October 22, 2013 - Pearl Jam - A view from behind of "Alive" - Wells Fargo

Steve Oakley and Paul Altobelli @ Pearl Jam Wells Fargo show, October 22, 2013

October 21, 2013 - Pearl Jam - My 360° view of "Alive" - Wells Fargo

My 360° view of "Alive" - Pearl Jam - 10/21/13 - Wells Fargo

April 17, 2013 – Ben Ottewell (of Gomez) – MilkBoy

Awesome acoustic show with Ben Ottewell of Gomez at the intimate yet noisy MilkBoy.  It was a perfect blend of fantastic guitar playing, one of the best rock and roll voices I've ever heard live, and great songs.  

Ben Ottewell - 78 Stone Wobble into Not Fade Away, April 17, 2013

April 13, 2013 – Black Crowes – The Electric Factory

Date April 13 2013
Band Black Crowes
Tour Lay Down with Number 13
Venue The Electric Factory
City Philadelphia
Who saw this show with me? Dave Frankel, Ian Messinger

Notes Nov 29, 1994 was the last time I saw the Black Crowes. The band's surprise performance at The Trocadero under the name O.D. Jubilee Band gave my friend, Dave, and I a great night of music and a wonderful story to tell. 19 years later I finally get to see them again with, coincidentally enough, Dave. I walked out of that show thinking that Chris Robinson may be one of the best frontmen of rock. He's up there with Eddie Vedder, Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, and Chris Cornel -- great rock singers with incredible stage presence. I couldn't take my eyes off him. Well, actually, I did, a few times to watch two young twentysomethings girls shaking their money makers with every song.

I look forward to seeing the Black Crowes again, with Dave, soon and not 19 years from now.

April 13, 2013 – Black Crowes – The Electric Factory

Setlist

1. My Morning Song
2. Stare It Cold (with Morning Song reprise)
3. Movin' On Down the Line
4. Medicated Goo (Traffic cover)
5. Good Friday
6. Wiser Time
7. She Talks to Angels
8. Whoa Mule
9. Thorn in My Pride
10. By Your Side
11. Remedy
12. Soul Singing
13. Jealous Again
14. Hard to Handle / Hush (Deep Purple cover)
15. Descending
16. Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (The Velvet Underground cover)
17. Boomer's Story (Ry Cooder cover)

June 17, 1980 – Genesis - The Spectrum

Date June 17, 1980
Band Genesis
Tour Duke Tour
Venue The Spectrum
City Philadelphia
Who saw this show with me? Tom Hartman

Notes My first concert: Genesis.

At this time in my life -- days out of 8th grade -- I was not a Genesis fan. But Tom Hartman was and he asked me to go with him. "Don't worry," he said, "my Mom will drive."

I don't remember much of the show except that our seats were not very good (3rd level, stage left) and there was a guy smoking something illegal near where we were sitting. I remember Tom saying, "I think its opium."

Looking at the setlist from that night and knowing what I know now about Genesis -- we saw a good show.  The band was still very young (Phil still had hair) and was just about to turn the corner into the main stream, radio friendly Genesis that (I'm embarrassed to say) I saw many times thereafter.  The 1980 Genesis was still "Art Rock" and music and happily the length of the song still mattered.

I can't remember how many concerts I saw in my life. But I'll always remember my first. Thanks Tom.

And thank you Mrs Hartman for the ride.

June 17, 1980 – Genesis - The Spectrum

Setlist

1. Deep In The Motherlode
2. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (Intro)
3. Squonk
4. One For The Vine
5. Behind The Lines
6. Duchess
7. Turn It Again
8. Duke’s Travels
9. Duke's End
10. The Lady Lies
11. Ripples
12. Misunderstanding
13. In The Cage
14. Slippermen
15. Afterglow
16. Follow You, Follow Me
17. Dance On A Volcano / Drum Duet
18. Los Endos

May 29, 1984 – David Gilmour - Tower Theatre

Date May 29, 1984
Band David Gilmour
Tour About Face
Venue Tower Threatre
City Upper Darby, PA
Who saw this show with me? Tim Weaver

Notes This show was memorable for the following reasons:

1. This was my very first concert at "The Tower" -- my favorite concert venue of all time.
2. In 1984 I never ever thought I'd see Pink Floyd live. What a thrill it was to hear "Money," "Run Like Hell," and "Comfortably Numb" live. The best part, the tickets were $10.50!
3. Tim Weaver and I sat in the VERY last row - upper balcony.
4. Gilmour's second guitar player was Mick Ralphs founding member of Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.

May 29, 1984 – David Gilmour - Tower Theatre

Setlist

1. Until We Sleep
2. All Lovers Are Deranged
3. Love On The Air
4. Mihalis
5. Cruise
6. Short And Sweet
7. Money
8. Out Of The Blue
9. Let's Get Metaphysical
10. You Know I'm Right
11. Run Like Hell
12. Blue Light
13. Murder
14. Comfortably Numb
15. I Can't Breathe Anymore

May 21, 1983 – The Kinks – Spectrum

Date March 18, 1983
Band The Kinks
Tour State of Confusion
Venue Spectrum
City Philadelphia, PA
Who saw this show with me? Tom Hartman, Ilene Esbitt Litz

Notes - I don't remember this show at all and I had a hard time finding anything at all on the web so I contacted Dave Emlen who runs http://www.kindakinks.net. He wrote back: "They played at the Spectrum on May 21st, 1983. It was rescheduled from the March 18th date, but I don't see a reason given in Doug Hinman's book. It's possible they had to push the tour back so they could finish the State of Confusion album."

83-03-18-kinks-spectrum

Setlist

1. Around The Dial
2. Definite Maybe (intro only)
3. State Of Confusion
4. The Hard Way
5. Destroyer
6. Yo-Yo
7. Come Dancing
8. Don't Forget To Dance
9. (Lola intro improvisation) / Lola
10. Superman
11. A Gallon Of Gas
12. Art Lover
13. Till The End Of The Day
14. Bernadette
15. All Day And All Of The Night
16. Pressure
17. Low Budget
18. Celluloid Heroes
19. You Really Got Me

May 21, 1983 – The Kinks – Spectrum

May 21, 1983 – The Kinks – Spectrum

May 21, 1983 – The Kinks – Spectrum

May 12, 1987 – U2 - Meadowlands Arena

Date May 12, 1987
Band U2
Tour The Joshua Tree
Venue Meadowlands Arena
City East Rutherford, NJ
Who saw this show with me? Ray Koob and about 50 WMMR listeners

Notes My first U2 was very spur of the moment and completely unexpected. I worked at WMMR in Philadelphia and the station was sending listeners to The Meadowlands to see U2. The promotions director, Ray Koob, had a few extra seats on the bus and asked me if I'd like to go. One minute I'm getting ready to go home and the next I'm on a bus heading to North Jersey to see one of the hottest bands in the world.

The show was, to put it simply, amazing. U2 was at their top of their game and loving every second of it. The band had transcended from a "new wave band" to rock superstars. They played eight songs for their new album The Joshua Tree including "With Or Without You." I recall Bono saying that Billboard had just announced that "With Or Without You" was the #1 song in the country. What a moment!

U2 closed the concert with "40." I remember as we walked out of the stadium everyone was still singing, "How long to sing this song?"

May 12, 1987 – U2 - Meadowlands Arena

Setlist

1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. I Will Follow
3. Trip Through Your Wires
4. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
5. MLK
6. The Unforgettable Fire
7. Bullet The Blue Sky
8. Running To Stand Still
9. Exit
10. In God's Country
11. Sunday Bloody Sunday
12. The Electric Co.
13. People Get Ready
14. Bad
15. October
16. Springhill Mining Disaster
17. New Year's Day
18. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
19. With Or Without You
20. "40"

April 24, 1987 – Deep Purple - Spectrum

Date April 24, 1987Band Deep Purple Tour The House of Blue Light World Tour Venue The Spectrum City Philadelphia, PA Who saw this show with me? Chris DeFranco

Notes As hard as I try I just can't remember this concert. It's probably because its almost identical to the Deep Purple show I saw in 1985. So, I'll write the same note: I don't remember much about this show other than the band broke into Jesus Christ Superstar during Strang Kind of Woman. I also remember the incredibly long Ian Paice drum and Jon Lord Hammond Organ solos.

Setlist 1. Highway Star 2. Strange Kind of Woman 3. The Unwritten Law 4. Drum Solo 5. Dead or Alive 6. Perfect Strangers 7. Hard Lovin' Woman 8. Child in Time 9. Difficult to Cure 
(Rainbow cover) 10. Keyboard Solo 11. Knocking at Your Back Door 12. Lazy 13. Black Night 14. Speed King - Encore - 15. Call of the Wild 16. Smoke on the Water

Deep Purple, San Diego 1987. Skip to 3:27 and you'll hear "Jesus Christ Superstar."

April 29, 1985 – Eric Clapton - Spectrum

Date April 29, 1985Band Eric Clapton Tour Behind the Sun Venue The Spectrum City Philadelphia, PA Who saw this show with me? Jay Friel

Notes This was a cool show because I gave out "Official WMMR Eric Clapton" guitar picks to thousands of fans who walked into the Spectrum. Sadly, whatever I kept for myself are long gone now.

Setlist 1. Tulsa Time 2. Motherless Children 3. I Shot the Sheriff 4. Same Old Blues 5. Blues Power 6. Tangled in Love 7. Behind the Sun 8. Wonderful Tonight 9. Steppin' Out 10. Never Make You Cry 11. She's Waiting 12. Something is Wrong with my Baby 13. Lay Down Sally 14. Badge 15. Let it Rain 16. Double Trouble 17. Cocaine 18. Layla 19. Forever Man 20. Further On Up the Road

Clapton, Hartford, May 1, 1985

Clapton, Hartford, May 1, 1985

Clapton, Hartford, May 1, 1985

April 2, 1988 – George Thorogood & The DE Destroyers – Spectrum

Date April 1, 1985Band George Thorogood and The Delaware Destroyers Venue Spectrum City Philadelphia, PA Who saw this show with me? Jeff Haessler

Setlist

1. Long Gone 2. Who Do You Love 3. Cocaine Blues 4. Born To Be Bad 5. No Particular Place To Go 6. Night Time 7. I Drink Alone 8. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer 9. I Really Like Girls 10. The Sky Is Crying 11. Madison Blues 12. Bad To The Bone 13. Move It On Over 14. Boogie Chillun 15. Willie And The Hand Jive 16. You Talk Too Much 17. Reelin' And Rockin'

March 20, 1991 – Grateful Dead – Capital Centre

Date March 20, 1991
Band Grateful Dead
Venue Capital Centre
City Landover, MD
Who saw this show with me? Linda Altobell

91-03-20-grateful-dead-capital-centre

Setlist

1. Feel Like a Stranger
2. Cold Rain and Snow
3. Little Red Rooster
4. Althea
5. Black-Throated Wind
6. Tennessee Jed
7. Music Never Stopped
8. Might as Well
9. Eyes of the World
10. Foolish Heart
11. Estimated Prophet
12. He's Gone
13. drums / space
14. The Other One
15. Wharf Rat
16. Sugar Magnolia
17. The Weight

March 16, 1990 – Grateful Dead – Capital Centre

Date March 16, 1990
Band Grateful Dead
Venue Capital Centre
City Landover, MD
Who saw this show with me? Ivan Eimer

90-03-16-grateful-dead-capital-centre

Setlist

1. Let the Good Times Roll
2. Touch of Grey
3. New Minglewood Blues
4. Peggy-O
5. Queen Jane Approximately
6. Loser
7. Black-Throated Wind
8. Bird Song
9. Blow Away
10. Scarlet Begonias
11. Estimated Prophet
12. Ship of Fools
13. Man Smart/Woman Smarter
14. drums
15. The Other One
16. Stella Blue
17. Sugar Magnolia
18. This Could Be the Last Time