I am a big Todd Rundgren fan and have seen him perform with a number of bands and configurations through the years, to include The Paramount in Huntington performing new music with a DJ, B. B. King’s Blues Club where I ran into bassist Kasim Sulton in front of the venue preshow while the warm up act was on, Westbury Music Fair in an all star band performing the Beatles “White Album”, and a Utopia one off reunion at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. I vaguely recall being at the Central Park concert in August, 1980 and I am thinking we may have been pretty far back in the orchestra for this one. It was yet another evening under the stars during the summer of 1980 where we pursued live music wherever it might be; and with tickets at $4.50 and $2.50 or free on the boulders, there was no reason not to head to Central Park to catch a whoever might be playing any particular night.

The Road to Utopia

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I have no particular recollection of the B. B. King concert with opener Dr. John at the Dr.Pepper Concerts in Central Park and I am pretty certain it was one of those shows that we hung out outside the venue proper. I had been to the B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square on a number of occasions which got some good acts before it closed for good, but had the feel of a New York City tourist destination. I was supposed to see Dr. John at the Newport Folk Festival a couple of years back and was disappointed that he was a last minute cancel so I did not get to see the legendary performer before he passed fairly recently.

Riding With The King

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Joe Jackson is one of those guys that I have always wanted to see but just never had the opportunity somehow, partly because Mr. Jackson seemed to rarely tour at least in New York. We went to Joe Jackson’s Central Park gig on the heals of the hugely successful album “Look Sharp” and I do recall that we were definitely on the outside listening in for this particular Central Park concert. It was so great to head to Manhattan, especially if there was nothing else to do, to check out live music from a variety of acts that we might not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience. I was twenty years old having just finished my second year at Queens College and these were great nights under the stars in the summer of 1980.

Is She Really Going Out With Him?

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The great blues guitarist Johnny Winter played the Central Park concert series sponsored by the soft drink Dr. Pepper on Wednesday, July 30, 1980. This is yet another concert that I do not specifically recall as we probably outside beyond the fencing on the boulders. I am reminded of when I saw Johnny Winter play at My Father’s Place in Roslyn. We were sitting at a table on the right side of the stage when a frail looking Mr. Winter walked onstage from our left with the aid of a cane. The sight of Johnny Winter, famously albino, needing a cane to walk was jarring and made him appear to be older than his years. Johnny sat down and proceeded to shred on guitar seemingly coming to life with the aid of his guitar and a roomful of rock and roll blues fanatics.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash

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My future bride and I went to the Nassau Coliseum in July, 1980 to see the mighty Van Halen at the height of their superpowers. Before the internet, we would read music magazines and newspapers and find out that lead singer David Lee Roth was on all sorts of fantastic adventures during the band’s breaks. We were led to believe that David Lee Roth did live life like there was no tomorrow and stories of him rock climbing in far off lands or doing some sort of exotic martial arts stuff with samurai swords were numerous and just created an extraordinary legend and myth about the larger than life band. I am not exactly sure how I pulled it off, but we had great seats for this concert, on the side of the stage on Eddie Van Halen’s side just a couple of rows off of the floor. The band was explosive and David Lee Roth was every bit the rock star, to the point where my then girlfriend was standing on top of her chair screaming at Mr. Roth’s every gyration making me to be almost invisible. It was so much fun, and Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony provided rock and roll joy to all in attendance. Eddie VH passed recently after a number of long illnesses but the band’s music and the memories of these mammoth tours live on.

Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love

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Devo is an interesting act to ponder as they exploded on the New Wave scene with a unique style that even manage to turn The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” into their own. Neil Young credits the band on improving the iconic “Hey Hey My My” by coming up with “ Rust Never Sleeps” and Mark Mothersbaugh even went on to create the music for the children’s cartoon “Rugrats”. I do not really recall this particular Central Park concert so I am guessing we may have hung out on the boulders beyond the fencing for this one. Devo is nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year (but still no Jethro Tull or Ian Hunter?). I just read an article about 35 rock stars over 75 years old; when live music returns, catch your favorites while you still can as we are all on the clock.

Whip It

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If you have not figured out by now, I like all types of music, to include the heavy metal thunder of one Judas Priest. I am not sure if this is the right Judas Priest concert for this story but the time frame is in the right ballpark. While I was dating my now wife of 34 years, and we were both attending Queens College, we went to the Judas Priest show at The Palladium together. Granted, heavy metal really was not her thing (although she did like Van Halen as you will see later) but off to Manhattan we went. On the way to the concert, we stopped at a real dive bar where the safest drink to order would undoubtedly be a bottled beer. For some unknown reason, despite my objections, my future bride gets it in her head to order a Sloe Gin Fizz. Now having never have seen or drank one of those concoctions, I am not sure what it was supposed to look like but, as I recall, the cocktail was almost blood red in color. From the looks of it, my guess is this particular bartender had never created such an alcoholic beverage before but my then girlfriend had decided that this was the drink for her. She polished it off like a pro and to the show we went. I have no idea what the ingredients are or were supposed to be, but this drink got her pretty intoxicated, pretty fast and, as she was not a big drinker to begin with, on the verge of being sick. We made it through the evening somehow and I returned to her Elmhurst apartment building where fortunately her parents were not up; I left her in the hands of baby sister and made my way back to Oakland Gardens.
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

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Two days after seeing the great Peter Gabriel, we returned to Central Park to catch Grace Slick and Marty Balin in Jefferson Starship with Orleans opening. I’m thinking we may have stayed outside on the boulders beyond the fencing for this one but I cannot recall. The remnants of Jefferson Airplane became Starship with a more pop sound but they were still a great band as they continued to make relevant albums in the 1970’s s and 1980’s. Grace Slick fell off the radar screen at some point and is an artist somewhere in California. Mr. Balin passed in 2018 but his music and incredible vocals on such songs as “Miracles” live on.

Fast Buck Freddie

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When Peter Gabriel hit the stage at the Dr. Pepper Concert Series in Central Park in July, 1980 we were seriously pumped up. Peter Gabriel had left Genesis but, for me, his self titled solo albums took him to a whole new level. The packed house in Central Park began to roar as Gabriel made his way through the audience from back to front. Peter Gabriel wore a black jumpsuit and sported a shaved head which was rubbed by some in the crowd as he bounded down the aisle toward the stage. I was standing on the folding chair during one number singing along to I think “I Don’t Remember” just having a good time and someone behind me gave me a shove because I guess I was blocking his view. John the Cook quickly pounced on him alleviating any potential conflict brewing. Now midtown Manhattan used to be a bustling crowded place pre-pandemic and one of our friends, who will remain nameless, decided to do two hits of blotter acid for the occasion, when one probably would have done the trick, and we spent the walk back to the train after the concert navigating the crowded streets with him staring at the sky and periodically pulling on his shirt to keep him from walking into traffic. Yet another concert adventure; no one was hurt, everyone survived and no animals were harmed in the production.

Games Without Frontiers

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I love Genesis and I wish I could say I recall anything from this particular concert but I would be lying. A little more memorable was the Genesis show at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens and the Peter Gabriel concert at the Dr. Pepper Concert series in Central Park which is next up on our travelogue.

Eleventh Earl of Mar

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