The Boomtown Rats finished up the U.S. leg of their 1979 world tour headlining the Paladium in New York City.

For me it was a bit of an unusual event at the time since the Boomtown Rats, while somewhat known, did not really seem to have the popularity to headline a venue like the Paladium where more established rock acts tended to play.

I also seem to recall that ticket prices for this show were really inexpensive (cheap) for the time and it was a night out so we went to check out some new music.

The Boomtown Rats had one popular radio hit with “I Don’t Like Mondays” about a school shooting of all things which did not really showcase the band’s punkish bent. The Bob Geldof led band put on a high energy show for the mostly curious crowd who was not sure what to expect, and the Irish band never did break big in the states.

Bob Geldof would later be primarily known for his humanitarian work and for putting together the Live Aid benefit concert.

The Boomtown Rats are planning a 2015 reunion tour starting in May which will include some festivals and eventually land at Terminal 5  New York City in September.

The Fine Art of Surfacing

Rock on

GQ

Billy Joel continues his sold out residency at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night Monday, 03/09/2015.

I’ve seen Billy Joel perform many times through the years and a couple of times on this historic run which so far will continue to December, 2015 with shows scheduled once a month.

I was very fortunate to catch Billy Joel at The Paramount in Huntington which he had rented out to rehearse for a recent tour. Joel liked the place so much that when he was done with the reheasals he did a spur of the moment one off benefit concert with reasonably priced tickets placed on sale the day before the show. It was a great night as it is not often an artist like Billy Joel will play a full set at a 1500 capacity club and to be there was certainly a thrill. Paul Rudd could be seen in a box above the stage rocking out along with the ecstatic crowd who all seemed to be happy to be at this special event.

Rumor has it that Long Island’s Joel will close out the Nassau Coliseum sometime this spring. When the New York Islanders finish their current hockey season they will relocate to the Barclay Center in Brooklyn next year. The Nassau Coliseum will be without a tenant and will shut its doors for a major renovation of the property. It is fitting that one of Long Island’s favorite sons will supposedly play the last shows at the Coliseum like he did for Shea Stadium not that long ago.

Only the Good Die Young

Rock on

GQ