With Ric Ocasek’s passing this week, I figured I would dig deep into the archives for The Cars concert in Central Park that took place on August 24, 1979. My friends and I would attend every Central Park concert that we could back in the late 70’s. The tickets only cost $4.50 for the orchestra and $2.50 for the balcony and if you did not want to spend any money at all you could hang out on the large boulders beyond the fences and hear the shows just fine. As I recall, The Cars concert was one of those we spent on the rocks within sight of the outdoor venue and, on a side note, where we did the same for a headlining Greg Kuhn Band the following night.
Years later The Cars with Todd Rundgren, and not Ocasek, played at Jones Beach with Blondie opening. Ocasek had stuck to his guns right to the end about not touring with The Cars and only rejoined the band for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony held in Brooklin recently.
Moving in Stereo
Rock on!
GQ
This Show at Centra Park was outstanding! I was there as well. The Cars were a very hot band on the rise at that time. The show sold out within minutes of the tickets going on sale. The skating rink and surrounding area was jammed with people. Just a couple of corrections to the original article – The band that toured with Todd Rundgren instead of Ric Ocasek was The New Cars. Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes were the only Cars members in that band. The Cars with Ric Ocasek did tour in 2011 with a new CD release.