Live Past Now

Stubbed


     It's tough to get a ticket these days. Literally. For years I have gathered the paper stubs of my experiences and, at least since my CD collection became solid, started preserving them in the sealed backs of the jewel cases.

     Secured a ticket for the King Gizzard show at Red Rocks this coming 2020 year --grabbed a seat before they sold it out and added a second show. I paid $15 more just for a 'souvenir' ticket that will be mailed. Like most shows or games these days, you get your barcode for the phone and scan past the ticket person and hope that your battery is charged or you didn't forget your password. Suffice to say it just flusters oldies like me who remember the 1000s of Bic flames in the arena as well as the beer-soaked ticket that got you in. Sentimental I guess (isn't every musician a romantic)? O'well.

Perhaps it was the following story from the first show this 2019 year that started this big concert list.
Perhaps it was posting all the shows I saw in 2017 and just seeing a list.
Feathers in the live hat (that cat in the 3rd row with the velvet pants).

     I had fallen in love with Kacey Musgraves on the late night shows she performed in 2018. I hesitated and hesitated on some great Paramount seats to see her in February, always deferring because of the expense and already spending my live music budget. Then she blows me away on the Grammy stage, winning 4 that night (I knew it)! Before that show was over I got a seat for that Paramount Theatre, paying 3x what I should have but happy that I was going, not kicking myself too much for not following the initial impulse --better late than never!

Blizzard.

     For we Denverites, it goes without saying that true Coloradans get there. After all, 'it's just a little snow .. pphhht'! Sometimes it's a doozie. Most times the best shows ever recorded are the snowbound ones that whittle the best crowds out of the storm. So the new Tundra has Goodyear DuraTracs on it for this very reason. There is a whole other post about my new truck and the reason it now has better wheels equipped with these specific tires. They actually get softer when it gets colder! This blizzard hits here metro about 6pm rush hour on Friday, February 22. It was ice packing and blinding when I set out. Not a problem, got to the Paramount-paid parking garage on Tremont, time enough to get comfortably inside and see a most spectacular show. My secured Flash seat was scanned and a pretty little thermal ticket was handed to me by the kind lady. I sat next to a beautiful girl that I couldn't thank enough for her friend selling her seat! Glad to be here!


     10:30 late now the snow is quietly blanketing the region with a foot of powder. Safe in my truck elated post-show I get to the garage gate and the girl tells me she needs the ticket for the free park. New policy to me, I guffaw debate and (rather than just PAY her whatever the garage cost was), relinquish my ticket so I can just leave and get through the snowstorm and home. Not a problem, got home safely with my new Golden Hour CD and played it all night to delight ...sugarplum faeries. Only a week after this CD (this artist and album) wins four Grammys I see the band in person at a special, local snowbound show. A momentous event and I have no ticket stub in the back (hear a balloon drain)! I cannot listen and sweetly look at that little slip of paper in that back that says:

I WAS THERE!


∞


Roberta Flack
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

Wednesday, August 8, 1973

Earth, Wind, & Fire

Mcnichols Arena, Denver, CO

Wednesday, November 14, 1979

Chuck Mangione

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

Sunday, July 5, 1981

Buddy Rich

Hotel Boulderado, Boulder, CO

Sunday, April 25, 1982

Buddy Rich & His Band

Basin's Up, Denver, CO

Wednesday, November 13, 1985

Ozzy Osbourne
Mcnichols Arena, Denver, CO
Thursday, May 15, 1986

Richie Havens and Corky Siegel

Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, CO

Saturday, July 19, 1986

Stevie Ray Vaughan
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Thursday, July 24, 1986

Spyro Gyra

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

Friday, August 15, 1986

Billy Joel

Mcnichols Arena, Denver, CO

Saturday, November 15, 1986

Yngwie Malmsteen

City Auditorium, Colorado Springs, CO

Tuesday, December 9, 1986

AC/DC
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
Thursday, August 25, 1988

The Rolling Stones
Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
Saturday, September 16, 1989

Joe Satriani
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Saturday, March 10, 1990

Eric Clapton

McNichols Arena, Denver, CO

Friday, April 27, 1990

Ray Brown
Jazz Works, Denver, CO
Wednesday, May 30, 1990

Miles Davis
Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Centennial, CO
Sunday, June 17, 1990

Winter Park Jazz Festival

Winter Park Ski Area, CO

Saturday/Sunday, July 21-22, 1990

Dave Brubeck
The Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO
Wednesday, August 1, 1990

Horace Silver

Jazz Works, Denver, CO

Saturday, September 1, 1990

Branford Marsalis

UCCC Monfort Concert Hall, Greeley, CO

Saturday, December 8, 1990

Oingo Boingo
CU Field House, Boulder, CO
Wednesday, October 23, 1991

Branford Marsalis

The Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

Wednesday, March 4, 1992

Adrian Belew
Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO
Saturday, May 23, 1992

The Allman Brothers Band /Blues Traveler
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Saturday, July 4, 1992

Jazz on the Green

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Centennial, CO

Saturday, August 29, 1992

Pat Metheny
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Tuesday, September 29, 1992

John Wesley Harding

Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO

Saturday, October 17, 1992

Louden Wainwright III

The Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

Saturday, December 12, 1992

Suzanne Vega
The Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO
Friday, February 26, 1993

Paul McCartney
Folsom Field, Boulder, CO
Wednesday, May 26, 1993

YES

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

Wednesday, July 6, 1994

Wynton Marsalis
UCCC Monfort Concert Hall, Greeley, CO
Thursday, October 20, 1994

Slim Cessna's Auto Club

Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO

Friday, June 26, 1998

Willie Nelson & Family
The Orleans Showroom, Las Vegas, NV
Thursday, November 26, 1998

The Who
Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Greenwood Village, CO
Thursday, September 19, 2002

Foo Fighters
The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
Wednesday, June 4, 2003

Paul McCartney
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Sunday, November 20, 2005

Thomas Dolby
Fenix Underground, Seattle, WA
Saturday, April 22, 2006

Buddy Miles

Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Slim Cessna's Auto Club

Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Slim Cessna's Auto Club

Gothic Theater, Denver, CO

Monday, March 17, 2008

B.B. King

Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, Denver, CO

Friday, April 11, 2008

Foo Fighters
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

B.B. King
The Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO
Saturday, October 25, 2008

Bob Dylan and His Band
University of Denver - Magness Arena, Denver, CO
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Robert Plant presents The Sensational Space Shifters
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Thomas Dolby
Blue Bird Theater, Denver, CO
Thursday, November 14, 2013

ZZ Top and Jeff Beck
Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Centennial, CO
Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Cyrille Aimée

Dazzle, Denver, CO

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock

Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, CO

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Booker T. Jones
Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO
Friday, June 12, 2015

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Marcus Miller
Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO
Friday, August 5, 2016


2017 -full year post


Neil Bridge Quintessence
Dazzle, Denver, CO
Thursday, January 18, 2018

Jeff Jenkins Organization
Nocturne, Denver, CO
Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters
Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, Denver, CO
Saturday, February 24, 2018

Eagles /Jimmy Buffett
Coors Field, Denver, CO
Thursday, June 20, 2018

John Faddis
Dazzle, Denver, CO
Saturday, August 4, 2018

Ry Cooder
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Jeff Hamilton
Nocturne, Denver, CO
Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Santana
House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Kacey Musgraves
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Friday, February 22, 2019

Nick Mason
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Thursday, March 25, 2019

Cyrille Aimée
Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO
Thursday, June 6, 2019

Shinyribs
Globe Hall, Denver, CO
Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Rolling Stones
Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, CO
SUN MAY 26 >-> Saturday, August 10, 2019

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Mission Ballroom, Denver, CO
Wednesday, August 20, 2019

King Crimson
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Sunday, September 8, 2019

Experience Hendrix
Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Bob Dylan and His Band
Mission Ballroom, Denver, CO
Thursday, October 17, 2019

Jeff Hamilton Trio
Nocturne, Denver, CO
Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Santana
House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
Friday, November 8, 2019

Christian Sands Trio

Dazzle, Denver, CO

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Shinyribs

Globe Hall, Denver, CO

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band

Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO

Friday, May 6, 2022

Christian McBride and Inside Straight

Dazzle, Denver, CO

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Adrian Belew & Jerry Harrison

The Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

Friday, February 17, 2023

Stick Men

Buffalo Rose, Golden, CO

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Cyrille Aimée

June Swaner Gates Concert Hall, Univ. of Denver, CO

Friday, May 19, 2023

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Wednesday, June 7, 2023

James Hunter

Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO
Saturday, July 16, 2023

Eric Clapton with special guest Jimmie Vaughan

Ball Arena, Denver, CO

Saturday, September 16, 2023

"Take this brother, may it serve you well."

MOG Post: 7/26/2007
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Album: Rock & Roll Circus
Track: "Yer Blues - (with The Dirty Mac)"

Hello Mog! I bring you swinging London from the late 60s: John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell - The Dirty Mac. This amazing little combo got together for The Rolling Stones' Rock And Roll Circus on December 11-12, 1968. "Yer Blues" was recorded just five months earlier for the white album The Beatles on August 13, 1968 (14 Fab takes that day). The Beatles were filming the dreary scenes of Let It Be during December, so when The Stones concocted the haphazard circus in nearby Intertel TV Studios in Wembley, it seemed natural that Mick & Keith invite John & Yoko over for the party. There are reviews aplenty to read on this made-for-tv event that was never televised. I recommend you read both David Dalton reviews: the first RS review in March 1970 and the re-write for the CD re-issue in 1995. The Rolling Stone reporter experienced the true (loony) timeline for those 2 intense days.
This is the first performance out of the Fab for Lennon, with a nascent band that we would see a year later at Live Peace in Toronto. Heroin awash with a bag(ism) ready, this is a deeply visceral John inside his thinning jean jacket and iconic Epiphone. Right here is the pinnacle of this man's royalty in the rock scene. Right here is a caged and angry person going through some huge internal releases and emotional changes ... baring it all to us. Negative things and pain are perfect grist for blues musicians. What better scene than this could Lennon have found to cry out that he hates his rock'n'roll ..... ?
Dirty Mac itself is a very interesting quick-choice for a group name, perhaps highlighting an understated bitterness with Paul McCartney. This track also has a lot of undertones with Eric Clapton's presence. He's going through rough times too after the Cream breakup. His position next to John (EG: George Harrison) makes for a lot more blues here. John had later invited Eric to actually finish a Beatle album when they were having a row with George for a time. Given as well the close relationship that Clapton had with Harrison - this performance is truly at an amazing point in time. Everybody's guitar monkey weeps here with nothing to hide.
It's nice to see Mitch Mitchell stepping out and providing that great jazzy style of his - he's a great compliment and his tight snare fills are awesome (he's not buried behind Jimi's wall of Marshall amps for a change). Keith Richards rounds out the group nicely with his ice-pick rhythm, plunking the bass lines on the hi-end. Yoko is at John's feet in a bag, ready to spring her avante-garde wail on the next tune with violinist Ivry Gitlis, "Whole Lotta Yoko". (A little connection to the brand new supergroup Led Zeppelin perhaps)? It's all too much!
I've hearkened a lot to John's 1970 Plastic Ono Band album. I think that's my favorite album because of the rawness of the emotions and the baring of such soul. All of the tumult of the times since Sgt. Pepper had climaxed and he closed it all like a book. All that hair we can see him growing from 1967 through his Rishikesh visits through Abbey Road and Jamrag - fresh cut and revealing so much. Cold Turkey - under a big grand tree with his soul-mate Yoko. Reality.
Forty sweet years for the life of Lennon. In such an expressive cauldron of pain and bitterness - some amazingly beautiful things happened. Remember, this is the same man who wrote "All You Need is Love".


Alternate take / multi-view