This is an even more preliminary list than the Earl Warren Showgrounds listing; there are a LOT of shows missing. Your corrections and additions are solicited.
Shows below took place in Robertson Gym unless otherwise noted. * denotes some uncertainty about date, supporting acts, etc. Beginning in the mid-seventies, most concerts were done in conjunction with Pacific Presentations; Sepp Donahower has very kindly contributed information regarding those events. (PP) designates Pacific Presentations produced shows.
Shows below took place in Robertson Gym unless otherwise noted. * denotes some uncertainty about date, supporting acts, etc. Beginning in the mid-seventies, most concerts were done in conjunction with Pacific Presentations; Sepp Donahower has very kindly contributed information regarding those events. (PP) designates Pacific Presentations produced shows.
^ denotes new entries made December 27, 2011, thanks to the good graces of John Conroy. More updates to follow.
+ denotes new entries made January 24, 2013, thanks to the input of BFrank
+ denotes new entries made January 24, 2013, thanks to the input of BFrank
October 22, 1966 : Jefferson Airplane, The Syndicate of Sound, The Seeds, The Kingsmen, The DelRays (?), The Druids (per <drumnwalt>
April 1, 1967: Buffalo Springfield, The Sounds Five, Druids*
October 28, 1967 : The Doors, Lyrics, Alexander's Timeless Blooz Band
February 11, 1968: Jimi Hendrix, Soft Machine, East Side Kids
May 24, 1968: Cream, Electric Flag
January 17, 1969: Santana Blues Band, Grateful Dead, The Travel Agency
April 10, 1969: Canned Heat, Poco, Ace of Cups
May 29, 1969: Grateful Dead, Lee Michaels, The Youngbloods (The Dead cut their set short due to sound system issues as chronicled by Michael Lydon in Rolling Stone article)
November 9, 1969: Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Steve Miller Band, Sweetwater (Harder Stadium) (Crowd rushes gates and breaks in; there will not be another stadium show until 5/20/1973. Stage is set up at west end of stadium, the only time that configuration was used; from here on in, stage will be at the east end of the stadium) Steve Miller Band was scheduled but did not play.
December 12, 1969: Iron Butterfly, Blues Image
??/1970/71??: Sweetwater (Storke Plaza) (Possibly April 1971 as they played at the Granada on 4/2/71)
February 1, 1970: The Band*
April ??, 1970: Poco (Storke Plaza)
December 2, 1970: Sha-na-na (Campbell Hall)
January 19, 1971: Jazz Crusaders, Dick Gregory
February 7, 1971: John Sebastian, Poco, Jo-Mama
October 3, 1971: Chuck Berry (a local band opened and then backed Berry)+
October 10, 1971: The Allman Brothers Band
November 13, 1971: The Johnny Otis Show featuring Shuggie Otis (Storke Plaza) (Nexus)
November 20, 1971: Freddie Hubbard, Charles Lloyd (Campbell Hall)+
Spring 1972(?): Scott McKenzie (Storke Plaza)
May 5, 1972: Seals & Crofts, Loggins and Messina+
November 20, 1971: Freddie Hubbard, Charles Lloyd (Campbell Hall)+
Spring 1972(?): Scott McKenzie (Storke Plaza)
May 5, 1972: Seals & Crofts, Loggins and Messina+
October 1, 1972: John Mayall, Boz Scaggs^
October 27, 1972: John Fahey (Campbell Hall)^
November 11, 1972: Hot Tuna, Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks (The Hot Tuna set was hands down the loudest I ever personally witnessed)
November 11, 1972: Hot Tuna, Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks (The Hot Tuna set was hands down the loudest I ever personally witnessed)
November 18, 1972: Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge^
December 3, 1972: J. Geils Band, The Eagles, Tranquility^+
January 13, 1973: Leo Kottke. Little Emo+ (Campbell Hall)^
February 20, 1973: Mark-Almond, Pan+ (Campbell Hall)^
March 17, 1973: The Beach Boys (remains one of the all-time great shows I ever attended - the Beach Boys play a sock-hop in the gym - pandemonium from start to finish)
March 17, 1973: The Beach Boys (remains one of the all-time great shows I ever attended - the Beach Boys play a sock-hop in the gym - pandemonium from start to finish)
April 15, 1973: Seals & Crofts^
April 17, 1973: Bobby Hutcherson (Lotte Lehman Hall)^
May 2, 1973: Beck, Bogert & Appice, Tower Of Power
May 12, 1974: The Kinks, Jo Jo Gunne, Kansas+ (PP)
May 25, 1974: Grateful Dead, Maria Muldaur, Great American String Band (Harder Stadium) (PP)
June 23, 1974: Steely Dan, Kiki Dee Band (PP)
August 2, 1974: Santana, Bad Company (PP)
September 27, 1974: Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Honk (PP)
October 27, 1974: Hot Tuna (PP)
May 2, 1973: Beck, Bogert & Appice, Tower Of Power
May 8, 1973: Boz Scaggs, John (?) Buckley (Campbell Hall)
May 13, 1973: Loggins & Messina (PP)
May 20, 1973 - Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage (Harder Stadium) (PP)
May 13, 1973: Loggins & Messina (PP)
May 20, 1973 - Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage (Harder Stadium) (PP)
September 30, 1973: Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne^
October 13 1973: The Faces, Rory Gallagher (Harder Stadium) (PP)
October 25, 1973: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Sly and the Family Stone*
October 13 1973: The Faces, Rory Gallagher (Harder Stadium) (PP)
October 25, 1973: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Sly and the Family Stone*
November 16, 1973: War, Albert^
January 13, 1974: Steve Miller Band, Ozark Mountain Daredevils (PP)^
January 21, 1974: Loggins & Messina, Jesse Colin Young (PP)
January 13, 1974: Steve Miller Band, Ozark Mountain Daredevils (PP)^
January 21, 1974: Loggins & Messina, Jesse Colin Young (PP)
January 26, 1974: Gordon Lightfoot (Old Men's Gym)+
February 17, 1974: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Tom Waits, Casey Kelly (PP)+ (Sepp Donahower's listing shows Zappa; BFranks added Casey Kelly; "Frank Zappa Gig List" confirms Kelly)
February 27, 1974: Poco, Leo Kottke (PP)
March 15, 1974: Boz Scaggs (PP)
April 7, 1974: Eagles, Jesse Colin Young (PP)
April 28, 1974: Dave Mason, Honk (PP)
May 3, 1974: Electric Light Orchestra, Dan Hicks, Elvin Bishop (PP)
February 17, 1974: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Tom Waits, Casey Kelly (PP)+ (Sepp Donahower's listing shows Zappa; BFranks added Casey Kelly; "Frank Zappa Gig List" confirms Kelly)
February 27, 1974: Poco, Leo Kottke (PP)
March 15, 1974: Boz Scaggs (PP)
April 7, 1974: Eagles, Jesse Colin Young (PP)
April 28, 1974: Dave Mason, Honk (PP)
May 3, 1974: Electric Light Orchestra, Dan Hicks, Elvin Bishop (PP)
May 9, 1974: Crusaders, Hampton Hawes (Campbell Hall)^
May 12, 1974: The Kinks, Jo Jo Gunne, Kansas+ (PP)
May 25, 1974: Grateful Dead, Maria Muldaur, Great American String Band (Harder Stadium) (PP)
June 23, 1974: Steely Dan, Kiki Dee Band (PP)
August 2, 1974: Santana, Bad Company (PP)
September 27, 1974: Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Honk (PP)
October 27, 1974: Hot Tuna (PP)
November 9, 1974: Chick Corea, Renaissance (Campbell Hall)^
November 10. 1974: Gregg Allman, Cowboy (PP)^
November 10. 1974: Gregg Allman, Cowboy (PP)^
November 22, 1974: Rufus, Masterfleet (Campbell Hall)^
November 27, 1974: Fleetwood Mac, Little Feat, Triumvarite (PP)^
January 12, 1975: Linda Ronstadt, Batdorf & Rodney (PP)
February 13, 1975: Tower of Power, Taj Mahal (PP)
November 27, 1974: Fleetwood Mac, Little Feat, Triumvarite (PP)^
January 12, 1975: Linda Ronstadt, Batdorf & Rodney (PP)
February 13, 1975: Tower of Power, Taj Mahal (PP)
March 4, 1975: Randy Newman, David Pomeranz (Campbell Hall)^
March 13, 1975: Robin Trower, Journey (PP)^
March 23, 1975: Beach Boys, Jesse Colin Young, Honk (Harder Stadium) (PP)
March 26, 1975: Blue Oyster Cult, R.E.O. Speedwagon, Pretty Things (PP)
March 13, 1975: Robin Trower, Journey (PP)^
March 23, 1975: Beach Boys, Jesse Colin Young, Honk (Harder Stadium) (PP)
March 26, 1975: Blue Oyster Cult, R.E.O. Speedwagon, Pretty Things (PP)
April 29, 1975: Herbie Hancok, Passport (Campbell Hall)^
May 4, 1975: Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason, Henry Gross (Harder Stadium) (PP)
May 4, 1975: Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason, Henry Gross (Harder Stadium) (PP)
May 9, 1975: Weather Report, Billy Cobham (Campbell Hall)^
September 27, 1975: Frank Zappa (PP)
October 18, 1975: Allman Brothers Band, Dave Mason, Little Feat (Harder Stadium) (PP)
September 27, 1975: Frank Zappa (PP)
October 18, 1975: Allman Brothers Band, Dave Mason, Little Feat (Harder Stadium) (PP)
October 20, 1975: Leo Kottke (Campbell Hall)
November 1, 1975: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (PP)
November 18, 1975: Rory Gallagher (Campbell Hall) (PP)
November 22, 195: Tim Weisberg (Campbell Hall) (PP)
December 12, 1975: Fleetwood Mac, Jiva (PP)
November 1, 1975: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (PP)
November 18, 1975: Rory Gallagher (Campbell Hall) (PP)
November 22, 195: Tim Weisberg (Campbell Hall) (PP)
December 12, 1975: Fleetwood Mac, Jiva (PP)
(1) October 22, 1966: Jefferson Airplane, Syndicate Of Sound (but not The Seeds, The Courtmen and Spirit (the latter were not yet born at that time))
ReplyDelete(2) October 28, 1967: The Doors, Lyrics, Alexander's Timeless Bloonze Band
(3) October 13, 1973: The Faces, Rory Gallagher
(4) The Beach Boys played there only on March 23, 1975 (with Jesse Colin Young, Honk) and on September 26, 1976 but NOT on March 17, 1973
I was there in Robertson Gym at the March '73 Beach Boys show. One of the things that sticks out in my memory is Mike Love singing "It was down in Isla VEESTA" during the song Student Demonstration Time from their '71 album Surf's Up. The crowd went wild. I also remember Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar on stage as the band played numbers from their new Holland album. It was real. It happened.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteDo you know anything about a concert on the beach at Isla Vista on June 3, 1967? It would have been a highly unauthorized event by whatever the SB equivalent of The Diggers might have been. Lots of LSD and madness. The source would be members of Mad River
ReplyDeleteknown (as in "recalled") groups include
Raw Violet/Flying Circus/Alexander's Timeless Blues Band/Mad River/ Phoenix/Underground Railroad/The Group
Mad River, Flying Circus and Phoenix were imported from the Bay Area. You're on your own with the rest of them.
The Frank Zappa show appears to be Feb 17, 1974, according to Charles Ulrich's list (http://members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/giglist/1974.html), in my experience the last word on the subject.
ReplyDeleteI have a ticket stub from this concert, Robertson Gym, Zappa and the Mothers, Feb. 17, 1974.
DeleteI'd love a scan of it, if you've got the ways, means and inclination.
DeleteGreat night, unforgettable. Zappa had George Duke on keys, and Ralph Humphrey and Chester Thompson on drums. What a groove they created.
DeleteHere's what I have in the I.V. Beach event:
ReplyDeleteIsla Vista Beach
June 3, 1967 - Raw Violet, Flying Circus, Alexander's Timeless Blues Band, Mad River, Phoenix, Underground Railroad, and The Group. Poets: Richard Brautigan, Lenore Kandel, Charles Upton, Bill Fritch, Lew Welch, Jeff Sheppard, and Andrew Hoyem. Lights were provided by Aurora Clorialis [Pacific Coast Free Thing]
This will be in another, catch-all, musc. list.
Thanks for the Zappa date!
Hi Bruno
ReplyDeleteThanks for the corrections and additions!
I'm going to keep the Beach Boys 1973 date for the time being and double-check my source when later today; I did see the Beach Boys in Robertson Gym while I was a student at UCSB (1969-1974) - they played a prison benefit. I do have a written source (an exhaustive touring chronology) and another student who was also there as documentation.
I REALLY appreciate your help!
I well remember the Beach Boys' Rob Gym show -- their current album was Surf's Up and they played "Student Drmonstration Time" off it with Mike Love hamming up line about Isla Vista to a great roar of the crowd. Later there was a County Bow show with the girls screaming at Dennis and finally the big stadium show when the double greatest hits album was at the top of the charts. Santa Barbara really helped the Boys' big comeback.
DeleteSometime after this entry I found my ticket stub for this show. I believe I may have posted that elsewhere.
DeleteFound my source on the 1973 Beach Boys show:
ReplyDeleteThe Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio by Keith Badman
I have the same book about The Beach Boys and, on page 327, I don't see any entry for the March 17, 1973 (????).
ReplyDelete(1) Dennis are you sure about Frank Zappa gig at UCSB in Spring 1973? I don't think FZ played there in that year because this is not in the definitive gig list on Greg Russo's book "Cosmik Debris".
ReplyDelete(2) May 2, 1973: Beck, Bogert & Appice, Tower Of Power
Well, I thought that was my source. :-) Back to the drawing boards. (the reference was in Google books source, and I thought that was the correct work) Back to Google!
ReplyDeleteWell I think The Beach Boys gig on March 17, 1973 is might be true because Keith Badman research for his book stopped in 2004 and in this six years many others "lost" gigs of The Beach Boys have been "found".
ReplyDeleteand, Bruno, thanks for keeping me honest! (OTOH, I do know, with absolute certainty, not 60's hallucinations, that I did see the Beach Boys in the gym at UCSB doing a prison benefit, during the early 70's)
ReplyDeletehere is my source for the March 17, 1973 show:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/gigs73.html
yeah, is my source too, I forgot that this Beach Boys site is more "updated" than the "old" Keith Badman's book. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteNo harm no foul! I posted these dates with hopes I find some folks like you who could correct, suggest and add.
ReplyDeleteThere are MANY shows missing for this venue, especially Robertson Gym; I started attending concerts there in 1966 when I was 16, and this list seems to be quite lacking!
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff. I have a couple of observations from the few shows I attended at UCSB, where my brother went to college.
November 9, 1969: Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Steve Miller Band, Sweetwater (Harder Stadium. Steve Miller was scheduled, and did not play. I think he was late, and was originally scheduled to come on after CSNY, but did not do so, probably because of the crowd control issues you mentioned. The CSNY set was memorable for Neil Young blurting out "Let's do a Grateful Dead song" during the acoustic set (they didn't).
July ??, 1970: The Band*. I find this date dubious. I was in summer school at UCSB from mid June-early August, and would certainly have gone to this had it happened. As it was, I don't recall any concerts of note occurring on campus that summer other than the Topanga Fiddle contest, moved to UCSB that summer for some reason.
May 25, 1974: Grateful Dead, Maria Muldaur, Great American String Band, Elvin Bishop (Harder Stadium. Elvin Bishop was not billed and did not play. He did play there with the Dead in 78...
Michael
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michael!
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about the Steve Miller no show, and originally I had notated that entry to reflect that fact, but I wasn't absolutely sure, so your verification is appreciated.
The date for the Band show is indeed very dubious and was simply a guess based on the fact they played the Hollywood Bowl during that time. They did play Robertson Gym and I'm certain of that, as I attended. It was a weird setup, with the stage at the west end of the gym instead of the usual east.
So, I'm back to the drawing board on that date!
I've corrected the Elvin Bishop error accordingly.
Michael's comment on the Band concert jogged my memory a bit; it seems to me The Band played right around the time of the Bill Allen demonstrations (which eventually evolved into the burning of the Bank of America in Isla Vista)in February, 1970. There was some speculation that the show would be cancelled, but it was in fact played.
ReplyDeleteThe Band show was indeed February 1, 1970 at the Robertson Gym at 8:30 pm. My source is the January 30, 1970 Los Angeles Free Press. The show was promoted by Strongwinds and Associated Students Concert Committee.
DeleteThanks for the additional source!
DeleteI have a copy of my ticket stub still from seeing The Doobie Brothers at the UCSB Campus Stadium May 04, 1975, I believe that Dave Mason and Henry Gross were the opening acts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information, Chris; I've added that show to the chronology.
ReplyDeleteI saw The Doobies with Henry Gross in May of '75 but it wss not at the Forum, but it was indoors. It seemed like Long Beach Arena? Is it possible they did not play the Forum on May 2 but at LB? I was vacationing from Denver so I'm not familar with each venue. But I know I would've recalled being at the famous Forum.
DeleteDon't know if you're keeping this site up, but here are a couple of MAJOR shows you missed:
ReplyDelete11/4/67 Buffalo Springfield,Lewis and Clark Expedition, Watts 103rd Street Band (Earl Warren(
4/20/1967 Grateful Dead and the Doors (Earl Warren)
11/25/67 Youngbloods and Canned Heat (Earl Warren)
4/6/68 Traffic, Steppenwol and Electric Flag (Earl Warren)
(Electric Flag was back at Earl Warren less than a month later)
8/1/1969 Led Zeplin and Jethro Tull
Also, the Sly and The Family Stone Robertson gym concert and the Bob Marley Robertson Concert weren't on the same night -- I don't think they were even in the same year (I went to the Sly concert -- I was a little kid, but I remember he didn't show up until nearly midnight).
Hi Dave
ReplyDeleteThanks for your information; please refer to my listings for Earl Warren Showgrounds, all of the major shows (and many more) you listed are there:
http://earlwarrenshowgroundsetal.blogspot.com/2010/09/earl-warren-showgrounds.html
In addition, the Marley tour archive confirms a show at UCSB on 10/25/73 with Marley AND Sly
http://bobmarleyarchive.free.fr/tour%20date.html
Bob and the Waikers were on the bill but did not show. The whole tour, I believe, was postponed. Also Sly was very late and discombobulated. It was kind of a shambles if a gig. Bob & the Wailers did a great County Bowl show in '75 and another one 2nor 3 years after that.
DeleteI was at the Sly show in 73, and gosh, if Bob Marley and the Wailers were there you would think I would remember. I saw them twice and both were two of the greatest shows I ever saw...like Sly and the Stone at their peak prior to 73.
ReplyDeleteThe 10/25/73 date is based on a poster (I now cannot remember where I saw it, but it was probably eBay) and the Bob Marley tour archive:
ReplyDeletehttp://bobmarleyarchive.free.fr/tour%20date.html#burnin
You will also see that Marley played a number of other October dates with Sly, so I think my entry is credible.
>and gosh, if Bob Marley and the Wailers were >there you would think I would remember.
Memories are a funny thing: I had front row seats for the Grateful Dead's 6/17/72 Hollywood Bowl show, which was Pigpen's last. For the life of me, I don't remember seeing him on stage...
I hope to, sometime in the next year or so, spend a day perusing backfiles of El Gaucho and The Nexus in the UCSB library to correct and verify the information in this blog. Thanks for your post!
Here's what I know about UCSB shows:
ReplyDelete10/3/71, Rob Gym - Chuck Berry
10/10/71 - Allman Bros, Elvin Bishop, Cowboy: this was a free concert in the plaza under Stork Tower.
11/20/71, Campbell Hall - Freddie Hubbard, Charles Lloyd
5/5/72, Rob Gym - Seals & Crofts, Loggins & Messina
10/1/72, Rob Gym - John Mayall, Boz Scaggs
11/18/72, Campbell Hall - Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge
12/3/72, Rob Gym - J. Geils, Eagles, Tranquility
1/3/73, probably Campbell Hall - Leo Kottke, Little Emo
2/20/73 Rob Gym - Mark/Almond, Pan
5/8/73 Rob Gym - Boz Scaggs, John Buckley
2/17/74 Rob Gym - FZ (w/Geo. Duke), Casey Kelly (not Tom Waits)
5/9/74 Campbell Hall - Crusaders, Hampton Hawes
5/12/74 Rob Gym - Kinks, Jo Jo Gunne, Kansas
11/27/74 Rob Gym - Fleetwood Mac (w/Bob Welch), Little Feat (w/Lowell George), Triumvirate
Also in about '73 or '74 Rory Gallagher did a solo gig at Campbell Hall.
DeleteOctober 20, 1975: Leo Kotke (Campbell Hall)
DeletePS, that Allman Bros gig was one of Duane's last shows.
ReplyDeleteDuane's second to last live gig, I believe.
DeleteThank you so much - I'll add these over the next few days; I REALLY appreciate your help!
ReplyDeleteVery cool looking over these lists!
ReplyDeleteBTW, that Jimi in Ventura show was one of HIS last appearances, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, nooooooo. :-O
The Beach Boys did play on 3/17/73 at Harder Stadium, not Rob Gym.
ReplyDeleteActually, it was in the gym - I was there and can verify that; there were no concerts held in Harder Stadium between the CSNY 1969 show and the Dead's May 20, 1973 show.
ReplyDeleteThe Beach Boys DID play in Harder Stadium on 3/23/1975, however.
ReplyDeleteNice to see several of the shows that I produced for the Associated Students appear on your list. Producing shows in Robertson Gym was a real "challenge" on a number of occasions. It was a wonderful time in music history. Glad to see that you are attempting to memorialize the part that Santa Barbara played in the grander scheme of things.
ReplyDeleteAnother reply to Wolf - is there anything you produced, either at UCSB or anywhere else in the area, that I have missed?
DeleteYou're right about the 3/23/75 BB show. I found a ticket stub. I thought for sure I saw them at the stadium, but by '75 I was already living in SF, so apparently not.
ReplyDeleteAnother stub shows this show at Campbell Hall, not Rob Gym: 5/8/73 - Boz Scaggs, John Buckley
Note to Wolf:
ReplyDeleteAnything I missed?
Note to BFrank:
John Buckley?
Thanks for the Boz Scaggs date; will enter.
Grateful Dead The Illustrated Trip lists a Friday, January 17, 1969 concert venue unknown. The website archive.org lists the concert as taking place at the Santa Barbara Civic Auditorium. Is that a non-extant venue nowadays, or did someone get the name wrong, or...
ReplyDeleteFunny you should ask; I've tried to figure that one out for many years, as I don't remember any such show, and, as far as I'm aware, there never was a Santa Barbara Civic Auditorium. I do have a soundboard recording of the show, so the Dead evidently played on that date, but I remain clueless as to the locale. One possibility is that is took place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and somewhere along the line the name got mangled.....
ReplyDeleteAnyone else have a clue?
June 1969 found Jim Salzer Concerts presenting "Free" (with Paul Rodgers), "Bonnie and Delaney" Bramlett, and "Blind Faith" (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Stevie Winwood and Rick Gretch) outdoors in concert in the EWS Rodeo Bldg. It was my 1st concert since returning from Vietnam. The concert was serupticiously recorded and I have a copy of that "white" album.
ReplyDeleteSteve
I already have the Blind Faith and Free sets, but I'd love to hear the Bonnie and Delaney.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post! Brings back memories. The Cream and Electric Flag was the loudest concert I have ever attended.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall Loggins & Messina being at the Seals & Crofts concert (May 5, 1972), but my memory may be a little foggy after 44 years, if you know what I mean. :)
ReplyDeleteI found your blog by searching for Little Emo, by the way. I was a photo lab technician at Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Lompoc, at the time, and me and my friend and co-worker, Ralph, were at both the Seals & Crofts concert and a few gigs that Little Emo played in Isla Vista and Santa Barbara. We were at a free concert they did solo in IV one day and then we saw them as the warm up band for It's a Beautiful Day, Paul Butterfield's Better Days and Poco at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, summer of 1973, I believe. Probably in June. Ralph and I got a gig shooting band porttraits of Little Emo at a house in the woods somewhere in Santa Barbara County, once. It was a big rambling old house and the violinist for the band was in the middle of posing for a commercial photographer when Ralph and I arrived there. The photo shoot was for a publicity still he needed for his entry in a country fiddle competition. I recall he was dressed up in a red checked gingham shirt, jeans and a straw hat and posed with one foot on a bale of hay. The photographer asked him to "look more country," and the violinist (sorry, don't recall his name, but I remember the bassist, Al) smiled something that was like a cross between Roy Clark and Buck Owens and we all laughed out loud and the photographer said, "Ummm.....a little TOO country, I think."
I recall needing to pee, at some point, so I went into the house looking for a bathroom and stumbled upon a guy in bed with two teenage girls, so I asked where the bathroom was and the girls laughed. That's about all I recall from that experience. At the Santa Barbara County Bowl, one of my buddies, "Doc" nearly tripped over a nude couple making love on the grass as we were walking to the restroom facility. We found a couple of teenage girls were in the toilet stalls when we got inside and some of the guys waiting in line thought that was funny that they were in the men's room.
Thanks for the story!
ReplyDeleteDennis--
ReplyDeleteThanks for your staying power on this blog.
I have posters for 2/7/71 John Sebastian/Poco/Jo Mama, 9/30/73 Taj Mahal/Jackson Browne, 4/7/74 Eagles/Jesse Colin Young, and 1/12/75 Linda Ronstadt/Batdorf and Rodney. I also have posters for two shows you don't have listed: 12/2/70 Sha-na-na (CH) and 1/10/71 Jazz Crusaders/Dick Gregory (RG). I recall Sweetwater doing a free show at Storke Plaza.
Some additional info and a wonderful memory. The 2/13/75 Tower of Power, Taj Mahal show: Walking home from the library, I heard music and walked over to Rob Gym and discovered a free concert as one of the acts was delayed in getting to the venue. Tower of Power was playing and was incredibly tight. The 10/3/71 Chuck Berry show: Chuck had the crowd sing “My Dingaling” with the men singing the first word and the women the second… The 2/7/71 Sebastian/Poco/Jo Mama show: Sebastian in tie-dye recorded “You Hadda Be There” live album and Jo Mama was introducing “J is for Jump” album both of which I have in vinyl.
I was working at the closest liquor store to IV and filled out the concert liquor orders for AS with a little extra. Returning the favor, the concerts director (Wolf?) saw me standing in line for 11/1/75 Bruce Springsteen and took me in through a side entrance and put me in the front row center left for the concert, so I have an unused ticket $3.50.
Again, thanks so much for this blog, James
I appreciate your positive comments, James; this really has been a labor of love, remembering and fleshing out a period of time that musically, couldn't possibly gotten any better. I will add the new dates and performers after the holidays, and eventually, I hope to add to some of the entries with what I remember of the shows. Would you happen to have any idea of when Sweetwater played Storke Plaza?
DeleteI'm thinking 1970 or 1971 for Sweetwater playing Storke Plaza because I went out and bought their only album at the time which was released in 1970.
DeleteBesides the Bruce experience which was a moment in a life, the Dead shows in 1973 and 1974 were day-long events stay with me.
Yes, the Tower of Power show was great. Larry Graham laid down amazing bass lines and the band was really tight.
DeleteImportant to remember the Eagles opened for Jesse Colin Young, who was very popular at the time in SB ("Ridgetop"). The Eagles had only one album out and "Take It Easy" was their current single. They sang and played well but I remember being unimpressed by the lack of any improvisation or deviation from the recorded versions of the songs.
The Eagles never really, throughout their performing career, changed the note by note duplication of their studio recordings on stage. Their performance at UCSB was the only time I attended one of their shows....
DeleteI've entered your additions in my chronology and am thinking that Sweetwater might have been in April 1971 around the time they played at the Granada? Thanks for your great recollections - I too was at the Springsteen show and was absolutely riveted by his performance. The 5/20/73 Dead show remains one of my favorites, along with another 3 set show at Kezar the next week.
ReplyDeleteOne more from the deep recesses of my memory. Shuggie Otis played Storke Plaza for free. A guitar playing roommate got me there saying the guy was a prodigy/must see. Shuggie was born in 1953, began his career at 15, playing as a session guitarist for Al Kooper’s Kooper Session in 1969 and as the bassist for Frank Zappa on “Peaches en Regalia” on Hot Rats in 1969 before releasing his first solo album Here Comes Shuggie Otis in 1970. I know from a poster that Shuggie opened for BB King (who said Shuggie was hot) and Steppenwolf at Anaheim January 24, 1971, so it's likely that Shuggie played Storke around that time. You are going to have to visit the Daily Nexus morgue in person--it's not searchable online.
ReplyDeleteI am sitting at home in Philly watching the movie about Hendrix playing Byron (outside of Atlantic) and remembering the concerts I saw when I was a student at UCSB from 1967 to 1971. The ones I really and dearly remember:
ReplyDeleteHendrix and the Soft Machine at the gym in 1968 (which you list)
Door at Earl Warren in 1968 or 79
Janis Joplin and Country Joe at the gym (1969)
Jefferson Airplane at Earl Warren
The Dead…at least twice…once in the gym and again at Earl Warren?
Hendrix was unbelievable…I recall him saying "here is a tune you might know" and playing the Star Spangled Banner.
and Janis Joplin doing "Ball and Chain" in the gym while drinking from a pint flask.
Dennis. Thinking of Chuck Berry's Oct. '71 show at UCSB brought me to your excellent site. I wellnrelember being down close for Chuck's duckwalk, his care-less attitude as he transitioned from one song to another, leaving the backing band struggling, even a pre-hit version of "My Ding-a-Ling." After that I was at virtually every show you list through '75. I was selling tickets at Morninglory Music from '73 on so had good access. Will have to check my old stubs to see if I can add anything. A couple of highlights stand out: Mike Love singing "It was down in Isla VEESTA where the police felt so harassed..." and as you say, the crowd went wild. The Dead's wall of sound at the stadium in '74. Wasted halfway thru the show, we walked back to our Del Playa apartment and heard every note sitting outside overlooking the beach -- that's how loud and clear the sound was. And at the Springsteen show, the week he was on the cover of Time magazine, crowding down so close to the stage that Bruce reached down and touched by girlfriend's outstretched hand. Some unforgettable moments and you have helped me reconstruct others that had slipped under the surface. Thanks, man! John S.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Johnny! I do remember Chuck Berry's backup band (a local Santa Barbara group, per Berry's touring MO of not traveling with his own band) struggling to play even the basic Berry tunes. I too attended most of the shows in the chronology, from my high school through my college years at UCSB, and I often marvel at the fine, fine music we were lucky enough to be there for.
DeleteI was there for that Beach Boys concert at Robertson Gym in March 1973. It was my favorite concert ever - by far. Can’t believe it was 45 years ago!
ReplyDeleteAnd the description was spot on: The Beach Boys play a sock hop in the gym - pandemonium from start to finish.
Easily in the top ten of all shows I ever attended. One of the first ticket stubs I ever kept and still have.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, 45 years ago boggles the imagination.....
DeleteThe concert poster:
Deletehttp://www.expressobeans.com/visual/IS.php?t=lg&id=191881
When I initially posted this Beach Boys show there was some doubt that it ever happened - it was not at that time listed in several authoritative concert chronologies. Later, I was able to find written documentation, and then a few years after that I came across my ticket stub. Thanks so much for the link to the poster!
DeleteThe show listed for 18Oct75, Allman Bro./Dave Mason/Little Feat was at the UCSB football field. Allmans and Mason were both excellent but Little Feat stole the show playing as the 1st of 3 acts that afternoon. They did THREE encores. Seriously. Audience did not want them to leave the stage lol
ReplyDeleteListing updated; thanks so much for your help!
ReplyDelete...great little log...thanx for doing this...as a former Ventura County boy who played a couple of the EWSG dates, I'd like to set a couple of memories straight...I was lead guitarist and backup vocalist for a Ventura group known as "what's Left?''...the band only lasted through the year 1966 and we played a lot of tunes by the Byrds, Yardbirds .Beau Brummels and others...We knew Jim Salzer and played a couple of his gigs, namely...with the Yardbirds in '67 and the '66-'67 New Years Eve concerts...I knew a lot of the local players at the time and have a pretty good memory so, for those who care, please note the follwing: Yes, the Yardbirds played two gigs on the same nite in '66-the first at Ventura High School Auditorium (with the Del Rayz and my good friends the late Danny Wilson and Tom Dungan-as well as Dr.Jimmy Chappel and Tom Carlson) I was informed at the time that the Yardbirds had their own equipment setup using Sunn amps. One thing is fer sure...the didn't drive up with their equipment because the used the opening act equipment in Santa Barbara. 'This is how I can honestly report that Jimmy Page played through my amplifier!...which happened to be a Vox Royal
ReplyDeleteGuardsman...50 watts, 2 12" speakers and all transistorized...Page hated it and so did I once I discovered how much better a Fender Bassman sounded. My band What's left opened with a set, then captain speed/Turquoise/English Sound Project played I remember their great guitarist the late Buddy Smith as well as A. Both bands played 2 sets before the Yardbids.lan Thornhill(also great and now well known locally)
...ok..didn't know I was runnin' outta room...a correction...we played the 1966 date with Yardbirds and ESP[etal]..the other gig at EWSG wa with the Leaves(of HEY Joe notariety) and a teener band called the Decades featuring my very good friend the late Larry Nass,. who turned into a world-class guitarist in his own right.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updates; I will add this information the next time I update. Great memories!
ReplyDelete...next day...more corrections...Alan Thornhill, not Ian...
DeleteAlan was a high school friend of mine....
DeleteI went to UCSB from 1977-1980. Saw the Fleetwood Mac show
ReplyDeletein 1977 (where Stevie Nicks left the stage during Landslide). If you really want a good accounting of the shows at UCSB in the 70's...check out the 'Daily Nexus' archive thru the UCSB library at....https://www.library.ucsb.edu/ucsb-daily-nexus-and-antecedent-newspapers
Dan Apple
Palo Alto, CA
Thank you so much for that link - I've waited for it for years, primarily for the El Gaucho back issues. I started attending shows at UCSB while still in high school in Ventura County, and continued throughout my college days there from 1969-1974. Although my list of shows is pretty inclusive, there were always some dates that I'm sure I missed. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteNo worries....I was in San Raphael dorm at the time. The Nexus published almost daily, so a very good resource for all that happened back in the day.
ReplyDeleteI’ve already started going through the El Gauchos. Did the online access come about fairly recently? The last time we visited the area (a couple of years back) I inquired about access, but at that time it was available only at the library.
ReplyDeleteActually, I just discovered it recently, so don't
ReplyDeleteknow when it was made available. But it does chronicle the school pretty well over the years.
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ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read the issues from the bank burning era...
ReplyDeletePer the IV show of CSNY: I remember I had a great time although the weather was not good - kinda drizzly. Sweetwater was very good and CSNY was SUPERB! Also, at the Blind Faith concert in 1969 Delaney & Bonnie & friends joined Blind Faith for an encore ("Sunshine of Your Love") but the tune must have exceeded the curfew because in the middle of the song the amps were unplugged and the arena lights came on. BUMMER!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments!
ReplyDeleteI saw Iron butterfly and Blues Image in 49 or 70 at the GYM. I don't see it IDed in any source?
ReplyDeleteIron Butterfly played outdoors in the horse arena at Earl Warren on March 1, 1969, (with the Santana Blues Band) and that show does appear on my list of Earl Warren shows. That information came from the promoter’s records. I don’t believe they ever played Robertson Gym, but I’ve been known to be wrong. Would you happen to have a ticket stub or ad from the Daily Nexus for that show? I would be happy to add that to my Robertson Gym list if it could be documented.
DeleteYes but I saw them in the Gym with Blues Image.
DeleteMy best friend was with me and we drove up from Santa Paula listing to Lead Zep. Iron opened with a recording of 2001 A Apace Odyssey turn up so loud it rocked the building.
Deleteand....BINGO - The first hit on a Google search shows a handbill for December 12, 1969 Iron Butterfly/Blues Image show in Robertson Gym. Thanks you so much for your pointer; I will add that gig to my chronology when as soon as I have a chance.
DeleteThat show did not show up in either of the two concert listings (one compiled by the promoter and one compiled by a photographer who shot most of the concerts in Santa Barbara at the time) for Robertson Gym that I received in researching this blog. BUT, that wouldn't be the first time an unknown show has surfaced in the process of compiling these dates. When I have a chance I will see if I can find documentation, either from a chronology of Iron Butterfly shows, or an ad in the local media. I won't generally list a show until I have at least an approximate date and some documentation.
ReplyDeleteGood I'm still grounded. Thanks,
DeleteYou are indeed! Thanks for your help!
DeleteNailed down the Johnny Otis show featuring Shuggie Otis free concert in Storke Plaza November 13, 1971 courtesy of searching the Daily Nexus.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thank you profusely for that! I need to spend some time in the Nexus files.
DeleteSadly, the creator of this page Dennis D. passed away just before Halloween 2021. Please send good thoughts to his family. He was a great person. Here's his obituary:
ReplyDeleteLa Mesa, Ca - Dennis Lee Donley - July 19, 1950 to October 25, 2021. Born in Port Hueneme, CA, Dennis graduated from Hueneme High School in 1968, received a B.A. in History (with Honors) from UC Santa Barbara in 1973, where he also earned a California Standard Teaching Credential. He went on to earn a California School Librarian Credential and a Masters in Library Science degree from San Jose State University.
He worked as a school librarian in the San Diego Unified School District from 1975-2009, primarily at Point Loma High and Hoover High. In addition he taught part-time for California State University, Los Angeles, and was involved in the Adult Education program at San Diego City Schools for over three decades, serving as a teacher, a librarian and a writer of curriculum, as well as coordinating independent studies. He managed a distance-learning program at Hoover well before the Covid- 19 days. He worked as a part-time reference librarian at Cuyamaca College for several years, and in retirement worked part-time as a librarian for the City of San Diego from 2012-2020.
Dennis loved to read, surf (well, once upon a time) watch baseball and listen to live music. His musical tastes were wide-ranging, but most of all he loved the Grateful Dead, attending well over 100 shows and contributing to several books on the band, including DeadBase and The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volumes 1-3 plus the Addendum. He authored a blog chronicling the Ventura and Santa Barbara Psychedelic Music Scene 1960-1975 based on primary sources (and his is wealth of knowledge from having attended so many of the shows he chronicled) and interviews with such pioneering promoters as Jim Salzer and Sepp Donahower
Most of all, he loved being with his family. From coaching youth sports to traveling to Sedona and Yosemite, to the annual Thanksgiving BBQ turkey dinner (cooked on a charcoal Weber kettle), family drives, baseball games and trips to the beach were frequent. Once he retired from full-time work, Dennis and Ruth began to travel to the Hawaiian Islands, making up for lost time by taking eleven trips in an eight-year period. Kauai was their favorite island, and he was known to remark that some of the finest moments of his life were spent walking on deserted Hawaiian beaches with Ruth.
He is survived by his wife (and prom date) of 49 years, Ruth, his mother, Joan, sister Debbie, children Eric & Evan, daughter-in-law Stephanie, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Other survivors include his beloved dog Maggie, and cat, Beanie
He is preceded in death by his father, Mickey, brother Dale, sister Deena, brother–in-law, Chris Morris, and wealth of beloved animal companions, including Gus, Shiva, Sadie, Mr. Jerry, Cherise and Toby. He loved his life and family and left nothing on the table.
In the words of Robert Hunter (lyricist for the Grateful Dead), he would like to "Thank you for a real good time."