bill@apl-uw.UUCP (Bill Hanot) (08/10/84)
I saw Bobby & The Midnights on Monday August 6 at the Seattle Paramount.
After being disappointed by a friend who said he could get me in free,
I was pleased to find that I could buy tickets the day of the show in
the 16th row on the floor in the center section...and other friends who
had bought theirs through the computer were up in the balcony!
They played mostly new tunes from the recently released album, and I must
say I was a bit disappointed with the content of the songs; they were a
bit commercial for my tastes. The high point of the evening was a great
jam on "New Minglewood Blues", a nice contrast to the sexist overtones
of the new "City Girls" and the emptymindedness of "Rock of The 80's".
Overall the sound was pretty good, and the players very competent--Alphonso
Johnson was missing on bass, but Billy Cobham played with his usual flair
and intensity. The show ran about 2 hours all told, with a break after
a 45 minute first set.
The main thing I wanted to bring up was that Weir's voice was ragged beyond
the point that most performers would consider going on stage. It occasionally
came back during a few songs, but many times he could only manage a squeak
when trying to sing softly or hit a high note. I have heard a rumor that
he is going in for vocal cord surgery at the end of the Midnights tour this
month...does anyone have more positive information on this? The Dead hotline
( (415) 457-6388 on the West Coast ) has no Dead shows listed at all, this
would seem to lend credence to the rumor.
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Bill Hanot {allegra,decvax,ucbvax!lbl-csam}!uw-beaver!apl-uw!bill
(206) 543-1300 ext. 1341
9661 46th S.W. Seattle, WA 98136 (206) 932-1272
"love Seattle weather...10 million slugs can't be wrong!"