little girls in stretch dresses anymore." |
| QUOTE (Handsome Dan @ Apr 12 2006, 07:40 PM) |
| Joan Jett Jacksonville 1998 -she was playing a small meat market of a bar, and i was friends with the doorman so i had free tix. I was waiting by the back door of the club for the show to start, and the stage door opened and 2 of the Blackhearts came out to smoke...another guy came out, i figured he was a roadie or something..weird looking guy, pretty small for a roadie, short bleached blond hair, wearing a cut off gym shirt... i started shooting the breeze with the blackhearts, asking them how it was working with Westerberg, and how the tour was going, when the roadie kept answering every question i asked before the blackhearts could. I was a little put off, but he had some good answers- i figured maybe he was jetts brother or something...they headed in for the show, i went out front and went in too, and was shocked to see the roadie walk out on stage and rip into Cherry Bomb..and in the stagelights, i could see that the roadie was actually joan... |
| QUOTE (BurnedOut @ Apr 12 2006, 10:10 PM) |
| thanks for sharing the great moments :) [/QUOTE] |
| QUOTE (Richr @ Apr 12 2006, 11:17 PM) |
| [QUOTE=BurnedOut,Apr 12 2006, 10:10 PM] thanks for sharing the great moments :) [/QUOTE] [/QUOTE] One of my favorite moments happened 7/16/05. I got to hear The Promise and met some nice Peeps. Have pictures, but can't post. LOL |
| QUOTE (BigOldDinosaur @ Apr 12 2006, 10:18 PM) |
| [QUOTE=Richr,Apr 12 2006, 11:17 PM] [QUOTE=BurnedOut,Apr 12 2006, 10:10 PM] thanks for sharing the great moments :) [/QUOTE] [/QUOTE] One of my favorite moments happened 7/16/05. I got to hear The Promise and met some nice Peeps. Have pictures, but can't post. LOL [/QUOTE] then maybe it never happened :huh: |
| QUOTE (BurnedOut @ Apr 12 2006, 10:18 PM) |
| btw HD... I saw KC and the Sunshine band a few years ago (some gfs dragged me to one of those disco shows with lots of acts). He is wayyyy past his prime, after the second song I had to leave and let's say it was a concert to forget :blink: |
| QUOTE (Richr @ Apr 12 2006, 10:21 PM) | ||||||
Well Spotted! |
| QUOTE (Richr @ Apr 12 2006, 10:24 PM) | ||
Isn't that like admitting you went to a Wham concert? :Hysterical: By the way, my brother who is hard rock, got dragged to a Wham concert by his GF. I never miss a moment to make fun of him. LOL |
| QUOTE (Richr @ Apr 12 2006, 11:29 PM) |
| [QUOTE=BurnedOut,Apr 12 2006, 10:25 PM] [QUOTE=Richr,Apr 12 2006, 10:21 PM] [QUOTE=BigOldDinosaur,Apr 12 2006, 10:18 PM] [QUOTE=Richr,Apr 12 2006, 11:17 PM] [QUOTE=BurnedOut,Apr 12 2006, 10:10 PM] thanks for sharing the great moments :) [/QUOTE] [/QUOTE] One of my favorite moments happened 7/16/05. I got to hear The Promise and met some nice Peeps. Have pictures, but can't post. LOL [/QUOTE] then maybe it never happened :huh: [/QUOTE] Well Spotted! [/QUOTE] you like to spot your own posts?? :Hysterical: Hey, I think I was at that one....two excitable boys slapping my back when Bruce broke out Pony Boy :blink: [/QUOTE] No, I was replying to BOD. :p I'm glad the boys were slapping your back and not each others. ;) Although they do act like a married couple at times. LOL |
| QUOTE (Richr @ Apr 12 2006, 10:35 PM) |
| The board doesn't like me. :crying: |
| QUOTE (BurnedOut @ Apr 12 2006, 10:36 PM) | ||
but we do kiss |
| QUOTE (Richr @ Apr 12 2006, 11:37 PM) | ||||
thanks Buddy! I went in an edited the last one and it messed up again. Oh Brother! |
| QUOTE (BigOldDinosaur @ Apr 12 2006, 10:39 PM) |
| that was the edited version? :Hysterical: :Hysterical: :Hysterical: |
| QUOTE (BurnedOut @ Apr 12 2006, 11:40 PM) | ||
Did you come here looking to pick on HD and find us instead??? <_< |
| QUOTE (BigOldDinosaur @ Apr 12 2006, 10:42 PM) | ||||
sorry, i was posting the banana splits and somehow went off on a tangent :( |
| QUOTE (BigOldDinosaur @ Apr 12 2006, 10:48 PM) |
| I would like to have seen Grand Funk back then |
| QUOTE (Handsome Dan @ Apr 12 2006, 11:54 PM) | ||
Damn straight, they were red hot at the time, i recall my sis had the album with the 3D glasses on the front...and played it incessantly... |
| QUOTE (mrnybluesman @ Apr 13 2006, 01:42 PM) |
| Couple of concerts stand out..mostly from the good old days... The Concert for Bangla Desh..George Harrison and friends The Who doing Tommy at the Metropolitan Opera house Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies New Years Eve at the Fillmore The Allman Bros. Live at the Fillmore Derek and the Domino's..Fillmore Original Cream Cream Reunion First time I saw Ronnie Earl..my jaw dropped to the floor Clapton's Nothing But THe Blues Tour Pink Floyd at Carneige Hall...forget the year The Doors...somewhere in 1970 The Stones..1972 tour...could never top that tour in my opinion There are more....but these are just a few. It is a pity I couldn't make a living as a professional concert goer. Richie |
| QUOTE (BigOldDinosaur @ Apr 13 2006, 05:03 PM) | ||
Ritchie.........you saw all of these? |
| QUOTE (Diane @ Apr 14 2006, 02:04 PM) |
| Woody's Truck Stop? :Hysterical: |