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Joe Walsh Review-03/01/2000



LET ME SET THE STAGE..........
ANGEL and I went to Burger King after Angel got off work. I had the day off...but didn't feel like cooking, because I was too excited. As we were placing our order, Angel spied some of those cardboard BK Crowns for kids! (you know which ones I speak of) We decided we would take two to customize for the concert. We then ate, drove home, changed into our concert-gear, and off we went. We did make time to customize the cardboard crowns, with "JOE IS THE KING" on them, along with some other quickly scrawled messages. We arrived at the venue 45 minutes prior to the opening act.
THE VENUE: Celebrity Theater-Phoenix
This is quite the Theater. It's not a conventional theatrical venue, with balcolny, bump-outs, and the like. Rather, there is a center, CIRCULAR Stage that actually rotates at the rate of about 1 revolution every 5-7 minutes. (the length of one song) The seating is arranged at a fairly gentle slope, and NO seat in this 2000 seat venue is farther than 75 feet fron the stage. The 1.5 million sound system is more than adequate, and the building almost accoustically perfect. Our seats, (plain and simply) could not have been better. We were in the FRONT ROW in section A-5,on the aisle, right next to the ramp from the backstage dressing rooms. I could actually kick-back in my chair, and place my feet on the edge of the stage!
OPENNING ACT:
For the life of me.....I can't remember her name, but she was good! She and her band are from LA, and will have their first major label release out soon. The Black Female Artist belted out some great bluesie, guitar driven songs. (forgive me.......I will remember her name) They played for about 40 minutes.
*{UPDATE.....Her name was Debbie Holiday REMEMBER IT!}
INTERMISSION: LUCK & TIMING!
The APD/MD and another staffer from Phoenix Rocker KDKB stopped by our seats to say hi. I had invited him to do so earlier in the week. HAD TO DO SOME SCHMOOZIN!! I hoped it helped my effort to land a gig at this station. (Angel said I "dazzled them"!---we shall see) After we exchanged chatter with the Jocks, we went outside so I could burn a cig, then back to our seats to don our Joe Walsh Crowns.
**{see update on SCMOOZIN' BELOW}
OPENING NITE!
This show for Joe was a "get away from it all" manuever, and the FIRST NITE of a brief 5-stop West Coast mini swing. He is in the middle of a legal battle with the Eagles over some partial-rights song writting issues. (enough of that) Hence....ESCAPING TO THE ROAD! As he hit the stage with his new band, the ovation was great! He quickly introduced the members, (all new, and much younger than he) and slid into WALK AWAY.
{{{{{{{{{{{WOW!!!}}}}}}}}}}}}
The place was on fire right from the git-go. {INSERT ACCOUSTIC GUITAR} Next came an accoustic INDIAN SUMMER, he changed guitars, and started a tingling intro to CONFESSOR!! We were back on our feet in a heart-beat. Because of the the layout of this theater, and OUR height, we had to be cognicient of the others around us who seemed content to remain in their seats! The ushers had to remind us constantly! Sorry...but thats tough!!! CONFESSOR was incredible, along with ASHES, and MEADOWS. THEN........CHANGE OF GUITARS.....and TURN TO STONE.
{{{{{{My, oh my!!}}}}}
I thought we had died and gone to rock n roll heaven. I was besides myself, as was Angel. We then presented Joe with one of the cardboard crowns in appreciation for those licks, in which he proudly displayed on top of his amp. After that blistering renditon, he changed guitars again, and said....."it's time for the blues". He explained his inspiration for the song, and the problems he had with record company managment dealing with the song. Of course, Joe was hillarious in his REGULAR-KINDA-DUDE manner, and then unleased a rousing BIG TITS. FUNK 49 followed, and finally.....everybody in the house was on their feet. He then hit us with IN THE CITY (Angel was going nuts....me too!), and LIFE'S BEEN GOOD. THEN......the last song of the set....ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY. Prior to starting the song, he explained how he arrived at the title for the anthem. Then like a ton of boulders........he crushed us with those Rocky Mountain lix! PANDAMONIUM THEN FOLLOWED.....(and rightly so) He returned for the encore song, ALL NITE LONG, and then seemed to be hurried along but staffers from the venue.(come to find out there was an ordinance issue) THE CROWD WANTED MORE.......But to no avail. Come to find out after the show while talking to a venue official, that Joe was ready to come back out but due to the ordanance, they shut him down. He was actually walking back out of the dressing room ready for another round, when some officials stopped him. (***NOTE: Joe's drummer awarded Angel and I the OFFICIAL set list and one of Joe's guitar picks) They never got to play the last song on the set list.
(DO IT IN THE ROAD)
OVERALL ASSESMENT..........
His supporting cast was a SOLID BUNCH.( No familliar names) Backing vocals were a little weak at times, but it didn't matter that much. The PASSION that Joe inflicted on that microphone was amazing. His voice was SOLID,and not gravelly at all. He still has good range. His guitars........well!!! In almost thirty years of concert-going, 140 LIVE ACTS, there is only ONE guitarist who could stand toe-to-toe with the performance I(we) witnessed tonite (IMO). That would be Eric Clapton.
****see my concert list at:
www.angelfire.com/ar2/rock/concertlist.html
In addition to the OFFICAL DRUMMER'S SET-LIST, and Joe Guitar Pick, the chance to witness this Rock n Roll Hall of Fam'er in action will always be one for the books for us. It was a very special nite. Next time........THE EAGLES!! ***The set-list I spoke of, along with Joe's Pick, and our ticket stubs, will be on display, along with MANY {{{{{{killer}}}}} photo's in the very near future. STAY TUNED!!
(We dropped the film off at the processor on the way home from the show, so IT SHOULD BE READY SOON!)
**THE SCHMOOZIN with the radio guys from KDKB paid off, as I was formally introduced to the PD TODAY. He promised to review my packet ASAP. Hope you enjoyed the review my friends.......I wish you could have been alongside to witness what we saw tonite. As the band was exiting up the ramp, Angel flashed them a sign we had made that said......
JOE.....PLEASE COME TO CADOTT, WI IN JULY FOR ROCKFEST 2000!
WE SHALL SEE, EH?????
{{{{{{ROCK ON!}}}}}}
Madman
Mesa, AZ
www.angelfire.com/or2/rock/rockfestgo.html


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