tom (02/25/83)
I got a concert lineup that certainly deserves consideration in the Most Unlikely Support Band Competition: Flash (headlining) Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show Earth, Wind, and Fire These 3 groups played in a concert about 1974-1975 at NYC's Philharmonic/Avery Fisher Hall. I was amazed that such an inharmonious combination had been put together at the Philharmonic of all places. For those not familiar, Flash was an English rock band, similiar to early Yes with syncopated rhythms and complicated music patterns, but described as more "emotional" or "human". I think its mainman, Tony Banks, played with Yes originally, and that Rick Wakeman assisted on Flash's first album. You may remember their song "Small Beginnings". Dr. Hook was semi-humorous pop/rock (they did "Sylvia's Mother" and a cover of "Only 16"). Earth, Wind, and Fire most of you know. There were 3 distinct groups in the audience and after each artist performed about 1/3 of the group left, having seen who they had come to see. Surprisingly, all groups were excellent, for those with diversified enough tastes. - Tom Beres (...!duke!mcnc!rlgvax!tom)
jhc (02/26/83)
rlgvax!tom certainly has a weird line-up of bands, but can the Tony Banks mentioned be the same one who was (and is) the Genesis keyboards player? (I have a good story about Genesis that I might tell later...) Jonathan Clark ABI Holmdel [houxi|lime]!hou5a!jhc
woods (02/28/83)
My favorite for "Most Unlikely Support Bands" has got to be the first annual Willie Nelson Fourth of July picnic at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on July 1, 1978. Featured were Willie and Waylon, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jessie Colter, several hard-rock local bands (one was called "Missouri" and was a clone of "Kansas"), and, you guessed it, the Grateful Dead. The hard-core rednecks together with the hard-core hippies. Everything from psychedelic rock (the Dead), hard rock (Missouri & other locals), semi-jazz (Colter), to some of the top names in country and country-rock. And what a crowd! Talk about riot potential, with tripping hippies in the middle of a crowd of redneck Missouri cowboys. GREG ucbvax!hplabs!hao!woods menlo70!hao!woods harpo!seismo!hao!woods decvax!brl-bmd!hao!woods P.S. It was a great show all around!