The Dr. Pepper Concerts at Central Park were a magical time; Woodstock for the 1970’s NYC rock and roll generation.

The Dr. Pepper sponsored concerts at Central Park’s Wollman Rink were primarily rock and roll shows at the outdoor venue where for the bargain basement price of $4.50 you could see some of the legendary acts of our time from the orchestra section or for $2.50 you could sit in the balcony or, if the show was sold out or you just did not want to spend the money that night, you could hang out on the rocks opposite the stage beyond the fence and listen to great live music for free with your friends in midtown Manhattan surrounded by the New York City skyline.

There has never been a concert series quite like it and it provided some of the great rock and roll of our lives.

The Heart show was one that we spent on the rocks taking in the atmosphere and just having a phenomenal time.
The Wilson sisters broke big with “Magic Man” and rocked out with some of best acts of that time.
While you could not actually see the stage from that vantage point it did not really matter ; the soon to be legendary venue was spread out in front of you and the sound was loud and clear for all to hear. Heart concluded their show with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll”; a fitting finish to the first of many nights to be spent at Central Park.

I had the opportunity to attend a Sirius satellite radio event featuring Heart some time before their recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction; the ladies looked healthy, fit and sounded great. Shortly thereafter, I then had the good fortune to catch their show
at The Paramount in Huntington. Some thirty five years after hearing Heart play live in Central Park they were still bringing the hard rock kick ass sound that set them apart from the girl fronted rock bands to follow.

Ann Wilson still has the pipes while Nancy provides the guitar and harmonies that make the band unique in rock and roll history.

Been a Long Time

Rock On

GQ