July 30, 2020 “Were You There” Lunch Report

Howdy campers! Hope all are doing well on this gateway to the weekend. It has been a while since I threw out a Lunch Report so here goes today’s effort, a variety of topics on the menu today.

Lunch today: Trying to eat light these days due to a little weight gain from COVID shut down and recent surgery. (Will discuss later). Today’s epicurean delight will be a fruit plate of Kiwi and pineapple with some cheddar cheese and some LaCroix seltzer water.


G&L Topic: With Phyllis Fender recent passing, RIP, I’ve been thinking about the legacy of G&L guitars. With G&L starting in 1980 let’s look to the you choose for the 50th Anniversary model. We may see electrical and technical advancements before then, but looking to 2030, what does the crystal ball show for a 50th Anniversary model?
A special version of the F-100, G&L’s initial offering or a variety of the most popular ASAT? My first thought would be, surprise, an ASAT model. Either of these a customized Studio VI or newly spec’d ASAT with Will Ray Z coil bridge pup and a Cavalier neck pup. Triple bound with Jet Black body and ebony board or triple bound quilted maple top old school tobacco sunburst with ebony board. Never too early to start planning, what you think?


Music topic: Were you in the audience at live recorded concert?
I was in the audience at the Denver G3 2004 show with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen, incredible show. Was also at the Birchmere in Richmond VA in 1990 and saw Nils Lofgren do a fantastic solo show where you can hear his version of “Keith Don’t Go” on the bootleg Trouble’s Back and a few other recordings. As well as a few Grateful Dead and Dead and Company shows you can get off Amazon or iTunes. If you weren’t at said concert, which one(s) would you have liked to be in attendance? I wish I could have been at the 1978 Thin Lizzy Live and Dangerous show, was a huge fan at the time.



Non-music topic: Any reptile fans in house? Snakes specifically.
My son has always wanted a boa constrictor, but my wife and I have been reluctant. He is about to be a high school senior and with Covid causing him to miss his high school band camp, an annual rock camp where he was going to be a main attraction, a vocal camp and general summer blues, after my wife had a few margaritas and without me being present at the time he is now the owner of a red tailed boa, about 2ft long. I have learned from personal reactions and my wife’s facebook posts, people either like or dislike snakes. I am not a big fan, but he will take it to college so c'est la vie. But I do see a pair of boots and a belt when it gets older and longer! Unless a pet can retrieve a ball or shake my hand, they are not #1 on my gotta get list. Where do you stand?

I was at this show:
Frank Zappa & Mothers w/ Zubin Mehta & the L.A Philharmonic ("200 Motels" live U.C.L.A, 05/15/1970)

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Eddie you can color me extremely jealous!!

I see some Zappa being played tonight for sure.

Since all the Grateful Dead shows were recorded and many are available at various places, I've attended many of those.
Here's a couple more rare shows that Jerry did with a short lived band called Reconstruction.
Reconstruction performed only for an eight-month period in 1979. The band's first performance was January 30, 1979 at the Keystone in Berkeley, California. Its last performance was on September 22, 1979, at the Keystone in Palo Alto, California. During that period, the band played 57 concerts, all of them in California and Colorado.

It was a very different band for Jerry as it had horns in it.
The band's lineup consisted of:

Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
John Kahn - bass
Merl Saunders - keyboards, vocals
Ed Neumeister - trombone
Ron Stallings - tenor saxophone, vocals
Gaylord Birch - drums

So I was fortunate to be able to see this band perform twice and here are the recordings.

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There is a recent 4 CD release of Cream's 1968 farewell tour.
https://www.jambase.com/article/creams-goodbye-tour-live-1968-features-previously-unreleased-live-recordings

One disc features a performance at the L.A. Forum on October 19. I might have been there. Apparently they played the 18th and the 19th and I can't remember which night I was there. The one on the recording says there is an introduction by Buddy Miles. It's been so long I can't remember. So there's a 50-50 chance I was at the show on the CD.

Eddie you are on a roll

Like you I’m trying to round up the Dead, Dead solo and spin off shows I’ve seen over the years.

Forgot to mention earlier I did have pleasure of seeing Frank Zappa in 86’ on the Them or Us tour, pure genius.

I was at one of these shows. At this point I couldn't tell you which one.

https://www.jambase.com/article/jerry-garcia-band-electric-on-the-eel-box-set

Hey Sam, good day for LR!

lunch was a banana and an english muffin toasted (not the banana).

G&L 50th anniv - i think they should re-issue the broadcaster. maybe Gretsch will chill out on the name by then!

like you guys i was at several dead shows from '79-'87, and one of the more memorable ones was at JFK stadium in Philly, evening show, full moon in a clear summer sky, and Bob Dylan joined them for the 2nd set. He opened with "tangled up in blue", one of my fav's, here's the youtube link for the show...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzDDRqdCYcI

here are a couple of sources i like for dead shows...
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~./gdead/setlists.html
http://www.otherones.net/dead-and-company

last reptile we had as a pet was a 3 foot long iguana named Trey (no relation to Phish guitarist). my son got him when he was 6 inches and cute.
he was a little moody, but my wife made friends with him and she used to take him out of the huge bird cage we made for him and let him walk around the house. We were between dogs then. after my son moved out we kept him til he died from some illness.

boas get pretty big and they can put the squeeze on you - would keep him well fed!

Hey john great stuff!

Slipping in a Broadcaster would be poetic.

Love the Dead links. The Dylan shows had their bright spots for sure.

Fortunately the boa will be out of the house by the time it gets “squeezing” big.

Back in the day I used to go to quite a few concerts, but mostly for relatively unknown bands that I discover by listening to college radio stations. Since they were mostly unknown they were never a candidate for recording. The best sounding concert I've ever attended was China Crisis back in the 80s.

"Does it have to be snakes!?" Sorry, not for me.

Lunch report! Always liked these(still have a few of the BBE pedals too). Today will be some sort of pseudo-chicken abomination...

G&L Topic:
After learning a lefty Z could be made, I'd like to see them available. Also, making the classic HB pickups available too.

Music topic:
Yes. Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and of course The Police. I do miss the uncomfortable closeness of a live show.

Non-music topic: Any reptile fans in house?
https://twitter.com/CloudWidget/status/1264364927541825539?s=20


Cheers,
Will

Kit - under current circumstances I love that the band name was China Crisis Like I said snakes are not high on my list either.

Will - I motion for you to have a lefty signature model with Z Coils and classic HB pickups, in whatever arrangements you see fit!

This was my introduction to John Hiatt in 1983. I had never heard of him but only went because Ry Cooder's name was on the bill. Since then I've seen him about 20 times. A CD was released not long ago of this show which was recorded by the local radio station.

https://www.discogs.com/John-Hiatt-With-Ry-Cooder-Live-At-The-Cotati-Cabaret-1983/release/11744270

https://www.discogs.com/release/11744270-Live-At-The-Cotati-Cabaret-1983/images

I was at this show - 1995 Farm Aid, Louisville, KY.


If you watch the video above, I'm the guy in the photo pit right side of screen (stage right) at 3:28-3:30 directly in front of security (thankuverymuch) holding up my Nikon (film) camera with a telephoto lens shooting closeups of John. Being located almost directly in front of the guitarist's amps right in line with the speakers' projection (not sure, but believe it was Andy York at that time) was NO fun. Blistering volume and treble that does not come across in the great mix for the video. Glad I had ear plugs - even if they were only marginally DB limiting. You can see me again at 3:47 - 3:53. I have hairy arms. LOL Run it 1/4 speed if interested in seeing the great visuals! That's also my hairy arm in the static image that displays before you hit "play". Relish the moment!

Loverocket69,

Very cool.

Will have to watch this clip and other acts from that year. Would Conlee, Kristoferson and Young are threeI would have loved to see that year.

BAYBEE (baybee) Sna-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-kes! Late at night is when they come out.
They live in a ho-ho-hole
That is usually empty
They live by a code
(Dit dit dit dit)
That is usually SMPTE
Which stands for
Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers!

Eddie, are you kidding?
I've seen you on my TV
Eddie, are you kidding?
The people always ask me
I saw your double knits
I thought they were the pits
You threw it in a bag
And then you sent me home--
What!?
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!

Seen FZ too many times to count. Favorite guitarist of all time.
Seen many other bands having lived in the NYC area for quite a while. The usual suspects starting in the seventies, Santana, Dead, Pink Floyd (I have incredible photos from the '94 tour that I worked with) but also saw The Wall twice including the last show at Nassau Colosseum from the front row (got a few pics from that). Stealy Dan was also a favorite with Michael McDonald, Brecker Brothers, Walter Becker, Jeff Baxter, Larry Carlton, Steve Gadd, and other iterations and special guests. Plus most other jazz, pop, rock, alternative etc. In fact, many of these musicians plus the likes of Shakti, Larry Coryell, Chick Corea (forgot he just passed away in February) and even Captain Beefheart used to play all around the NYC and southern CT area in clubs and small intimate halls. Once saw John McLaughlin and L Shankar (Violinist for Shakti and Zappa described Bionic Parakeet for his goofy costumes he wore in the time he toured with FZ) in a small acoustic setting with only ten people in the room.Even Lynyrd Skynyrd back before the plane crash. And...The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads.

Loved them all but one of my favorite things to do in the world was sitting in the front row (many times) and watching FZ play that guitar. Back then you could get good seats at reasonable prices without much effort. It's a shame how much concerts cost these days. Keeps me from going but at least I have seen the greatest bands of all times in the past.
Good post Sam, thanks.

Very cool stuff!

I only saw Frank Zappa once, 1984 Them or Us tour in Memphis, wish I had seen him many more times. Incredible show, and since I was there very early roaming around the back of the venue, Orpheum Theatre, saw Zappa’s tour bus and tried to see him inside. He wasn’t close by but Ray White was in the door and said Hi. My closest brush with Frank. Unfortunately lost the tour shirt MANY years ago.

Saw the Floyd 1994 tour as well, my show was Indianapolis. Good show indeed, Gilmour was in fine form.

Some good live recordings out there from both of these bands.

That’s cool, my one and only Zappa concert was in august ‘84 in Des Moines,
I still cue up the them or us LP on occasion, great version of whippin post!

Here's a few pics. I don't appear to have any of the '94 Floyd tour on my computer but I will dig them up some day and digitize some.

Here's a Santana shot circa 1978.



The Wall show, Pink Floyd.



The Dead Circa 1978 at Radio City



And of course, FZ.



A whole lot of fun and great memories. Through the fog.

CHEERS!!!

Thanks for sharing