Cloaca Melodia

Cook College Gym, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ Although I later had several opportunities to meet Paul Westerberg, this night contained the entire direct interaction I've ever had with the man. I shouted out "Androgynous!" as a song request during the show, and Westerberg replied, "Naw, we'd need a piano for that one."

Bailey Hall, Ithaca, NY I'm pretty sure someone invited me to go to this show, but I have no clue now who. I wasn't particularly a fan, so I don't know why I would have gone except at the suggestion or invitation of someone else. But I recall it being a good performance.

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... Songs performed included "The Walls Are Free," "Touch," "T-Burg Johnny," "DDX Reality," and "I Wish You Were Here."     

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... The band was touring in support of their new album Moons of Jupiter .  My college radio colleague Mike Stuto and I were trying to start a live, on-location concert series at our station, WICB. For several shows, we lugged an Otari 2-track reel-to-reel recorder down to The Haunt in downtown Ithaca and recorded the band's performance with a pair of microphones. The project didn't really last very long, however; the only bands I recall recording were Canada's The Grapes of Wrath, the Texas band Wild Seeds, and this one.   As pretty much fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants college radio types, we didn't contact anyone from the band or their label in advance to clear making these recordings. We would just show up early at the venue and ask the band and their tour manager if it was OK. I remember having to wait a while for the band to complete their soundcheck before I could ask them if it was OK to, essentially, bootleg their show for the local college r...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... At my college radio station, WICB, we were playing the song "I'm Sorry, I Can't Rock You All Night Long" from the Austin quartet's second album, Mud Lies & Shame . (and final album, as it would turn out) Unfortunately, I don't recall too much about the actual show.

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... The Canadian trio was touring in support of their second album Treehouse . Somewhere I have a tape of this show. I'll add more about it after I locate that tape! ...add your own comments if you were also there!

Bailey Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY I first heard Echo & The Bunnymen on record when I got to college and stated working at WICB in the fall of 1984. I fell in love with the 1983 Porcupine LP, especially the two lead-off tracks, "The Cutter" and "The Back of Love." Oh, and the live version of "Do It Clean," on which frontman Ian McCulloch starts singing The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" during an instrumental break that DJ John Webber would often play on his "Radio Wave" show. This was my first opportunity to seeing Echo live. My strongest memory of the show is a brief but powerful moment halfway through the concert. McCulloch was smoking cigarettes on and off throughout the show. While he was in the middle of singing one song, he stuck his arm out behind him and to his left, fingers dangling down. A stagehand crept swiftly out from the wing and tucked a lit cigarette into his fingers. And without even a glance behi...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY.... This was the first concert I ever acted as MC. I hadn't yet gotten over my stage fright, so I was naturally barely shy of crapping my pants prior to the show. I went onstage to introduce FNM, and thankfully, one of my fellow DJs at 'ICB (Kevin Fagen) whooped encouragingly when I announced my name. I brought the band out and retreated to the backstage area to prepare myself for the main event. The RHCPs seemed like ordinary folks when they first arrived backstage. But they began getting ready for their show--they shared a joint with club personnel, put on war paint, and began acting more and more manic. This wasn't making me more relaxed. I was almost relieved when guitarist Hillel Slovak told me, in a manic style consistent with someone on an energy-inducing drug, that they usually don't have stage introductions, only an intro tape. No problem, man. I went back to my seat in the VIP area and enjoyed the extremely, um, manic and loud show. D...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY.... Fallen Hero was the opening band. I don't remember too much about the show except a lot of slam-dancing (I don't recall having heard the word "moshing" until the early 1990s)...  The Milkmen were touring in support of their album Bucky Fellini.   add your own comments if you were also there!

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... About 9 Times was a trio from Texas, I believe from the Dallas area. We played their "Walking Through Elephants" (off the 1985 album Play Jacks ) at WICB, and though I really liked the song I probably wouldn't have gone to the show had fellow DJ Glenn Raucher not talked me into going. When we got to The Haunt, it was so empty we momentarily thought we had the start time wrong and arrived way too early. But no, the band came out soon enough and began their set to less than a dozen audience members. Glenn and I pulled up chairs and sat to watch the show, a novelty since The Haunt had only a few tables with chairs and I rarely, if ever, snagged one for a show. About 9 Times was a trio, featuring brother and sister Wendy and Chris Broadstone and Jim Cocke. Wendy was the flute player/lead singer, Jim was the keyboard player/backing vocalist, and Chris was the drummer. Of course, when I say "drummer" that only gives you a small impression ...

Lynah Rink, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY..... This was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Me and the people I went with--my girlfriend Alyssa, and Tim and Chris--were all Elvis fans, and we had heard that he was doing a tour with a Spinning Songwheel: audience members would be brought up on stage to spin the wheel, and whatever song it landed on, Elvis would perform. Nick Lowe first came on solo (it was officially called the "Elvis Costello Almost Alone" tour, since it was just Costello and Lowe solo--at least according to the t-shirt I bought), and did a great smattering of his songs. Then Elvis came out, announced "Welcome to my world" and opened an umbrella with a map of the world printed on it. He then launched into "American Without Tears" and a bunch of new songs from the King of America album. After a decent-length set, he departed, came back for an encore with Nick to do a duo version of Lowe's "(What's So Funny ...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY.....   add your own comments if you were also there!    

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... Such a great concert. Richman was performing as a trio with the Modern Lovers, and that really made this performance head and shoulders over all all of the other times I've seen Jonathan . (I've seen him in a guitar + drums configuration, and you might not think simply adding a bass would really flesh out the sound, but it did.)   Jonathan was touring in support of his latest album It's Time For , which featured one of songs that illustrates some of Jonathan's core principles that are foundational in his music: "Corner Store" (he re-recorded the song four years later for Jonathan Goes Country , but it was originally from  It's Time For ). "I know it costs more money to shop there but this was love, this was love," Jonathan croons on the song's bridge. "I know you had to pay more money, I'll pay money, I'll pay more. I don't care what the mall has got, I want back that corner store." Modernity ...

Colemans, Rome, NY...... My hometown friend Dave was attending Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, while I was at Ithaca College. He told me that The Beat Farmers were going to be playing near in in Rome (where my mother's side of the family is from). I didn't have a car, so I took a Greyhound to Utica and Dave picked me up. I've never been to the bar before or since, but it was a pretty standard type of wood-panelled bar with a lot of 4'x4' tables in front of the stage and standing area around the perimeter of the room. The band was just like the title of their later live album: Loud 'n' Plowed . Jerry Rainey and Buddy Blue were somewhat memorable, but it's hard to compete for brain-space when you've got a guy in the band like the late, legendary Country Dick Montana. Montana, the big guy dressed in a duster and cowboy hat behind the drum kit, punctuated his percussion with frequent shouts of "Hah!" He came out from behind the drums to ta...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... The band's latest release was the "All Shook Up" single as their follow-up to their 1985 debut full-length Who Betrays Me...And Other Happier Songs . We were playing their Elvis cover heavily at my college radio station, WICB. In fact, we gave a lot of their songs heavy airplay! I don't really remember much about the show, except that they did indeed play "All Shook Up." But I recall having a good time, as well as having a conversation with singer Deena Shoshkes after the show.