I first became aware of Rory Gallagher during August 1972. It was in Boston, Massachusetts, at a show on Boston Common. Rory was the opener on a bill with (Bob Welch era) Fleetwood Mac and the headliner, Savoy Brown.
The concert was part of the "Summerthing Festival", which ran from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, and hosted major acts, as well as a neighborhood-by-neighborhood initiative that also included public art shows, theater, and children's activities. That summer Jerry, my husband (then boyfriend) and I were living together in Boston, Massachusetts, working on our PhDs.
We attended the show with our friends (and house guests) Jimmy Two Arrows and his girlfriend, Maya, who are both Native Americans, and members of the Native American Church (also known as 'Peyotism' and 'Peyote Religion'). There will be more on Jimmy Two Arrows and Maya in forthcoming posts.
Both Fleetwwod Mac and Savoy Brown were excellent, but Rory's high energy set, stole the show.
Both 'Live! in Europe' and 'Irish Tour '74' are two of my favorite Blues Rock albums. Rory's guitar is tasteful, and avoids wanking, and I like that his singing is in his natural voice, and not trying to sound African-American.
Apparently, when Bob Dylan first heard "I Could've Had Religion" from 'Live! in Europe' he thought about covering it. Thinking it was a traditional Blues song, Bob asked around as to the song's origin, and he was surprised to learn it was Rory's original. I've been told that Bob and Rory had what Henry David Thoreau termed a "mutual admiration society" going on. It's a shame they didn't collaborate.
If you already have, 'Live! in Europe' and 'Irish Tour ‘74', these Hi-Res 24Bit versions, make for a very nice upgrade.
For the freeload, what artists or groups did you first discover as an opening act?
Lyle Lovett opening for Townes Van Zandt in UT's Cactus Cafe
ReplyDeleteWas already familiar with the group because "Father to Son" was getting a lot of airplay, but saw Queen open for Mott the Hoople. Also saw Bob Seeger (back when Ramblin, Gamblin Man was his only hit) open for BTO.
ReplyDeleteSaw Rory live once, and he was the headliner (around 1975). Amazing guitarist who didn't rely on pedals or special effects.
"Amazing guitarist who didn't rely on pedals or special effects." In a similar vein, Tab Benoit is a talented guitarist that relies only on his ability. Thanks pmac & thanks Babs
DeleteStill thinking about the opening act query.
Shawn Colvin opened for Richard Thompson, and sang a Steve Earle cover, "Fearless Heart." So, one night and two discoveries!
ReplyDeleteNext best example I can think of was seeing Toots and the Maytals open for The Who at Richfield Colosseum; I already had the soundtrack for "The Harder They Come," and the crowd really paid no attention to the openers, but I could tell that there was more good stuff in their catalog than what was on that compilation LP.
D in California
Stacey Earle opening for her brother, The Fabulous Poodles opening for Tom Petty, and Tom Waits opening for... wait (sic) for it... Frank Zappa.
ReplyDeletePearl Harbor & the Explosions opened for Talking Heads Someone in my Fraternity had an extra ticket
ReplyDeleteIn late 1969 the Taste - with Rory - was opening for John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. I was there to hear and see Mick Taylor, but John Mayall had fired him a few month before the concert and was changing to acoustic ("unplugged") music.
ReplyDeleteIn 1968 Canned Heat opened for the Doors in Frankfurt. At that time I only knew their single "On the Road again" and they were really great.
It was the first set of the day on one of the secondary stages at the 2010 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park. I was killing time waiting for friends when a band led by a young blond woman took the stage, playing a set of innocuous country-tinged pop songs. Not my cup of tea musically, but I was struck by the singer's energy and command of both the stage and her band. Despite a smattering of an audience on the huge meadow, she was unfazed swaggering through her set like she was playing to thousands. The name Taylor Swift meant nothing to me at the time and I couldn't name a record she's cut since. But her presence in pop culture is unavoidable, leading me to sometimes muse, "Yeah, but I knew you when."
ReplyDeleteLittle Feat opened for Traffic in OKC. Great concert!
ReplyDeleteSaw REM open for Gang Of Four in Albuquerque in 1982. Saw Vince Welnick open for Blue Floyd as part of a "BeatleJam" show in Cleveland in 2002. Vince was very, very high and I was worried for his health that night, it was scary. A band I was in opened for Donna The Buffalo in 1998 & another band I was in opened for Michael Glabicki (of Rusted Root) at Peabody's in Cleveland, i think it was 2005. Thanks Babs
ReplyDeleteThe Quebe Sisters as openers for Asleep At The Wheel, thanks Babs
DeleteWe need more stories, mumbles...uhm, speak up...?
DeleteMarissa Nadler opening for Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter at the Tractor Tavern in Bellingham, Washington.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Jessica Lea Mayfield opening for Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter at the No Depression music festival at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington.
Rory Gallagher opened for Styx and BTO at the Cleveland Public Hall in 1976. Also saw AC/DC open for Mink DeVille at the Tomorrow Club in Youngstown around the same time period, maybe 1977.
ReplyDeleteLink 1
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/DJwRNaU6eJU
Link 2
https://workupload.com/file/Gskeu6fv8fT
Hard to think of anything I've encountered on here that hasn't been finest kind, but this is a particularly fun twofer and all new to me--thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy, Eric!
DeleteLook up his album Blueprints - even has a little zydeco feel to it. Poor guy literally drank himself to death. He's revered in Ireland, and his brother is the force behind keeping his legacy alive.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame…
DeleteDidn't go to enough concerts to discover someone in support, so by default I'd say French Tobacco.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CFxsWSbAn0&list=RD-CFxsWSbAn0&start_radio=1
What was impressive was that he was a one man band - guitar, harmonica, bass drum - that's it.
During my teenage beatnik phase (pre-hippie), I smoked Gitanes. I thought they went well with my beret and Ray-Ban Wayfarer knock offs.
DeleteI saw Gentle Giant open for Jethro Tull on the Thick As A Brick tour. I was impressed that such a large band could be so tight.
ReplyDeleteI remember Summerthing. I saw the Byrds (1969-70 version) and Tracy Nelson with Mother Earth. Both were free outdoor shows in the Boston neighborhood I grew up in, where nothing like that ever happened before or since.
Sean Hayes opening for Frazey Ford at the Ukrainian Hall in Vancouver BC Canada.
ReplyDeleteAt one point I thought I discovered Rory Gallagher that way. He was third-billed behind Bob Seger and headliner Blue Oyster Cult. I got drunk on tequila, smoked some dust, passed out and ended up in the Haight Asbury Free Clinic's concert triage area, getting eleven stitches in my chin. And it turns out Sasha and Yuri were the opening act.
ReplyDeleteMy entry to Rory Gallagher is the band Taste and I still prefer those especially the 2nd.
ReplyDelete