While I have no particular recollection of this Rod Stewart concert at the Nassau Coliseum in November of 1991, it does make me wonder how my wife and I managed to sneak a night out on my daughter’s second birthday (and purely coincidentally, Neil Young’s birthday as well).
Rod Stewart’s Covid delayed summer tour will hopefully take place this summer; I have been holding on to my two orchestra seats for the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre now for about two years now.

Rhythm of My Heart

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GQ

If I am remembering this Sting concert at Jones Beach Theatre correctly, I had orchestra seats to left of stage and for some reason I took a work buddy’s son with me to the show. I am not sure how history will ultimately judge The Police or solo Sting but “ The Soul Cages” album still works for me. Now that Elvis Costello is busy trying to “cancel” his own “Oliver’s Army”, I wonder if that seemingly earnest punk anger back in the day was nothing more than a Dice-like persona marketing an image to sell rock and roll records; I hope not, since I have always been an Elvis Costello fan going back to when we hung out at Beefsteak Charlie’s cook John’s apartment above a store in Douglaston, where he would blast the latest New Wave music to all hours of the night (and morning) since he had no neighbors to speak of. Perhaps the next Johnny Rotten is practicing in a garage somewhere and will be inspired by Costello’s apparent hypocrisy.

I have been scouring the internet looking for live music to attend and the concert landscape is bleak. Where we are headed, I do not know, but it is starting to feel like rock and roll is gasping for air. Let’s hope the spring and summer and warmer weather revives the concert industry as the clock is ticking on the usual road warriors, while many stars scramble to sell off their catalogs for the nest eggs that will provide a well deserved retirement for our 1960,s, 70,s and 80’s rock stars.

Englishman in New York

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GQ

This July, 1991 concert was one of so many Yes performances that I have attended through the years, with unfortunately no particular recollection for this one at the beach. I last saw Jon Anderson perform in San Diego a few years ago when my wife and I went out there for a wedding, happily and completely coincidentally, Jon was performing nearby at an outdoor venue by the water on a day we were already planning on being there. Jon Anderson is still an amazing talent and I certainly hope to see him again once this nasty Covid business is permanently under control and hopefully live music, and life, returns to some kind of normalcy.

in the meantime, there is YouTube……..

1000 Hands

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GQ

Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles opened for the Eagles’ Don Henley at the Jones Beach Theatre on a Friday evening in July of 1991. Hoffs has a great voice, and the come hither glances, that made her a nice opening act for the cantankerous Henley, who had some really great solo tunes to promote and tour behind. I have never been a big fan of the man, as Henley’s greed is the stuff of legend; he will return to Long Island, with what is left of the Eagles, to perform another round of tour “Hotel California” at the Islanders new home UBS Arena this spring- Covid be damned; cha-ching!

if I recall correctly, the lowlight for the 1991 Jones Beach concert was Henley singing the Kermit the Frog ballad “It Ain’t Easy Being Green”.

Some years later I caught Don Henley do a one-off solo gig at the Paramount in Huntington reportedly on his way back to Nashville to complete a solo project. There is no denying the great catalog of songs that Don Henley has contributed to through the years, going back to playing behind Linda Ronstadt, but as the ticket prices for this latest Eagles go round will confirm, in my opinion, Don has, and will, take the last dime out of his fans’ pockets, then come around again for some more.

Peaceful Easy Feeling (on Sesame Street)

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GQ

Two all time greats joined forces at the Jones Beach Theatre on Friday, July 12, 1991; Joe Cocker opened for Steve Winwood for a great double bill on a summer evening on the south shore of Long Island. As I live a short ten minute drive to the Jones Beach Theatre, it has been extraordinarily convenient to catch any given show at the beach through the years. Winwood and Cocker together on a Friday was an absolute no brainer.

Back in the High Life Again

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GQ

Another Chicago tour, another Chicago concert, this time with openers The Triplets. Were they actually triplets? They may have been but memory is failing me on this one, but maybe.

Love Songs

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GQ

Sonic Youth opened for Neil Young & Crazy Horse on this 1991 tour that I was fortunate to have attended on three nights. I am pumped as this morning I have ordered my “ Don’t Spook the Horse” T-shirt from the Greedy Hand store (a “Mirrorball” T-shirt was also purchased for good measure, and free shipping). The Neil Young bumper stickers intrigued me but not at $9.99 each, or $34.99 for four (love Neil but Greedy Hand indeed).

The Restless Consumer

Arc Weld

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GQ

This ZZ Top/ Black Crowes concert at the Nassau Coliseum on a Saturday night in January of 1991 is memorable for a number of reasons. The Black Crowes were coming off their hugely successful debut album and it was the first time I would see them perform. I have most recently seen the band at Jones Beach last summer ,and before that Chris and Rich Robinson performed an acoustic set at the Newport Folk Festival as Brothers of a Feather. The absolute greatest Black Crowes experience for me was catching them at the Jones Beach Theatre with Jimmy Page; this ranks up there as one of the best rock and roll shows I have ever seen. Mr. Nut and I were standing on our seats screaming, yelling and having a grand old time; that’s rock and roll!

ZZ Top’s headlining set that night was pretty cool; the stage was set up like an oversized junkyard, and at some point during an extended instrumental portion of a song, a giant claw came down over each of the individual members, picked them up one at a time, and dropped them into a giant compactor on stage (if you were paying attention you could see that a life size ZZ Top doll fell from the claw into the compacter and it was hysterical). The members were in the crusher but the music continued until the band returned in compacted cars that they drove around on the stage with only their heads sticking out (this is my memory so if I got some of this wrong, forgive me, but it was a blast). I have seen ZZ Top a number of times since then, and some blues purists may blush, but this was my favorite time seeing the band and such a fun night out.

Just Got Paid

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GQ

The first time I saw the Blues Traveler band, with John Popper on harp, was when they opened for the Allman Brothers Band at the Jones Beach Theatre in August of 1990. My wife and I had orchestra seats up front to the right of the stage and at the time I knew nothing of Blues Traveler. John Popper on that harmonica, that he played as if in place of a lead guitar, blew me away. The then heavy set John Popper had the coolest multiple harmonica accoutrement hanging around his neck (or was it a vest?) where he would pull out the appropriate harp for the occasion. Honestly, if you would have asked me back then who would have been the bigger act going forward, Blues Traveler or the Dave Matthews Band (who played together at a H.O.R.D.E. festival), I would have said that Blues Traveler was going to blow up big. Obviously DMB graduated to headline stadiums and Blues Traveler seemingly disappeared from the scene and became a footnote to 90’s jam band lore.
The legendary Allman Brothers Band were an amazing live act, one of my all-time favorites, and I never hesitated to try and make one of their shows anytime they came around. We went to see The Brothers 50th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden right before the world shut down for the pandemic. Somewhat amazingly, we are vaccinated but in some sort of limbo waiting for the latest surge to subside.

Wasted Words

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GQ

I never miss a chance to catch the legendary Eric Clapton when he is in town. I have no particular recollection of this August, 1990 Slowhand concert; Mr. Clapton is now semi-retired and reportedly an anti-vaxxer, along with Van Morrison. Clapton’s documentary on Showtime is depressing but worth a watch.

Hello Old Friend

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GQ