Colin Hay is a funny guy.
Colin Hay is a melancholy guy.
Colin Hay is not thrilled with the state of his career.

Colin Hay’s concert at the City Winery last night was a decidedly mixed bag but thoroughly entertaining.

Mr. Hay opened the show solo acoustic and much self deprecating between song chatter. Colin Hay is a really funny guy and the first part of the show was equal part music and stand up comedy.

After a dramatic lights out after a solo turn, Hay’s band slipped on to the stage to play the bulk of the evening’s music. The band consisted of an excellent acoustic guitar player with classical leanings, a stand up bass player, drummer and a completely distracting back up female singer.

With Hay switching off between two acoustic guitars throughout, the band played his mixed bag of solo work before easing into the crowd pleasing Men at Work favorites.

Colin Hay’s solo selections for the most part revolved around lost love, mortality, and his late father who was referred to a number of times during the show. Hay’s solo work reminded me at times of Sting’s “The Soul Cages” album which was inspired by the passing of Sting’s father.

The bearded Colin Hay was in good voice snd the band’s musicians complimented him perfectly but the female back up singer, who resembled the Jersey Shore’s Snooki, frantically acted out every song on stage and even played the “air flute” on the Men at Work classic “Down Under”.
At times unintentionally hysterical and at other times annoying, she seemed to be having a terrific time providing theatrics to the evening’s otherwise enjoyable musical performance.

Colin Hay finished the show as he started it, alone on stage with acoustic guitar, before bringing out the band one last time to add background vocals to the final encore.

Colin Hay definitely gave the crowd its money’s worth with the 2 1/4 hour concert; his show is well with seeking out as it is definitely an enjoyable night out.

Are You Lookin’ at Me?

Rock on

GQ

Colin Hay, best known as the lead singer of Men at Work, is playing at City Winery New York tonight.

Who Can It Be Now?

Rock on

GQ

I took some heat from an acquaintance about my referring to myself as having no “gaydar” in my first Queen blog. It certainly was not meant as a slight to anyone but was merely a dig at myself. The reality is I did not realize that Freddy Mercury was gay until he announced that he was dying of AIDS as it never mattered to me one way or another before then.
When Mercury announced to the world that he was sick it shocked most everyone at the time and the sight of the somewhat emaciated star, who was now a shell of his former self, was sad.

When I was about 24 years old I was working for Chase Manhattan Bank in the retail division and I went to visit my father’s cousin Martin, who at the same time, was working for Chase’s corporate headquarters as a middle manager.
I did not like retail banking so I contacted my father’s cousin for advice on how to navigate the company.
On his invitation, I went to Cousin Martin’s apartment in Brooklyn which was a renovated brownstone; it was a magnificent residence and with him was a woman older than I who may have been some distant relation of mine also. Nothing really came of the meeting career-wise but less than a couple of years later my father told me that Martin was sick and we were going to visit him at the hospital.

Even though my father grew up on Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan he rarely left the confines of Flushing, Queens however we traveled to a hospital on the east side of Manhattan to see his sick cousin.

Somehow my father had been told before we left home to see him that Martin had contracted the AIDS virus but the gravity of the situation did not become apparent to us until we saw him.

When we arrived at his room, Martin was laying in a hospital bed and there was a young friend at his bedside next to him apparently holding vigil.

Martin appeared to be very weak and I remember that he had some visible sores. My father is a man of few words and I do not think he and Martin had seen each other in years, but Martin was family and there were not a lot of us to support him as we are a small clan.

The AIDS epidemic was in full swing and many may have avoided interacting with its victims and perhaps placing themselves in a seemingly precarious situation with so much still not known at the time.
Many others may have abandoned their loved ones for fear and ignorance.

It felt like a wake and that we were paying our last respects. My father and I stayed only a short time but what I remember most from this visit was that my Dad was non-judgmental and he was not afraid to bring me with him.

Martin did not last long after our visit but I have always been glad that my father took me on that trip to visit a distant relative who was dying from a terrible disease and to offer a few simple words of support and familial kindness.

Freddy Mercury was the ultimate showman; he was flamboyant at a time when David Bowie, Elton John, and Mick Jagger ruled the rock universe. Androgyny in rock and roll was fully in vogue and many of the top rock stars of the day liked to keep the audience guessing as to their sexual orientation. Whether or not a performer was or is gay or bisexual is ultimately immaterial in the big scheme of things as success and longevity in the music business comes down to the quality of the music and live performance that the artist brings to the table.

Queen’s catalog is extraordinary and the band sounds as unique today as when the songs were first released. Queen is not unlike The Beatles in that the band surpassed the production values of other artists of the time and recorded entire albums of all time classic rock and roll music.

The Show Must Go On

GQ

The Doobie Brothers are another band that I have a renewed appreciation for in the past couple of years.

I have had the good fortune to see the Doobie Brothers, without Michael McDonald, a number of times recently and I saw Michael McDonald perform a “holiday and hits” show at the former Westbury Music Fair this past December.

One tends to forget just how many great songs the Doobie Brothers have in their catalog and how many hit songs are credited to the band; their show is high energy, a lot of fun and is sure to put a smile on your face.

Michael McDonald still has one of the great distinctive voices in rock and roll. I had wanted to see him with Donald Fagan and Boz Scaggs with the Dukes of September somewhat recently but missed them somehow.

I did however have close encounter with Mr. McDonald a couple of years back. I drive livery on the side and I was dispatched to a hotel n Manhattan to pick up a Michael McDonald and take him and his party to LaGuardia Airport. I am sure there are more than a couple of Michael McDonalds in the phone book but when I pulled up to the front of the hotel THE Michael McDonald stepped out with a second guy and away we went.

Seeing McDonald like this reminded me that my buddy Sandy has a photo of Michael and him taken in the hallway at Madison Square Garden after a Bob Seger show where Bruce Springsteen showed up and played a tune with Seger. Eagle-eye Sandy spotted McDonald blending in with the crowd trying to exit inconspicuously with a young lady who was apparently his daughter. Sandy swooped in and placed a bear hug clutch around Michael and he had his son Ben quickly take the photo; Michael was going nowhere until this photo was taken (or the ransom was paid) and this meeting of the two legends was documented for posterity.

During our drive to the airport I did not bother the two musicians as I maintained my professional demeanor throughout (of course) but I do admit to eavesdropping a bit after Boz Scaggs was mentioned in passing. Mr. McDonald seemed like a nice guy (and yes he does tip).

Takin’ It to the Streets

Rock on

GQ

In the past year I have begun to think that collectively we have taken the band Heart and their music for granted. It seems as though that their music has been on the radio forever and their songs have been classic rock radio staples for as long as there has been a “classic rock” radio format.

Somehow it has been mostly forgotten what a groundbreaking act Heart was when they arrived. The song “Magic Man” was a massive hit; it was polished, and unique, and it rocked. A steady stream of hits followed and Heart was a true rock and roll band led on stage by Ann and Nancy Wilson who brought it every night.

Heart’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seemed to give the band a second wind and they hit the road hard with the public relations boost that comes with the HOF induction. The music is still great, Ann is in great voice, and the band still rocks.

Crazy on You

Rock on

GQ

The late 1970’s was a time when the successful rock and roll bands were nurtured, pampered, and often times spoiled by the record companies who were making the bulk of the money on the bands’ popularity. It was a time when the Led Zeppelins and Rolling Stones of the world were flown in private jets and Van Halen wanted the brown M &Ms removed as per contractual agreement with the promoter.

It was also a time of the full length concept album. Some, like Yes’ double album with four total songs “Tales from Topographic Oceans”, Kiss’ 1981 release “The Elder” and, more recently, Judas Priest “Nostradamus” miss the mark while others like Jethro Tull’s “Thick as a Brick” become all time classic recordings.

The rock star as “artist” is a fine line to walk and when the artist’s vision does not capture the imagination of its audience the risk is becoming a parody of itself- an unintentional Spinal Tap moment.

Ian Anderson, however, intentionally created a parody of the concept album as art form and in the process Jethro Tull produced one of their greatest masterworks.

The original album cover art that folded out and read like an actual newspaper is still one of the greatest album packages ever produced for a rock and roll act.

Unbelievably Ian Anderson is still on the road and has played with various revamped Jethro Tull line ups throughout the years. His voice is not as resilient as it once was and the roar is now an amplified measured whisper at times. On the recent Thick as a Brick 2 tour, where they played both 1 and 2 in their entirety, the band interspersed a young actor singing many of the Ian Anderson vocal parts during the ambitious recreation of the Thick as a Brick musical saga.

The band has played highlights of the original “Thick as a Brick” album at Jethro Tull concerts I have attended in the past but it was only at the recent Westbury, Long Island show that I finally saw one of my favorite albums performed in its entirety; it was a fascinating performance by a great all-time artist that was well worth the wait.

Too Old to Rock ‘N’ Roll
Too Young to Die

GQ

After Neil Young and Crazy Horse left town with the critically acclaimed Rust Never Sleeps tour, Bob Dylan took over Madison Square Garden for two nights with a fully expanded band as was captured on his “Live at Budokan” live album.

The great Bob Dylan is unquestionably a genius however he often times challenges his fans with sometimes unrecognizable versions of his songs performed in concert. The 1978 shows were not received well by fans or critics particularly following the Neil Young and Crazy Horse legendary performances that had just taken place that same week.

I recall reading an interview with Neil Young wherein he expressed disappointment that his then recent shows were received so well while Bob Dylan’s were not. Neil apparently felt that a lot of musicians were indebted to Dylan and that he did not deserve the poor reviews.

Seeing Bob Dylan live us is always a crapshoot but well worth the effort because to catch him when he is at the height of is powers is a thrilling and memorable experience.

Shadows in the Night

Rock on

GQ

Neil Young and Crazy Horse played three shows in the New York area in September, 1978 which happened to coincide with my first month attending Queens College as a freshman.
I was already a fan of Neil Young’s music and I had missed Neil and Crazy Horse the last time they were playing in the area at the Paladium.

For some reason I did not go to the first Maduson Square Garden show and my friends who did go told me I was going to love it. I do not recall where my seats were supposed to be that night but while outside the Garden before the show a scalper had fifth row center seats for $30.

Now today that deal seems like a no brainer but at the time $30 for a college student to buy a concert seat was cause for some consideration and I almost did not do it. With some encouragement from my friends, we bought the orchestra seats and headed in to the world’s greatest arena for what my friends already knew would be an epic show.

We found our seats before the start of the show and we were literally five rows from the stage dead center. The now famous Rust Never Sleeps stage was right in front of us; this was an extraordinary sight to behold as the Rust Never Sleeps album had not even been released yet so unless you went the night before this stage set up was a revelation.

The Rust Never Sleeps movie (in Rust-O- Vision) captures the magical quality of the performances that we were fortunate enough to see live in front of us. This concert was a game changer for the concert industry and for me. Neil Young’s extraordinary vision was brought to life by Neil Young and Crazy Horse and to this day I believe that this was the best show I have ever attended.

The following night at the Nassau Coliseum was a different experience as my friends and I reverted to our wandering ways since we did not have the prime seat location of the night before. At one point I found myself walking in front of the first row directly
beneath a solo acoustic Neil Young singing “Already One”.

I have not missed a U.S. Neil Young tour since then (and most tours I have gone to multiple shows). Rock, country, blues, Crazy Horse, Blue Notes, CSNY, International Harvesters, Shocking Pinks, with Family and Friends or Booker T and the MGs-
Hey Hey My My
The road goes on forever.

I Am a Child

GQ

Springfield Civic Center 09/02/1978
New Haven Coliseum 09/03/1968
Madison Square Garden
09/06/1978
09/07/1978
09/08/1978
09/09/1977

The world’s greatest progressive rock band Yes came up with a brilliant concept for its 1978 tour. The band would perform on a revolving round stage making every seat in the venue a good seat. The revolving stage with Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White equidistant, and Jon Anderson on top in the center of the stage, made each equally great musician the viewers’ focal point at different points of the show allowing , and sometimes forcing, you to redirect your concentration toward the various musical nuances of the band’s compositions.

Depending on how many times you saw the show, and depending on where you were sitting, each performance was a unique experience with your visual emphasis intermittently placed on a specific different performer throughout the concerts.

Six shows in eight days- my friends Steve, Joe and I were fully immersed in all things Yes and could not get enough of the band. For us, Yes was the greatest band on the planet at the time with unparalleled musicianship and extraordinary live performances that never disappointed.

Yes released a triple live album YESSONGS that was recorded at the height of its artistic powers and actually captured the band’s genius as a great live album will do for a band. The companion movie YESSONGS is one of the great rock and roll concert films ever produced and stands up to the test of time.

I recently saw Yes at the former Westbury Music Fair and my friend The Gull pointed out that the now hefty Chris Squire’s seemingly tiny harmonica started to resemble a Scooby snack in his large mitts.
I found this to be an hysterical observation.

Yes is still on the road today but without Jon Anderson. The original road warriors are looking their age but the music continues to be outstanding.

Don’t Kill the Whale

GQ

Peter Wolf is rock royalty; he is the American Mick Jagger and Wolf referenced his friends the Glimmer Twins a couple of times during a tremendous show at City Winery last night.

The show was billed as an acoustic evening but with electric guitar, stand up bass, and acoustic guitar in tow, Pete Wolf fleshed out country and blues tunes while sprinkling in some extraordinary tales from a long career as a rock and roll legend and his Bronx roots.

Near the end of the show, Mr Wolf pointed out and acknowledged that Little Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band and the Underground Garage was tucked away in the rafters enjoying the show inconspicuously as he has been known to do; Little Steven talks the talk and walks the walk as he truly loves and lives the rock and roll.

This performance by Peter Wolf was an old time stripped down rock and roll show and a rollicking time was had by all.

Give It To Me

Rock on

GQ