I was searching my memory banks for enjoyable concerts in my life and I found this one somewhere near my medulla oblongata. It was December 21, 1971 at the San Diego Sports Arena. Almost 49 years ago, can you believe that? How old am I anyway? No poster exists or I don't remember one if it did.
An obscure band from San Francisco that was on the Airplane's label, Grootna, opened, then Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, in their laconic prime. Chambers Brothers came out next, very loud and psychedelic, the Time has come today took me to places I had never been. It's a Beautiful Day closed it down with a wonderful set and David La Flamme's incredibly brilliant violin. Probably paid four bucks a ticket, tops. It was quite a night. I really miss Dan Hicks, there will never be anyone quite like him. Started as the Charlatan's drummer. They don't make shows like this anymore. I left the arena with a giant smile on my face.
5 comments:
How old were you? 13? Where were your parents???
I was on my own pretty early and started going to concerts by myself at least two years earlier. My mom was a free spirit and gave us a lot of latitude. My sister Liz first took me to see Canned Heat in late 1969.I saw a lot of great music back then, Stones, Traffic, Free, Allman Brothers before anybody knew who they were. The orange sunshine trip at Country Joe and Lee Michaels was the only time things got really dicey. Way too young for the excursion and it took me three days to eventually find my sea legs.
The best show I've seen was April 10, 1969 Canned Heat at UC Santa Barbara's Robertson Gym, with Poco and Ace of Cups. I was 16.
This was before Henry Vestine left the band. It was in a big gym with a suspended wood floor. The band were not on a stage, they just set up down on the gym floor, no barriers, just a rope tied to traffic cones to keep the crowd away from the equipment. No real P.A. system, just the band's gear, but it was LOUD and CLEAR. During Endless Boogie the crowd started jumping up and down in time to the beat, and so did the entire gym floor. Seemed like there were six or eight inches of play. I thought the floor was going to collapse at one point. Really good show, psuper psychedelic.
Saw Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks in 1990 or so, at the Great American Music Hall in SF.
I grew up at the beach. Went to the beach with my friends, without parents, at age 8. Started surfing at age 10, friends only, no parents. Wouldn’t happen today.
I loved It’s A Beautiful Day... never had the pleasure seeing them in concert.
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