By Raymond Benson
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m heavily into music. I’m a
musician as well as a fan. I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my lifetime—not as
many as I would have liked—and I missed some of the classic bands of the 60s
and 70s simply because I was living in an area of the country where the big
bands didn’t play. The supergroups only toured to the big cities. I grew up in
a small town in West Texas and went to college in Austin, Texas. Austin got a
lot of great acts, but in those days the supergroups went only to Dallas or
Houston or maybe San Antonio. Still, I managed to see many of my favorite bands
in the 70s. I didn’t hit many concerts in the 80s, I was too busy and my
lifestyle didn’t allow for the late nights. However, in the 90s I started going
again, especially after my family moved to the Chicago area—where everyone toured. I’ve seen dozens and
dozens of bands, and here are my twenty favorite shows—in chronological
order—as I remember them.
1.
CHICAGO (1971; Odessa, Texas). Everyone
remembers his or her first concert, and this was mine. It was very early ’71, I
was a sophomore in high school, fifteen-years-old. The album Chicago III had just come out, and I was
heavily into the band at the time. Those first three Chicago albums will always
be their best, when they were practically an experimental rock band with horns,
before they sold out and went commercial/Top-40 radio. I went with a guy I
hardly knew, but he was sixteen and had a driver’s license. It was an amazing
experience. The band was in top form and they played everything I wanted to
hear and more. I saw them twice more in the next four years, but this was the
best.
2.
TRAPEZE (1972; Odessa, Texas). Trapeze was a
British power trio led by bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, who later went on to
be lead vocalist of Deep Purple. The band was produced by John Lodge of the
Moody Blues and they recorded on the Moodys’ label, Threshold. For some reason,
Trapeze was big in Texas and especially in our neck of the west. I probably
wore out my copy of their 1971 rocker, Medusa.
Lo and behold, they came to Odessa (the opening act was either Sugarloaf or
Foghat, I can’t remember!). At any rate, Glenn Hughes owned that stage. He was an incredible performer, powerful
vocalist, and darned good bass player. For hard rock power trios, Trapeze was
one of the best.
3.
SANTANA (1973; Odessa, Texas). I was a huge
Santana fan in high school and college, especially when Carlos moved into jazz
fusion after becoming a disciple of Sri Chinmoy. Carlos Santana was influenced
by John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra; they collaborated on an album in
’73, and Santana’s band was playing cosmic jazz fusion that was very different
from “Oye Como Va.” I loved it. The 1972 album Caravanserai was out, and it was before the album Welcome. This was the tour that was
captured on the Japanese triple-live-album, Lotus—Live
in Japan, which could still stand as my favorite Santana record. I was in
the know when Santana played in early 1973 in Odessa—supposedly the result of a
truck breakdown in the area—so they decided to do a show. It was
spur-of-the-moment and was advertised beginning the day before the concert.
Thus, there wasn’t a huge crowd at the Ector County Coliseum that night, and
most of them were expecting “Oye Como Va.” The audience got something very
different. Most people didn’t like it. Carlos, wearing a white suit and his
hair cut short, was unrecognizable. But I knew. I was totally into what the band played that night. Truly spacey and out
there, it still stands as one of the best shows ever—even if I was one of the
few who appreciated it.
4.
JETHRO TULL (1975; San Antonio, Texas). I was a
Tull fan all through high school and still am today. The first chance I got to
see them, though, was when I was in college at the University of Texas at
Austin. The closest the band came to the city was San Antonio, so I went to see
them there when I was a sophomore. It was the War Child tour, January 1975. What an amazing, energized show. Ian
Anderson was in his prime then, and he danced and jumped around like a madman. They
even did a good portion of Thick as a
Brick. I’m so glad I got to see
them at least once in the 70s, for I wouldn’t see Tull again until thirteen
years later. I’ve seen Tull many times since the mid-90s and have become
friends with Ian. I even wrote a little biography about the band that was
published in 2002. But nothing I’ve seen since will equal that show in ’75.
5.
SHAKTI (1976; New York, New York). I was lucky
enough to be in New York for a couple of months that spring (I took a semester
off from college to do an off-off-Broadway musical), and happened to notice
that John McLaughlin was playing at the Bottom Line with a group called
“Shakti.” I was a big Mahavishnu Orchestra fan, so I decided to check it out.
Shakti, as it turned out, was McLaughlin’s new group, made up entirely of
Indian musicians, including L. Shankar (Ravi’s son) on violin. This was their premiere performance! A lot of
luminaries were in the audience; in fact, Carlos Santana was sitting at the
table next to mine. Well, I’d never heard anything like Shakti. It was all-acoustic
Indian jazz fusion, but it was as “electric” as anything McLaughlin had done
with Mahavishnu. It was one of those shows from which you leave with your jaw
dropped. I saw Shakti again a couple of weeks later, opening for Weather
Report, but that first night was more intimate and exciting.
6.
GENTLE GIANT (1976; Austin, Texas). Wow. One of
my favorite progressive rock bands of all time, and did they put on an
incredible show at the Armadillo World Headquarters. They received a tremendous
response from the crowd, too, and apparently the band members still remember
this particular night as being one of their best gigs. It’s very possible that
this is my most favorite concert of all time. These guys were sickeningly
talented; they could play each other’s instruments (and in fact, rotated around
the stage to do so!). The term “math rock” wasn’t invented then, but it’s
something that could be applied to the Giant’s music. Very intricate, complex,
and accessible at the same time. I saw them again a year later—still great, but
it couldn’t match the novelty of that first outing.
7.
TALKING HEADS (1978; Houston, Texas). They were
on tour for their second album, More
Songs About Buildings and Food, and they weren’t very well known yet. I
knew of them, though, and owned their first two records. It was a small club,
don’t remember the name, but I was six feet from the stage, looking up at David
Byrne and company as they rocked the house. Very possibly the most energetic
show I’ve ever seen. I was bouncing up and down like a madman. I really wanted
to see the band in the 80s but had to suffice with the film Stop Making Sense to experience that
era. Still, the raw, stripped-down sound of the early Heads was something to
behold.
8.
BRUFORD (1980; New York, New York). Again at the
Bottom Line, drummer Bill Bruford brought his progressive jazz-rock band to the
States, and I was particularly interested because the keyboard player was Dave
Stewart, of whom I was a huge fan (from his work in Egg, Hatfield and the
North, and National Health). That alone is what made this show so great for me
personally, for I also got to meet Dave afterwards. We’ve remained friends and
correspond now and then. Too bad Bruford was a short-lived band, for they were
truly excellent.
9.
PAUL McCARTNEY (1989; New York, New York). A
friend of mine at the time, Chris Whitten, was McCartney’s drummer, so he got
my wife and me in to see a VIP “rehearsal” of the band before their world tour
supporting the album Flowers in the Dirt.
The rehearsal was held at a Broadway theatre. Wow. Intimate and very, very
good. It was my first time to see a Beatle. We also saw the regular tour show
at Madison Square Garden a few months later—still great, but it didn’t match
the uniqueness of that very cool rehearsal opportunity. Thanks, Chris!
10. THEY
MIGHT BE GIANTS (1990; New York, New York). I had just discovered the band and
owned their first three albums. Shortly before we moved away from New York, the
band came to the Beacon Theatre, so I went with a friend. Those two guys did it
all, no sidemen. It was such a fun show—funny, eclectic, and totally rocking. While
I like the band a great deal, they’re not particularly one of my favorites these days—but this
show elicited such a good time that it made the top 20.
11. GONG
(1997; Chicago, Illinois). I never thought I’d see the original lineup of Gong,
since they had disbanded in 1975. However, Daevid Allen and company got back
together (only Steve Hillage was absent, but they had a good sound-alike on
guitar), and performed the Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy, live and in front of
my eyes and ears. I kept nudging my friend next to me, saying, “I can’t believe
I’m hearing this live.” For those of you who know the albums, then you’ll
appreciate what I’m saying. The band also featured Pip Pyle on drums, also from
Hatfield and the North and National Health. Psychedelic, man!
12. PORCUPINE
TREE (1999; Chicago, Illinois). Representing the 90s new wave of progressive
rock, Porcupine Tree hit the waves that decade and recharged the prog scene
along with a few other new bands. At this time they were sort of a mix of Pink
Floyd and... I don’t know, it was new. The band eventually morphed into more of
a prog-metal band and I became less interested, but Steven Wilson, the leader,
is still a frikkin’ genius. This show blew my mind. Saw them several times in
the early 2000s, too.
13. NEIL
YOUNG (1999; Rosemont, Illinois). I’d wanted to see Neil Young since high
school, and I finally got the chance. This was a solo acoustic show in a
theater (not a huge venue), and it was perfect in every way. The sound was
fantastic, his performance was heartbreaking, and I sat there in awe the entire
evening. At one point I had tears in my eyes. Since then, I've seen him with Crazy
Horse and with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but solo acoustic Neil is the
best.
14. SPOCK’S
BEARD (2000; Chicago, Illinois). Another one of the new wave of progressive
rock bands, I saw them while Neal Morse was still the leader/songwriter (he
left in 2002 to go solo). This was one of those shows where I was only a little
familiar with the music—I had, I think, one CD—but I walked away totally
jazzed, ready to buy every CD they had out. And I did. Spock’s Beard was the
90s’ answer to Gentle Giant. I lost interest after Neal left, but this was
another one of those shows from which you leave truly impressed.
15. YES
(2002; Chicago, Illinois). I’d seen Yes a few times, even in the 70s when they
were huge. But this was the best Yes concert I ever saw (for once, the “first”
time wasn’t the one for the history books). It was the highly-touted “classic
lineup reunion” (Anderson, Howe, Squire, White, Wakeman) and they were
spectacular. The sound—ever so important for a Yes concert—was great. Every
member was in top form, and they played all the classic numbers I wanted to
hear. Again, it was one of those perfect shows. I took my son, Max, who was thirteen
at the time; and we met several members of the band afterwards.
16. MAGMA
(2003; Trenton, New Jersey). This was at NearFest, a prog-rock festival that
used to be held annually on the east coast. Magma is a French avant-garde “Zeuhl”
band (look it up) that originated in the 70s; these guys mesmerized the
audience from the opening notes to the very end. They sing in an invented
language as if they were from another planet, and the music can only be
described as “Klingon Opera.” Really, I’d never seen anything like it. From
then on, I was a Magma fan.
17. SAMLA
MAMMAS MANNA (2003; Chicago, Illinois). Another legendary 70s progressive band,
this time from Sweden, was led by my friend, the late Lars Hollmer. I couldn’t
believe they got back together (after breaking up in 1980) and actually came to
Chicago. I had gotten to know Lars by correspondence, so it was great to
finally meet him in person. I volunteered to be a roadie for the show, so I
hung out with the band all day. The music? Well, if you know the band, then
you’ll know that it is complex, funny, and Zappa-esque. The audience came away
stunned.
18. TEMPEST
(2003; Racine, Wisconsin). Well, I’m not sure if it was 2003 or 2004, but I’ve
been a fan ever since and I try to see them every year that they come through
the Chicago area. Led by Lief Sorbye, Tempest is Celtic rock at its best.
Hard-stomping Irish reels on electric instruments. Too cool for words. They
just celebrated their 25th anniversary this year, and it’s a mystery why
Tempest has never made the real big
time, despite several albums on a fairly major label. They certainly deserve
more fame and fortune, although they seem pretty happy doing what they do.
19. ZAPPA
PLAYS ZAPPA (2006; Chicago, Illinois). Alas, I never got to see Frank Zappa,
but seeing his son Dweezil and band perform Zappa music was the next best
thing. Former Zappa band members—Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, Napoleon Murphy
Brock—were also in the band. It was great to hear that stuff live. One poignant
moment was when Dweezil accompanied his father (who was on film, projected on a
screen behind the band) in a dual guitar solo. Zappa was one of the
20th-Century’s great composers, and I hope he’ll go down in history in the same
breath as Beethoven, Bach, Beatles... :)
20. PREMIATA
FORNERIA MARCONI (PFM) (2014; Chicago, Illinois). This progressive rock band
was Italy’s most successful outfit in the early 70s. Supposedly they were the
first Italian band to have international success. I never thought I’d see them either, but here they were, live
and in person. Very Gentle Giant-like, only with Italian lyrics. Simply put, this was also
an amazing show. They’re getting up there in age, but the guys didn’t act like it.
A once in a lifetime experience? I hope not!
And there you have it. Many other bands and shows were
memorable, and I saw some truly legendary people such as Captain Beefheart
& the Magic Band, Richard Sinclair, Kevin Ayers, National Health, Steely
Dan, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Keith Jarrett, Return to Forever, The Cure, The
Roches, Ozric Tentacles, SimakDialog, and more. The ones I wish I’d seen?—Hendrix,
Soft Machine, The Beatles, Zappa, Hatfield & the North, Miles Davis, and
Charles Mingus, to name a few.
Keep on rockin’.
