Big Names, Small Clubs

Don & I got talking tonight about seeing music live.

We both agreed that to see a big name musician, even before he or she might have hit it "big," was way cooler if you got to see the show in a smaller venue. Maybe it's the side effects of the Covid-19 Global Pandemic swooping our vibes, but either way, we began to reflect on some favorite small venue moments.

I started giving examples of shows that stuck with me. 

Like, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones at Nightstage in Cambridge, Ma. And The Jerry Garcia Band in a small room in Berkley, California (where I was able to stand right in front of Jerry - and I swear to Golly that he looked me right in the eye at one point and smiled.. the opening act that night was .. ugh, I can't remember right now. I'll edit when it comes back to me. * Quick Silver Messenger Service !) 

When I lived in Northampton, Ma, I was in a small lounge called "L' Oassis" when I witnessed "Treat Her Right" (featuring Mark Sandman, who went on to become a global rock star with his band, Morphine) and the very early days of local guitarist J Mascis and his little band, Dinosaur Jr. When I saw them, they were actually just "Dinosaur," before the famous California band Dinosaur brought them to court and forced them to change their name to Dinosaur Jr. 

Those Western Mass days exposed me to other enlightening evenings in small venues with artists like Buddy Guy, 10,0000 Maniacs, Albert Collins, Susanna Vega, Johnny Winter & this other guy whose name I'm totally not remembering and it's driving me crazy. Will update if it comes back to me.. 

Soon Don was reminded of some the big time artists he witnessed in small venues in his lifetime.

When he was a kid in Indiana, at The Beach Ball Room, he saw The Who, with KEITH MOON on drums. 

The Yardbirds, with JIMMY FUCKING PAGE on bass and JEFF BECK on guitar.

Also, IRON BUTTERFLY, CHICAGO & The Lovin' Spoonful, and Steve Winwood (with his old band.)

Just after they released the hit single 96 TEARS, he saw ? Mark & The Mysterians at a block party ( in Indiana.)

He saw SAM THE SHAM & THE PHAROAHs in a basketball court in Indiana.

He saw BB KING and THE BEACH BOYS at Purdue University Theater.

And, so very bizarrely, he saw The Grateful Dead at the Student Center Cafeteria at Purdue University in 1967 or 68. His friend was doing the light show for the band. 

When Don moved to the east coast when he was in his early 20's, he saw a bunch of amazing acts in small venues.

Bob Marley & The Wailers with Toots & The Maytalls at Palls Mall.

James Brown at The Channell in Boston. He didn't go on stage until 2:00 a.m. That was when the club was supposed to close.. a while later, when Don's juggling act opened up for Blood, Sweat & Tears in a club somewhere that he couldn't remember where, he met a man who had booked JB at The Channel. Don had a conversation with that guy and told him about seeing JB at 2:00 a.m. at the Chanell and the man explained to Don that the reason why JB didn't go on until 2 in the morning was because his contract required him to get paid his fee - 10 grand in cash - before he would walk on stage.

Later, Don saw James Brown at Johnathan Swifts. Johnathan Swifts was a much smaller club then The Channel, in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Apparently, JB played one song on a B3 organ, which took up most of the stage, so the night he saw them, the 3 back up singers where standing in the hallway on the wy to the bathrooms, unseen by the audience.

He sat on the stage and saw MILES DAVIS at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. 

Also with his juggling act, he opened up for Sha Na Na at the Worcester Centrum. They also opened up for The Bay City Rollers somewhere in Boston.

He saw DEVO at The Paradise the night before they played on Saturday Night Live and played their version of the Rolling Stones song "Satisfaction."

He saw The Talking Heads and The B52's at The Berkley Performance Center in Boston.

He saw The Specials and The English Beat at a club on Landsdown Street in Boston, and then later saw the combined act The Special Beat.

And, he saw THE CRAMPS at The Channel THREE TIMES on NEW YEAR's EVE!

I'm sure there is more for both of us, but I wanted to write this stuff down, and I'm sharing it all here, on my blog.