Concert Reviews: 1981 - 1990
More concert recollections than you can shake a stick at

ROADMASTER April, 1981 IU-Havens Auditorium Kokomo, IN

014.
As I recall, this sort of homecoming concert was in support of Roadmaster's final studio album, Fortress. The band did an in-store meet and greet at Obidiah's, our local independent record store (later bought out by Karma). The set list was heavy on the new material along with favorites from Sweet Music and Hey World. A couple of days later, I was invited over to Steve MacNally's mom's house, where Steve was staying for a few days. It was pretty cool hanging out with him for the afternoon and listening to stories about the band. This was the last time I saw Roadmaster, although they reunited in Indianapolis for a few benefit shows in the 1980's. Steve MacNally died of cancer several years ago.

			TED NUGENT w/sg Krokus, Blackfoot June 27, 1981 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $7.50

015.
The ever touring, ever offensive Ted Nugent returned to Indianapolis with a three way bill featuring Southern style rock from Blackfoot, European hard rock from Krokus and the Motor City Madman for the show closer. This was another one of those shows where the acts didn't necessarily compliment each other. I think Nugent could have fit with Blackfoot or Krokus, but both left me trying to shift musical gears between shows. Blackfoot did not have a great deal of airplay, except the redundant Train Train for which they were most familiar. Krokus was very impressive to me and Ted was Ted -- by this time, his act was still enjoyable for all of it's Nugity fun, but starting to get a little old. He had toured with the same stage gimmick of playing Tarzan for many years and losing more clothes each time around. Now, all the way down to a loin cloth, coon tail and mocassin boots, it was starting to seem kind of weird to go see the guy play. But the show did feature Ted's guitar army and the merchandise booth had camo shirts that said Ted Nugent: Killer Elite.

		VAN HALEN w/sg The Fools July 09, 1981 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $10.00

016.
Not unlike the first Van Halen concert I attended, The Fools seemed like a group of impostors, paid and willing to perform horribly before Van Halen would take the stage. The trick worked because Van Halen was awesome once again. Armed with a new album which was heavier on the guitar sound, Van Halen played a set list designed to favor the newest material while managing a fair number of past classics. This was the last time I saw the band with original singer David Lee Roth.

		ZZ TOP w/sg Loverboy August 16, 1981 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $10.00

017.
This show was great for a couple of reasons. First, Loverboy was a brand new band that was being played on the local stations and at the time, the first album was pretty strong. I haven't listened to it for several years, so it may sound really dated today, but they were a welcome warm-up band for the show as far as I was concerned. I also remember the first Loverboy album sounding a lot less commercial than all the following Loverboy records. Second, ZZ Top was just monstrous as a headline performer. They planned the set list perfectly so that you were rocking all the way through the show. The lighting featured some laser effects and this was all pre-Eliminator era ZZ Top. And speaking of Eliminator, this El Loco phase of ZZ Top was somewhere between the classic ZZ Top of the past and the future ZZ Top that enjoyed so much commercial fame, largely due to their videos on MTV. So the set list was heavy on the classics and they played several cuts from El Loco - a bizarre little record indeed, even by ZZ Top standards.

		PAT BENATAR w/sg David Johansen August 19, 1981 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $8.50

018.
Sometimes I look back on this concert and wonder, "What was I thinking?" I'm not a Pat Benatar enthusiast by nature and I didn't even know who David Johanson was at that time. To the best of my recollection, I think I just happened to have the night off and decided to buy a ticket at the gate. As it turned out, David Johanson had sort of re-energized his career since leaving the New York Dolls. His live concerts were capped with his cover medley of We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Don't Bring Me Down/It's My Life. He had not yet transformed into the campy lounge crooner, Buster Poindexter. I recall little of Pat Benatar's set, other than she was a tenacious and tiny person who could belt out a lot of hits.

LABOR DAY JAM Roadmaster, Faith Band, Light, Nitelife September 07, 1981 Anderson Drive-In Anderson, IN Ticket: $15.00 per car

019.
Anderson Drive-In, typically a mecca for the perverts and adult movie hounds, was the unlikely site for Labor Day Jam, featuring local heroes, Roadmaster, Faith Band and Light. Local bar band Nitelife was also part of the bill. The deal was priced right at $15 per carload, so three of us split the ticket and drove over to Anderson with some beers, courtesy of Mom and Dad's refrigerator. We had odds and ends like a bottle or two of this and that. We had old school brands too, like Blatz, Schlitz, and Falstaff - boy those were the days! I could be wrong, but I think Light was an unsigned band. They had produced one album called Keys, which featured a YES-like album cover. I think they might also have been featured on a previous edition of Q95's Home Grown album project or maybe Home Grown II. Faith Band had a number of local favorite tunes, but clearly Put On Your Dancing Shoes was the big hit for them. Roadmaster closed the fest. They were definitely the biggest and most successful group on the bill. Hits like Sweet Music and Hey World were always part of their sets. I don't remember any merchandise being available fo rthis show, a huge disappointment and missed opportunity as far as I was concerned. Food and beverage were provided at the drive-in concession stand, which also featured some posters for up-coming movie attractions if you will.

		TRIUMPH w/sg Point Blank October 10, 1981 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $10.00

020.
There used to be this really cute blonde girl that managed one of the local independent record stores in my home town. This was the kind of record store that sold records, t-shirts, bongs (back when you could still call them bongs!) and of course they were one of the few local outlets for concert tickets. One day I was there and this girl was wearing a concert t-shirt from a Triumph show and this would have been around the Just A Game time period. She was saying what a great light show Triumph had and how incredible they were to see live. So, the next time they came around, I had to see for myself. When I heard they were playing close to my birthday, well there wasn't much stopping me either. I still kind of wish they had a better support act, but Point Blank was OK. They had a hit single called Nicole, so after tolerating most of there set, they could end with that and we could move on to the headline act. The light show was unbelievable for it's time. I think they used to call it The Blinding Light Show - but the set was packed with great music too. It is unfortunate that their sound hasn't been able to stand the test of time.

		FOREIGNER w/sg Billy Squier November 11, 1981 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $10.00

021.
I remember being one of the first to hear about this concert among the other bus boys at the local Elks club where I worked after school. Everybody wanted the night off for this one, but I asked first and got the OK to go. I had heard of Billy Squier from his earlier single, The Big Beat. from Tale Of The Tape. Now he was gaining even more exposure with several rockers from his new album, Don't Say No. Billy Squier was moving from small venues to arenas very steadily and the new album had strong airplay. Lonely Is The Night, In The Dark, The Stoke and Whaddaya Want From Me were delivered with style and energy deserving of the artist. I think Foreigner had an oversize jukebox prop on the stage for their hit single, Jukebox Hero. While I was not a Foreigner fan by nature, once they started rolling out the classics and hits, the concert was very enjoyable. Their current album, Four, represented the smaller, streamlined band format from the 6 piece that had created the debut album, Double Vision and Head Games. Scorned members Al Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi had already split to form the group, Spys.

		BLACK SABBATH w/sg Alvin Lee December 19, 1981 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $8.50

022.
Having snowed heavily for days, we weren't sure whether the show would be canceled or if we could even get to Indianapolis from Kokomo. The show did go on and we made the trip to Indianapolis in the snow. It was a treacherous night for travel and everyone was tracking snow and ice into the arena on their shoes. The steep concrete staircases inside the arena made for a slippery evening as well. A drunk slipped right next to us and landed on his back. His bottle of whiskey went airborne and splashed most of us in the vicinity. Imagine smelling like whiskey for the rest of the evening and the long drive home. Former Ten Years After guitarist, Alvin Lee was the least of our concerns. Black Sabbath, led by Ronnie James Dio at the time, burned through an impressive set drawn mainly from the albums, Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules. This would be Dio's last project with the band before embarking on his own solo career. Dio did cover a wide selection of the Osbourne era classics and the essence of the concert can be heard on the subsequent Black Sabbath album, Live Evil.

			OZZY OSBOURNE w/sg UFO, Starfighters February 11, 1982 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN

023.
Announced only minutes before showtime, UFO would not perform this night. Despite having their names printed on the actual ticket below headliner Ozzy Osbourne, there seemed to be some problem for the no-show. Nevertheless, Starfighters were a new and impressive band that prepared the crowd very well for Ozzy Osbourne. Along with guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads, Ozzy was an entertaining character at the very least and his gothic castle stage set was a fitting backdrop to the type of music he was playing back then. The set was heavy on the Rhoads material, consisting of Crazy Train and Over the Mountain, Mr. Crowley and Suicide Solution. Like the Black Sabbath concert, most of the set list is captured live. Check out Ozzy's Tribute To Randy Rhoads. Sadly, guitarist Rhoads died in a plane crash in Florida just a few short weeks following this Indianapolis appearance.

		SAMMY HAGAR w/sg Aldo Nova April 18, 1982 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN

024.
This might have been Sammy Hagar's first appearance back in Indianapolis since the Street Machine tour, when he was an opening act for Boston. Standing Hampton was Hagar's first new release on Geffen Records, where the artist found new energy and bolder songwriting. Two of my favorite moments during that show were Hagar's cover of Janis Joplin's Piece of My Heart and Led Zeppelin's Rock & Roll. Canadian rocker, Aldo Nova was also an interesting opening act, riding high on his debut release and radio single, Fantasy.

			RAINBOW w/sg .38 Special, Iron Maiden May 23, 1982 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN

025.
I'll never understand why 38 Special was part of this bill...another in the series of mismatched bands. Iron Maiden campaigned heavily in the Midwest and it worked, because they developed a loyal fanbase. I never quite got the Iron Maiden scene. I think I bought only one of their albums and it just wasn't my thing. I was there to hear Ritchie Blackmore. For as much talent as was part of Rainbow, it struck me that most of their studio albums only had a few moments, but none were stellar, must-have albums. Maybe this could be attributed to the instability of the band's roster. Nevermind all that, this concert was a "best of" their stronger material and Joe Lynn Turner was an ample singer to handle anything from the Dio and Coverdale eras. At least in the United States, Rainbow probably enjoyed their greatest popularity during the Turner era.

		HEART w/sg John Cougar Summer, 1982 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $8.50

026.
For this part of the country, the concert might as well have been billed John Cougar as the headline. He played an extra long set and this was just when he was breaking wide open at a national level. Heart had just released an uncharacteristically poor album, Private Auditions, which had very little airplay. Fortunately, their headline set focused on a greatest hits approach and they delivered very well.

			SCORPIONS w/sg Girlschool, Iron Maiden August 04, 1982 Indianapolis Convention Center Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $8.00

027.
The mates from Iron Maiden again. I think this was the third and final time I saw Iron Maiden, still touring in support of the same album, Number Of The Beast. The setlist was pretty much the same as it had always been. Girlschool was an interesting new act, sort of a bad girl Go-Go's gone metal. The Scorpions were especially great. They had been steadily building a string of solid hard rock albums, namely Lovedrive, Animal Magnetism and now Blackout. This is my favorite Scorpions era and the point where they gained a lot of momentum in the US before breaking wide open with Love At First Sting.

		QUEEN w/sg Billy Squier August 05, 1982 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN

028.
I missed the opportunity to see Queen on their tour of The Game. I had heard a lot about it and was anxious to see them perform live. Despite the bubblegum pop sound of their new album, the Hot Spaces tour presented an opportunity. The level of showmanship was on par with the best of anything I had seen before. In my opinion, this tour was probably the peak point between classic Queen and the less successful pop/disco Queen of the 1980's. Having collaborated with Queen on his past two albums, Billy Squier was a likely choice for support. His newest release, Emotions In Motion would be another important step in is career. I saw two performers at this concert who would take an early bow for that great gig in the sky. Obviously, Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury would die of AIDS complications 9 years later, November 1991. Long time Billy Squier drummer Bobby Chouinard, passed of a heart attack in 1997, age 44. He had also played and recorded with Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent and Peter Green.

		RUSH w/sg Rory Gallagher November 09, 1982 University of Dayton Arena Dayton, OH Ticket Price: $11.50

029.
Rush had become considerably more commercial since I had last seen them on the Permanent Waves tour. I missed seeing them on their Moving Pictures tour and this was an interesting opportunity for a college road trip. I had just met some new friends at art school and we had the idea of driving up to the University of Dayton from Cincinnati for the concert. Subdivisions was a popular new video on MTV at the time and Signals still ranks among my favorite Rush albums. This time, the band presented several shorter songs, in lieu of the epic length tracks from previous tours. The show was perhaps more rehearsed and the production much cleaner than before. SETLIST: Intro (Three Stooges theme first used) The Spirit of Radio, Tom Sawyer, Freewill, Digital Man, Subdivisions, Vital Signs, The Camera Eye, Closer to the Heart, Chemistry, The Analog Kid, Broon's Bane, The Trees, Red Barchetta, The Weapon, New World Man, Limelight, Countdown, Encore: 2112 (Overture/The Temples of Syrinx), Xanadu, La Villa Strangiato, In the Mood YYZ (Drum Solo) YYZ

I had never heard of Rory Gallagher prior to this concert, although later came to learn more about the body of his work as a blues artist. Gallagher too has passed on, having suffered complications from a liver transplant in 1995.

	GEORGE THOROGOOD December 04, 1982 Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $10.00

030.
I can recall listening to a radio interview several years before this concert, where George Thorogood was promoting his 50 states in 50 days tour. That sounded crazy to me, but then that's the way the old rockers did it in the 50's. I liked his aggressive versions of the great blues songs and of course by this time, Thorogood and his Destroyers had moved from the clubs to larger venues, largely on the success of his hit single, Bad To The Bone. There was no opening act, just Thorogood and his band who delivered just under 3 full hours of power blues. Thorogood filmed a live video in Cincinnati a few years later.

		KISS w/sg Night Ranger January 09, 1983 University of Dayton Arena Dayton, OH Ticket Price: $9.00

031.
The T-shirts and other merchandise boasted a 10th Anniversary of Kiss, but now in addition to Peter Criss being out of the group, Ace Frehley was missing in action as well. The spaceman graced the cover of Creatures Of The Night, however several stories from both he and the band confirmed that he did not actually play on the album. He had only loaned his likeness for the cover art to portray some sense of stability within an otherwise tenuous Kiss. Fans had pretty well accepted that drummer Peter Criss had been previously replaced by Eric Carr, an arguably better drummer who had donned the character of the fox to replace the catman. For live appearances, Ace was now replaced by Vinnie Vincent, who assumed the character of an Egyptian Ankh. Vincent's guitar playing was more sophisticated than Frehley's and added a new, more aggressive edge to the Kiss material. COTK was a stripped down rocker, probably Kiss' best effort since long before Dynasty. The costumes were now scaled back, keeping in step with the leaner Kiss for the 1980's. The stage was set up like a giant tank, with Carr's drumkit ensconced atop the turret. Kiss was sort of lost in time, a visual band from the start, now ironically having a lot of difficulty adapting to the MTV generation. This was frankly the lowest point that I ever saw Kiss and it boasted the smallest crowd. UD arena was barely populated when the house lights went down. Paul Stanley used the stage as a bully pulpit to rant and rave against their critics. The emotion translated to edge and grit, like the days prior to success. To the future benefit of the music, the band had to fight to hang on. SETLIST: Creatures Of The Night / Detroit Rock City / Calling Dr. Love / Firehouse / I Want You / I Love It Loud / Cold Gin / God Of Thunder / Love Gun / Drum Solo / War Machine / I Still Love You / Shout It Out Loud / Black Diamond / Rock And Roll All Nite.

Night Ranger was a welcome support act. They had canvassed the Cincinnati area a number of times promoting their debut album, Dawn Patrol. Additional interest was stirred by the fact that lead guitarist Brad Gillis had been a one time replacement for the late Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne's band. He can be heard on Ozzy's Speak Of The Devil album. Night Ranger's combination of hard rock and ballads worked well with the twin guitar approach of Gillis and Jeff Watson.

		BILLY SQUIER w/sg Def Leppard April 05, 1983 Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $10.00

032.
A radio DJ in Cincinnati locked himself inside the studio and played Everybody Wants You over and over and over. The stunt caught national attention and Billy Squier agreed to include Cincinnati on the U.S. leg of his Emotions In Motion tour. By this time, Squier was enjoying a great deal of success, having toured the U.S. with Queen and now two solid pop/rock albums from which to draw material. His concerts were straight forward rock and roll, powered by an ample band. Squier, not satisfied to rest on previous accomplishments, hired upcoming U.K. rockers Def Leppard to open the show. Having a hardworking support act on the bill forced Squier and his band to go to work even harder. Def Leppard was in the U.S. touring in support of their third album Pyromania, which would later catch fire internationally and launch the band into worldwide popularity.

		JOURNEY w/sg Bryan Adams April 13, 1983 Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $13.50

033.
This is one of those concerts you end up going to because your girlfriend really wants to go. I liked some Journey, certainly not all. I knew only a little bit about the Canadian born Bryan Adams at the time. Journey was at the pinnacle of their popularity. Sporting a light show that was easily ahead of it's time, Journey delivered a hits package, including prominent new radio singles such as Faithfully and Separate Ways. A few years later, singer Steve Perry would orchestrate the systematic destruction of the band. Bryan Adams had a couple of hits at the time including Cuts Like A Knife, This Time and Fits You Good. He struck me as kind of an asshole for kicking a beverage off the edge of the stage and onto the audience.

		ZZ TOP w/sg Zebra June 04, 1983 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $8.50

034.
Zebra was a guitar oriented hard rock band from New Orleans who favored influences such as Led Zeppelin and Triumph. It is easy to hear some resemblance to both in their one moderately successful track, Who's Behind The Door. Their 45 minute set consisted of tracks from their debut release. ZZ Top had just released Eliminator, but had not become the blockbuster, megaselling record that it ultimately was. They were still very much that little ol' band from Texas. The performance had become a little more showbiz, but still centered on the blues and a rich history of ZZ Top classics. Personally, I was never all that fond of most of the tracks on Eliminator or many of it's successors for that matter. Still this band always delivers a great show.

	NEIL YOUNG September 09, 1983 IU - Assembly Hall Bloomington, IN Ticket Price: $12.50

035.
As expected, an evening with Neil Young was a phenomenal performance...at least for the first two sets. With a stage set designed like a large living room, complete with fireplace, Young was relaxed and comfortable. Surrounded by a semi-circle of stringed instruments including guitars and banjos, Young made his way from his chair to replace one guitar and select another. On occasion he would amble to one of two different pianos, playing what seemed like a random selection of acoustic songs. Pianos, harmonicas, banjos and guitars, Neil Young was free to play what he felt, free from Crazy Horse and other trappings. Anyone who has followed Young for any length of time knows that with Neil Young comes surprises - some good and some not so good. This night was no different, as the third set presented Neil Young transformed into the woefully bad Neil Young and The Shocking Pinks, a tongue-in-cheek rockabilly act that could hardly be taken seriously. SETLIST: Comes A Time / Love Is A Rose / Down By The River / Too Far Gone / Only Love Can Break Your Heart / Old Ways / Old Man / Helpless / Dance, Dance, Dance / Heart Of Gold / Don't Be Denied / Sail Away / Powderfinger / Ohio / After The Gold Rush / I Got A Problem / My My, Hey Hey / Mr. Soul / Sugar Mountain / Jellyroll Man / Wonderin' / Payola Blues / Get Gone / Don't Take Your Love Away From Me / Everybody's Rockin' / Do You Wanna Dance?

		HEART / KANSAS December 01, 1983 Hara Arena Dayton, OH Ticket Price: $12.50

036.
I think this was supposed to have been a co-headline bill, but after so much time, I cannot recall who finished the show on this particular night. Singer Steve Walsh had elected to leave Kansas to pursue solo efforts with Streets and the band replaced him with a then unknown vocalist, John Elephante. Drastic Measures was Elephante's second outting with Kansas and they had scored well on the new album with the radio singles Everybody's My Friend and Fight Fire With Fire. Following the hitless Private Auditions album, Heart had returned to the front with Passionworks and a new, edgier rock single, How Can I Refuse. Their live concert featured this along with a number of past hits, including Barracuda, Even It Up and Straight On.

			BLUE OYSTER CULT w/sg Aldo Nova, Dokken December 16, 1983 Indianapolis Convention Center Indianapolis, IN

			KISS w/sg Queensryche, Heaven February 21, 1984 Hara Arena Dayton, OH Ticket Price: $10.00

038.
This was the inaugural tour for the new-look Kiss, sans make-up. The step they promised would never happen helped jump-start their career and credibility in the 80's, along with hot new licks from Vinnie Vincent. Taking off the make up would eventually prove to make Kiss just like any number of other 80's metal bands, except for the fact that losing the costumes also gave the band newfound energy on stage. Paul Stanley was more athletic than ever without the heavy boots. SETLIST: Creatures Of The Night / Detroit Rock City / Cold Gin / Fits Like A Glove / Firehouse / Gimme More / War Machine / I Love It Loud / I Still Love You / Drum Solo / Young And Wasted / Love Gun / All Hell's Breakin' Loose / Black Diamond / Lick It Up / Rock And Roll All Nite.

With extra media coverage on Kiss, this was a big opportunity for new acts as well. Queensryche introduced Dayton to an all new metal sound and Heaven was a welcome addition to the fracas. Heaven was an Aussie metal act that managed a little bit of brief exposure in the United States with a single & video of their Bob Dylan cover, Knocking On Heaven's Door. (Yes, this was long before Guns N Roses did it).

	YES April 13, 1984 Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $12.75

039.
When the house lights were dimmed, the audience was treated to a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon, projected on a large cinematic screen before the band took to the stage. Touring in support of their release, 90125, this was the rejuvenated, 1980's Yes, featuring Trevor Rabin instead of the departed Steve Howe on guitar. Tony Kaye returned to replace Rick Wakeman on keyboards, Alan White, Jon Anderson and Chris Squire anchored the lineup. Yes was fully prepared to move into a new era, changing the sound, the album art direction and embracing video and other technology. The result was very successful, evidenced by concert ticket sales. The show itself demonstrated a new laser light show, complete with midair graphics rendered high above the audience. Obviously the set list concentrated on the many singles from the new album, but also offered a number of classics, which newcomer Trevor Rabin handled very well. SETLIST: Cinema, Leave It, Yours Is No Disgrace, Hold On, Hearts, I've Seen All Good People, (Kaye Solo) Solly's Beard, Changes, And You And I, Soon, Make It Easy/Owner Of A Lonely Heart, It Can Happen, Long Distance Runaround/Whitefish/Amazing Grace, City Of Love, Starship Trooper, Roundabout

	DAVID GILMOUR June 07, 1984 Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: COMP

040.
Originally billed as David Gilmour w/sg Ice House, but the opening act did not appear. I won these tickets at a nightclub near the UC campus. The place was called Burgundy's. It was an art contest of sorts to see who could draw a picture representing what a Pink Floyd might look like if in fact there was such a thing. I had drawn this picture of a guy blowing his mind, his face expressing craziness. By show of crowd applause, I won the tickets, along with a bunch of promotional stuff for the movie, Streets of Fire. Since the concert was held near the end of the school year, it was difficult finding anyone to go to the show, because everyone was busy studying for finals. I didn't care, at the time it didn't appear as though PF would ever tour again and I wasn't going to miss what appeared to be a rare opportunity. So, I had this problem, everybody was studying and I didn't have transportation. Bus routes to and from the venue weren't an option. I found someone who could go from the art school and he had a car. Gilmour's band was outstanding. They performed many songs from Gilmour's two solo efforts, saving two Pink Floyd numbers for the encores. Comfortably Numb had the sold out crowd on it's feet.

	GRATEFUL DEAD June 30, 1984 Indianapolis Sports Center Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $12.50

041.
In college, I was becoming increasingly exposed to many other kinds of music. I had tried to listen to the Dead while in high school, but it wasn't my thing. Having admired the album art over the years, it just didn't seem to me then that the art went with the music on Blues For Allah. Today, I see things differently, but I didn't get it three years before this concert. The Sports Center is among my favorite venues in Indianapolis. They formerly held the Clay Court Tennis Tournament there and the courts were surrounded by these giant clay pots filled with red geraniums. That was a perfect setting for the deadheads. I recall this concert being a bit of a lackluster performance. This wasn't one of the best years for the Grateful Dead. Among the tape trading community, this show is not recommended and scarcely available anyway. SETLIST: [Set 1]: Jack Straw, Dire Wolf, Minglewood Blues, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Far From Me, Esau, Ramble On Rose, Sailor, Saint Stephen, Deal [Set 2]: Shakedown, Playin' In The Band, Terrapin Station, (Drums/Space) Playin' In The Band, Truckin', Spoonful, Stella Blue, One More Saturday Night [Encore:] Day Job

		NEIL YOUNG & THE INTERNATIONAL HARVESTERS w/sg Jesse Colter September 21, 1984 Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $10.00

042.
I don't think you'll ever see the same version of Neil Young two tours in a row. For this outting, he had decided to go country, but the shows neither appealed much to country fans nor rock fans. Country versions of Powderfinger and Down By The River lacked enthusiasm without Crazy Horse. The country songs lacked authenticity from a rock-n-roll artist. Neil was lost in time. This was a late September outdoor concert, drenched in a heavy autumn rain storm. We had lawn seats, but snuck into the pavilion to keep dry. There were plenty of seats, because a lot of fans were leaving midway through the show. SETLIST: Are You Ready For The Country? / Love Is A Rose / Comes A Time / Hawks And Doves / Bound For Glory / Fingers / Are There Any More Real Cowboys? / Amber Jean / Heart Of Gold / Too Far Gone / Roll Another Number / Southern Pacific / The Needle And The Damage Done / Helpless / California Sunset / It Might Have Been / Flying On The Ground Is Wrong / Soul Of A Woman / Field Of Opportunity / Old Man / Powderfinger / Get Back To The Country / Four Strong Winds / [Encore:] Down By The River

		BILLY SQUIER w/sg Ratt November 03, 1984 Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $12.50

043.
A new breed of L.A. based rock was happening. The world would later refer to them as "big hair bands". Among them were many groups who would never reach the golden ring, however Ratt seemed to hold some promise. Early on their debut release, Out Of The Cellar demonstrated a certain energetic style with solid rock melodies. Their slogan was "Ratt & Roll" which worked well for T-shirt merchandising. They were on their way up, however the headliner was on his way down. I will remember this as Billy Squier's last headline arena tour. Why? Because of an ill-advised video for the single Rock Me Tonight - complete with one Billy Squier prancing around and tearing his petal pink clothes off in front of the camera. Rumors spread quickly that Squier might be gay and his male fanbase was instantly ruined. It was no longer cool to like Billy Squier if you were a guy. In the past, some might have said it was marginally cool then, now it was definitely uncool. His concert was not unlike past concerts, with the addition of some new material, but the video was alienating Squier from any future success.

		SAMMY HAGAR w/sg Krokus November 07, 1984 Hara Arena Dayton, OH Ticket Price: $12.50

044.
The album VOA will forever be remembered for the single, I Can't Drive 55. It was here that Sammy Hagar became a love or hate household name. By now, Hagar's live show had plenty of solo and old Montrose material to draw from. Fans were treated to old classics such as Rock Candy and Bad Motor Scooter, as well a greatest hits of his 80's material. Krokus was also beginning to peak at this time and their One Vise At A Time LP was a solid improvement over past releases.

		KISS w/sg W.A.S.P. December 13, 1984 Hara Arena Dayton, OH Ticket Price: $11.00

045.
I remember hearing Heaven's On Fire on the radio for the first time. My friend Andy (not a Kiss fan) was impressed by the intro vocal. I wouldn't rate most of the other tracks on Animalize as strong as Heaven's On Fire, but a worthwhile effort nonetheless. This was Kiss' second outting without make-up and costumes and their third lead guitarist change. Mark St John replaced Vinnie Vincent amid rumors that Vincent was fired. Mark St John had the unfortunate circumstance of arthritis in his hands and was unable to play most of the live dates on the tour. Bruce Kulick then became the group's fourth guitarist and played with them at this concert. With the addition of new songs to the set list, the show was quite similar to the Lick It Up tour. SETLIST: Detroit Rock City / Cold Gin / Creatures Of The Night / Fits Like A Glove / Heaven's On Fire / Under The Gun / War Machine / Drum Solo / Young And Wasted / I Love It Loud / I Still Love You / Love Gun / Black Diamond / Oh Susannah / Lick It Up / Rock And Roll All Nite.

Blackie Lawless and WASP were kind of a below par group to open a Kiss concert. I didn't really enjoy their music or their image. It just appeared to have a real limited life span to me. I was right.

	AUTOGRAPH January 21, 1985 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $7.75

046.
The weather had become pretty bad outside, with a freezing rain storm building most of the afternoon. Cincinnati is not a city well prepared for winter weather. Fortunately, my friends and I lived within walking distance of the venue and we were able to attend. The place was mostly empty, as other fans were shut in from the ice. I had purchased their debut album, so I was already familiar with the set list. These guys rocked! We were up at the front of the stage, shared our pitchers of beer with the band and had a great time. My friend Steve won a contest to get a copy of the album signed by all members of the band. Due to a planning error, they had no copies of the album on hand and the manager agreed to have MCA send him 5 or 6 new albums by mail.

		DEEP PURPLE w/sg Girlschool March 13, 1985 Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $12.50

047.
This was a reunion of sorts bringing back the classic line up of Deep Purple and signaling the end of Rainbow. Perfect Strangers was a solid album with plenty of heavy riffs and the band delivered a hits driven set list with polish and style. This was the first time I had seen a liquid light show, which was an appropriate backdrop to the classic, Child In Time. The set also included one of my all time favorite DP tracks, Lazy. Here's a nice twist to the evening as well: My best friend from high school came to visit me during his college spring break, which was offset from my spring break. He brought along a little extra in the party supplies category, so we were pretty well lit on hash the whole time he was there. We got ready (so to speak) to drive out to the venue for this show and I was being especially careful driving, as I always do while stoned. We approached an exit ramp which went down a slope and curved to a stop light at the bottome of the hill. As we descended the slope, I applied the brake and found that my brake light came on and we were not slowing down. At the bottom of the ramp waiting was a red traffic light and a few stopped cars ahead of us. I flipped out and di d the only thing an irrationally stoned drive could do, pump wildly on the brake pedal! That worked. Somehow we managed to get through the traffic to the venue and parked in a gravel lot. I fully expected to leave the show and find my master cylinder drained of

		KISS w/sg Black 'N' Blue March 24, 1985 Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $12.00

048.
Same tour, different venue, not much different than last time, but still an exciting show! The interesting thing here is Tommy Thayer, lead guitarist of Black N Blue, would later become a personal manager for Gene Simmons, then manage Kiss, then become the permanent replacement for Ace Frehley for all live appearances following the Farewell tour. SETLIST: Detroit Rock City / Cold Gin / Creatures Of The Night / Fits Like A Glove / Heaven's On Fire / Under The Gun / War Machine / Drum Solo / Young And Wasted / I Love It Loud / I Still Love You / Love Gun / Black Diamond / Oh Susannah / Lick It Up / Rock And Roll All Nite.

		SAMMY HAGAR w/sg Dokken April 05, 1985 Hara Arena Dayton, OH Ticket Price: $12.50

049.
Same Sammy Hagar tour, different venue, not much different than last time, but again an exciting show! The interesting story here is the support act Dokken, who were extremely impressive this time. Tooth and Nail was a strong album featuring some solid radio singles. This was an exceptionally good bill.

FIONA May 05, 1985 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: COMP

050.
A very talented young lady who could rock with the best, but didn't really catch fire in many ways. If you mention Fiona today, people immediately assume you're talking Fiona Apple. Not so. Fiona Flannagan was her name and she gave a solid show at Bogart's. Her style was tenacious and tough. She reminded me a lot of a young Pat Benatar. Fiona would end up doing a duet with Kip Winger later on, but that was about the end of her career as a rock starlet.

FLASH KAHAN June 04, 1985 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: COMP

051.
Even shorter lived success than Fiona was Flash Kahan, another free show at Bogart's. They had one radio single called One At A Time which wasn't a bad song. If you bought that album expecting to hear other songs with a similar style, you would have been surprised to find some doo-wop pop. They weren't that great as evidenced by the fact that this was their first, last and only album together.

	DIRE STRAITS July 02, 1985 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga, OH Ticket Price: $10.00

052.
A lot of personal notes can be added about this concert. We were living in Cincinnati at the time. Through my friend Andy, I had become a Dire Straits fan only a year before Brothers In Arms was released. For us, this was a much anticipated album. We had played the older stuff over and over and we were eager to hear something new. We heard that Dire Straits would play Blossom Music Center near Cleveland and made arrangements to get lawn tickets. Of course, Money For Nothing was a successful radio single and it revolutionized MTV, but to the best of my recollection, the album had not yet become the worldwide blockbuster that everyone remembers. The drive from Cincinnati to Cleveland is along one, seven hours I think. Four of us were going and we spent the weekend at Rob's mother's condo in Bratenahl. Because Rob was going to remain in Cleveland for another week or so, we took two cars. I rode with Rob and his golden retriever, Newton. Rob drove an old blue Pinto, the dog was plenty large enough for the back seat and the three of us made unusual traveling companions at best. Campbell rode in Andy's car. The weekend was infamously memorable for two primary reasons. One, Andy had been in a real shitty mood leading up to the concert and wasn't really getting along with Rob. Two, it had been pouring down rain for a few days leading up to the concert. We spent Saturday in Coventree going to music stores and the like. It was still raining that day. We decided to stop off at a hardware store and get a roll of Vizqueen plastic and some ponchos. Driving from Bratenahl to Cuyahoga was miserable. Rob and Andy argued about directions. The concert parking lot was a farm pasture near the amphitheater. I probably need not mention that the field was muddy. By the time we approached the gate, the rain was really coming down. The lawn area of Blossom Music Center has a large steep grade and with all the rain, it was nothing short of a mud slide. We unrolled some plastic, sat on it and pulled the roll up over ourselves like a tent. We grabbed a couple of sticks to support the roof. Despite all of that, easily the most miserable of conditions for any concert, Dire Straits was by far one of the all time best concerts I have ever seen. With no support act, Mark Knopfler and company rolled through a lot of the new material, plus a majority of songs featured on the live album, Alchemy. For nearly three hours, they played to rain soaked fans who stayed through the entire show. The ride back to Bratenahl was equally as enjoyable as the ride there.

THE GUESS WHO July 23, 1985 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $10.00

053.
The interesting thing about this concert was there may not have been a legitimate original member of the band. I may not be completely accurate, but I don't remember a single original member being present for this concert. It was especially miserable for me, as I was contending with a bad sinus infection that peaked that night. We sat in the balcony section, which was particularly hot and smoky. Combined with a fever, it wasn't much fun.

PATRICK MORAZ & BILL BRUFORD September 1985 The Vogue Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $10.00

054.
One of the more obscure concerts that I have ever attended, Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz were being billed as both former members of Yes. The on-air commercials ran background music of Roundabout and other Yes classics. This turned out to be the second effort by the duo, which bore no resemblance to Yes whatsoever. It was originally called Music For Piano and Drums and that is exactly what it was. Their then current album was called Flags, which was perhaps slightly more commercial than their debut album. Nevertheless, both were more than accomplished musicians and presented a very enjoyable and extraordinary evening of music.

	JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP December 15, 1985 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $14.50

055.
I had been set up on a blind date for this concert and things couldn't have gone worse. My friends Bill and Kirsten were practically engaged. Bill was a Herron student with me in Indianapolis, Kirsten was a student at Purdue. She planned to bring a girlfriend to the concert, so it was established that we would go as couples. I don't remember the girl's name, but I do remember she was not a happy camper, resentful of most everything. I can't recall how many nights Mellencamp sold out at Market Square Arena that year, but it was a lot. It seemed as though they could schedule a month's worth of shows and there would be people there to see him.

		VAN HALEN w/sg B.T.O. May 03, 1986 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $14.50

056.
Some people really resented the fact that Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen. The band had been at the height of their career with Roth for the 1984 album. Now it was a whole new Van Halen, with 5150, the album named after Eddie's home recording studio. They actually sold two concerts here in Indianapolis, however the second show had to be postponed due to illness. Early on, Hagar was not comfortable singing the older Roth material, so they built a set list on the 5150 album along with Hagar's I Can't Drive 55 and One Way To Rock. You can catch the essence of the show on the live VHS, Van Halen Live Without A Net, recorded in New Haven.

		AEROSMITH w/sg Ted Nugent May 17, 1986 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $14.50

057.
There had been a previous Aerosmith tour called "Back In The Saddle" which technically reunited the original members and raised some much needed cash before going into the studio to record Done With Mirrors. Of the reformed Aerosmith era, this was easily not their best album, but included an Aerosmith version of Joe Perry's first solo release, Let The Music Do The Talking. Perhaps not as gutsy as the Joe Perry Project did it, the track probably received a little more airplay with Aerosmith. Although I like a lot of Aerosmith songs, I can't really say that this concert was all that great. The band did seem a lot more coherent than they did in '78, however. Ted Nugent didn't really adapt the 80's very well, but he made a great addition to the Aerosmith bill. Following 1980's State of Shock, Nugent had a string of albums on Atlantic that steadily decreased in sales. Penetrator and Little Miss Dangerous were among the worst of his career. In a concert venue, though, Nugent was in his element and could still deliver the goods based on his past hits.

JOHN CAFFERTY & The Beaver Brown Band May 24, 1986 Indianapolis Sports Center Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: FREE EVENT

058.
Essentially John Cafferty was known best as the voice and sound of the motion picture rockers, Eddie & The Cruisers. Aside from having similar New Jersey roots and influences and the obvious comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, not much to say about them.

EDDIE MURPHY June 27, 1986 Indianapolis Sports Center Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $15.00

059.
This was my first big time comedy concert. The show was outdoors and it rained tremendously. As this was one of Eddie Murphy's least appreciated albums, the concert material was equally under par. The pop/soul single, Party All The Time, was proof enough that Murphy was a comedian, not a singer. I remember Murphy ragging on Bill Cosby most of the night, which seemed like a personal battle they needed to wage privately, not something to drag to the entire audience into. Apparently Cosby criticized Murphy for his reliance on foul language to be funny, for which Cosby did not approve. From Cosby's point of view, talent didn't need to take the low road to success and clearly Eddie Murphy was a talented comedian who could be funny no matter what. Eddie Murphy thought Cosby should mind his own business. At the time, Cosby was an endorsing advertiser for Coca-Cola, so Murphy quipped, "Tell Bill Cosby to have a Coke and a smile and shut the f**k up." I rather felt that as the older, wiser talent, Cosby was making a constructive, not destructive, criticism and as the younger talent, Murphy might have respected Cosby's words, even if he chose to disagree.

		EMERSON, LAKE & POWELL w/sg Henry Lee Summer October 18, 1986 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $14.93

060.
This was the first time that I had reserved front row seats. In 1986, Henry Lee Summer was enjoying some sense of celebrity, at least in his home town of Indianapolis. His concerts were much more rooted in gospel and r&b than his future record label desired. He was energetic and excited to be opening a large scale concert for the legendary ELP. Although the musical styles of HLS and ELP were dramatically different, it was an exciting way to open the concert. Emerson and Lake, now with Cozy Powell in place of Carl Palmer, had a new album and tour underway, probably their last of any real size in North America. This was billed as a Halloween concert presented by former radio station, Eagle 93, hence the $14.93 ticket price. Attendance was probably the lowest I had ever seen at Market Square Arena, good seats were still available on the floor at showtime. In fact, part way through ELP's set, we actually moved to seats farther back so that we could have a better view of some of the stage theatrics and cinematic parts of the concert. An interesting side note, Cozy Powell was a noted drummer who played with the likes of The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Donovan, Brian May, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey and countless others. No surprise that he was working with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake at the time of this concert. Powell died in a car accident on April 5, 1998.

	NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE October 23, 1986 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $15.00

061.
Billed as The World's 3rd Best Garage Band, Neil Young & Crazy Horse returned to the Rust Never Sleeps era sound with their Live From Broken Down Garage Tour. The stage set was in fact an old garage, complete with sheet metal sides and a telephone, which occasionally rang. It was Neil's Mom telling the boys to keep it down. There were also a couple of rats that came on stage between songs. After so many disappointing albums from Trans to Everybody's Rockin' to Old Ways, it was good to see Neil Young back doing what he does so well. SETLIST: Mr. Soul / Cinnamon Girl / When You Dance, I Can Really Love / Touch The Night / Down By The River / Too Lonely / Heart Of Gold / Inca Queen / After The Goldrush / Drive Back / Opera Star / Road Of Plenty / Cortez The Killer / Sample And Hold / Computer Age / Violent Side / Mideast Vacation / Long Walk Home / The Needle And The Damage Done / Hippie Dream / Powderfinger / Like A Hurricane / Hey Hey, My My / Prisoners Of Rock 'n' Roll

		EDDIE MONEY w/sg Henry Lee Summer June 07, 1987 Indianapolis Sports Center Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $15.50

062.
Again, Henry Lee Summer was just happy to be opening a live concert for an act like Eddie Money. He announced from the mic that he had gone out and purchased a new suit just for the show. He was "the real deal" back then, so much so that Eddie Money called a local radio program the next morning and praised Summer's performance. Eddie Money gave an honest performance as well, telling the crowd that he was happy to work on his cars the rest of his life, but needed the money. Can't Hold Back, featuring three hit singles: Take Me Home Tonight, I Wanna Go Back, and I Can't Hold Back, reached platinum sales.

		FREHLEY'S COMET w/sg White Lion July 11, 1987 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: COMP

063.
When Ace Frehley unceremoniously left Kiss in 1982, one would have anticipated a solo album much sooner than 4 years later. The guitarist had any number of alcohol and chemical problems, not to mention his encounter with law when he crashed his DeLorean sports car the wrong way on a one way street. In addition to other delays, Frehley often referred to solo projects that never quite reached fruition. This is still common of Frehley today. However, Frehley's Comet was finally signed to Atlantic's Mega-Force label and launched the beleaguered guitarist's first stint as a post-Kiss solo artist. There had been previous versions of the Comet band, which cut many of the band's demo recordings. The former lineup included second guitarist: Richie Scarlet, bass: John Regan, Late Night with David Letterman band drummer: Anton Fig, keyboardist: Arthur Stead and of course Ace Frehley. The "new look" Comet which was actually signed to Atlantic included former 707 guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist, Tod Howarth replacing both Scarlet and Stead. Howarth was a jack of all trades musician who could contribute to the band at any number of levels including song writing. The Comet track, Calling To You, is actually reworked from the 707 hit Mega Force. Due to television commitments, Fig only played with Frehley's Comet in the studio and was replaced by Eric Clapton drummer Jamie Oldaker for the tour. The tour included mostly club dates and while the crowds were small, the houses were filled to capacity. The set list included most of the tracks from the studio album, plus Frehley's signature Kiss hits including Cold Gin, Deuce, Shock Me and Rocket Ride. Still a crowd pleaser form his days with Kiss, Frehley's "smoking" guitar solo was also incorporated into the club shows. My best friend from college was doing some freelance writing for Rockbill magazine at the time. His editor hooked us up with free tickets and backstage passes to the show. Having been a long time Kiss fan, I was elated to say the least. Ace was laid back, genuine and down to earth. Very hospitable guy, unlike a lot of what had read about him.

		FREHLEY'S COMET w/sg White Lion July 14, 1987 The Sherwood Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $9.50

064.
Same as above, except the venue was horrible. The Sherwood has since been demolished.

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE August 19, 1987 Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $13.50

065.
Crosby, Stills, & Nash were scheduled to play Riverbend either the night before or the night after. Rumors were floating around that there might be a reunion with Young, but that did not happen. Nevertheless, the weather cooperated for a beautiful evening to lay on the grass and listen to Neil Young & Crazy Horse. SETLIST: My My, Hey Hey / Tell Me Why / The Old Laughing Lady / Heart Of Gold / For The Turnstiles / The Needle And The Damage Done / Someday / Sugar Mountain / Welcome To The Big Room / Ten Men Workin' / Mr. Soul / Cinnamon Girl / Prisoners Of Rock'n'Roll / Down By The River / Name Of Love / Mideast Vacation / Long Walk Home / Powderfinger / Like A Hurricane / Tonight's The Night

		LARRY CARLTON w/sg Yellowjackets October 08, 1987 Indiana Roof Ballroom Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $16.50

066.
The Indiana Roof Ballroom is by far one of the most under rated and under utilized venues in Indianapolis. Although I had not followed the Yellowjackets since their debut album, I had always admired their sound. I didn't realize that guitarist Robben Ford had influenced that sound greatly and that the band had since continued only with keyboards, saxophone, bass and drum. At the time, I might have been a little disappointed without the guitars, but later came to appreciate the direction the Yellowjackets had taken. It was probably their saving grace to not become clones of Spyro Gyra by keeping a guitarist in the lineup.Larry Carlton was fabulous, as always. His set focused on his recent MCA albums, Discovery and Alone But Never Alone, with some hot spots thrown in for good measure. The evening was complete with his instrumental medley of Steely Dan tracks.

			ALICE COOPER w/sg Frehley's Comet, Faster Pussycat November 06, 1987 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $15.00

067.
This was classic Alice Cooper on his Nightmare Returns Tour, complete with a stage set designed by H.R. Giger. Cooper's band featured guitarist Kane Roberts, who looked a bit like Rambo with body builder arms and a guitar that resembled a machine gun. Kip Winger was also part of this band. Ace Frehley, still touring in support of the debut Frehley's Comet album, featured the same band as the club dates the summer before. The support role allowed Frehley the opportunity to again perform in arena-size settings, which he had not done since leaving Kiss in 1982.

	JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP November 10, 1987 Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: COMP

068.
This was an interview situation gone bad. My friend Andy was sent to this concert by a publisher who wanted to run a story about John Mellencamp. The publishers were a sister company to Playbill magazine. They set us up with tickets and backstage passes, however once backstage, we were tossed in with the radio contest winners and quickly shuffled into a small room. There we were told, along with contest winners, that Mr. Mellencamp may not be in the mood to chat with fans and that she would take whatever items they wanted autographed and return with them in awhile. We tried to tell the people in charge that an interview was supposed to have been arranged. They told us that if we came back after the show, their star might be in a better mood. Great. We were led back to the arena door, through a service corridor, where we passed the band and crew eating a catered dinner. We took our seats and the concert was in fact excellent - the third time and absolute best I had ever seen him perform. Sadly, there would be no interview after the show.

		THE BEARS w/sg Brian Lovely May 26, 1988 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH Ticket Price: $9.75

069.
Adrian Belew is a guitarist's guitarist. He was hand picked by Frank Zappa back in the 70's to appear on the classic Zappa album, Sheik Yerbouti. Belew was also an enlisted gun for David Bowie, Talking Heads, Paul Simon and many others. In addition to his own eccentric solo efforts, Adrian Belew was also an incomparable force in the British progressive band, King Crimson. It may seem odd then for Belew to hook up with a group of college students from Cincinnati (formerly known as The Raisins) to create a slightly new wave form of power-pop rock. The Bears proved to be a small sensation at the national level with college kids. Their concert at Bogart's in Cincinnati was nothing short of a homecoming for the band. With a set list from two albums worth of music, along with The Raisins lone regional hit, Fear Is Never Boring, The Bears gave an impressive concert. Guitarist/vocalist Rob Fetters rose to the challenge of playing alongside Adrian Belew and surprisingly held his own in guitar solo swaps with his new mentor.

MARSHALL TUCKER BAND June 1988 Picadilly's Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: FREE EVENT

070.
The concert was free and the beer was cheap. Other than that, I remember very little about it.

THE OUTLAWS June 1988 Picadilly's Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: FREE EVENT

071.
The concert was free and the beer was cheap. I remember we didn't stay for the whole concert. Can't recall why.

		BOB DYLAN w/sg The Alarm July 15, 1988 Indiana State Fair Grandstand Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $16.50

072.
The summer of 1988 was one of the hottest on record in Indianapolis. When Dylan's Interstate 88 Tour set up shop on the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the evening heat was an oppressive 91. Bob Dylan's band was hot as well, none other than G.E. Smith along with Kenny Aaronson on bass and Chris Parker on drums. Despite the combined talents on the stage that night and a setlist loaded with hits, the concert failed to impress and the heat didn't help. Dylan was practically inaudible throughout the show. Even devout Bob Dylan fans must agree, this was not one of the better performances of Bob's long and accomplished career. SETLIST: Subterranean Homesick Blues / Just Like A Woman / John Brown / Masters Of War / Tangled Up In Blue / Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again / It Ain't Me, Babe (acoustic) / Trail Of The Buffalo (acoustic) / Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (acoustic) / I Shall Be Released / Silvio / Like A Rolling Stone / The Times They Are A-Changin' (acoustic) / All Along The Watchtower

	GRATEFUL DEAD July 15, 1989 Deer Creek Music Center Noblesville, IN Ticket Price: $16.50

073.
After seeing a less than impressive Grateful Dead in Indianapolis summer of 1984, this concert marked a starting over point for my love of the Dead. Stories of Jerry Garcia's heroin problems and coma now behind, The Grateful Dead seemed re-energized to enter the 1990's. SETLIST: [Set 1]: Bertha, Greatest Story Ever Told, Candyman, Walking Blues, Peggy-O, Queen Jane Approximately, We Can Run, Bird Song [Set 2]: Foolish Heart, Victim or The Crime, Crazy Fingers, Truckin', Smokestack Lightning, (Drums/Space) China Doll, All Along The Watchtower, Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia Encore: Brokedown Palace

		R.E.M. w/sg Throwing Muses September 08, 1989 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: COMP

074.
My friend Dave took me to this concert kicking and screaming all the way. I didn't really like R.E.M. very much, but he convinced me to give them a chance. I gave it a chance and I still didn't like them. I like a lot of different kinds of music, but R.E.M. no. SETLIST: Stand / The One I Love / These Days / Exhuming McCarthy / Turn You Inside-Out / Orange Crush / Feeling Gravitys Pull / Disturbance At Heron House / King Of Birds / I Remember California / World Leader Pretend / Sitting Still / I Believe / Belong / Get Up / Life And How To Live It / It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) [Encore 1]: Pop Song 89 / Fall On Me / Ghost Rider / You Are The Everything [Encore 2]: Begin The Begin / Crazy / Finest Worksong / Perfect Circle

	ADRIAN BELEW October 12, 1989 The Vogue Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $11.00

075.
This was the first Adrian Belew solo tour in awhile, following his stint with The Bears. Although the touring line up may have included Rob Fetters, it was not a Bears affair. Belew's Mr. Musichead release had an interesting pop single called Oh Daddy. The album and tour were both impressive.

		NANCI GRIFFITH w/sg James McMurtry October 22, 1989 The Vogue Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $11.00

076.
Backed by the ever capable John Mellencamp Band, James McMurtry assembled a support set drawn from his debut release, Too Long In The Wasteland. We did not stay for Nanci Griffith.

		ACE FREHLEY w/sg Icon March 12, 1990 Arlington Theater Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $11.50

077.
Having finally ditched the Frehley's Comet moniker in lieu of his own name, Ace Frehley assembled a more aggressive band as well. Gone was veteran drummer Jamie Oldaker, replaced by someone else. Also missing from the roster was Tod Howarth, who had contributed heavily to the previous Comet albums. Howarth was replaced by longtime Frehley friend and guitarist, The Emperor, Richie Scarlet. John Regan continued as bass player and quasi road manager. The material from the Trouble Walkin' album found Frehley in a more comfortable, hard rocker role, more reminiscent of his Kiss Solo album. Peter Criss made a guest appearance on the album as well, although not on stage. Great venue, which has now been converted into a hardware store.

DAVE EDMUNDS ALL-STAR ROCK 'N' ROLL REVUE featuring: Dave Edmunds, Graham Parker, Steve Cropper Steve Van Zandt, Kim Wilson, Dion, Phil Chen The Ritz 1990 New York, NY Ticket Price: COMP

078.
While visiting my college friend, Paul, in NY, he had passes to attend the Dave Edmunds Rock 'N Roll Review at the Ritz Theater. Since he was working for rock radio station, WNEW at the time, we were treated to premier hospitality. Even though we didn't stay for the entire affair, it was pretty cool. SETLIST: Dave Edmunds Falling Through A Hole, Feels So Right, Closer To The Flame, Dan't Talk To Me, I Knew The Bride When She Used To Rock 'N' Roll / Graham Parker (Get Started) Start A Fire, Local Girls, My Girl, Heat Treatment / Dion King Of The New York Streets, Runaround Sue, The Wanderer / Kim Wilson Wrap It Up, Tuff Enuff, Nervous Fella / Dave Edmunds From Small Things, I Hear You Knocking, Ju Ju Man / Dave Edmunds & Graham Parker Crawling From The Wreckage All-Stars Dock Of The Bay, Ready Willing And Able, Keep A Knocking

								FARM AID IV featuring: April 07, 1990 Hoosier Dome Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $14.93

FARM AID IV featuring: WILLIE NELSON, JOHN MELLENCAMP, NEIL YOUNG, Dennis Alley & The Wisdom Dancers, Skeet Anglin, David Amram, Asleep At The Wheel, Suzy Bogguss, Bandaloo Doctors, Garth Brooks, Jackson Browne, Johnny Cash, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Lee Clayton, John Conlee, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Larry Crane, Joanna Dean, John Denver, Steve Earle, Joe Ely, Foster & Lloyd, Terry Garrison, Johnny Gimbel, William Lee Golden, Gorky Park, Nanci Griffith, Guns & Roses, Arlo Guthrie, Hammerheads, Alex Harvey & The Chillbillies, Don Henley, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, Alan Jackson, Elton John, David Lynn Jones, Tom Kiefer (Cinderella), Kentucky Headhunters, Kris Kristofferson, Little Joe y LaFamilia, Lyle Lovett, Richard Marx, Kathy Mattea, James McMurtry, Donny Mealer, Bill Monroe, Jonelle Mosser, Billy Nelson, Tracy Nelson, KT Oslin, Paul Overstreet, Carl Perkins, Poco, Iggy Pop, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Yank Rashell, Lou Reed, Jimmie Ryser, Kimmie Rhodes, Roadmaster, Billy Joe Shaver, Silent Partners, Southern Pacific, Stealin' Horses, Henry Lee Summer, Taj Mahal, Ricky Van Shelton, Les Taylor, Brian Vander Ark, Was (Not Was), Don Williams, Dwight Yoakam, Dick Clark, Sarah Purcell, Fred Travalena, Gary Beatty, Kay Lenz, Michele Greene, Nina Blackwood, Dennis Weaver, Charlie Chase, Lorianne Crook, M.C. Reb Sanford

079.
At first, I didn't think we would be able to attend. Then, the day before the show, several good seats were released for sale. This was the old Farm Aid festival format, where as many bands could play as possible if they showed remote interest. The stage was created on a turntable so that one act could perform while the next act was readied behind the current. This kept things moving. We saw some incredible performances that evening, including a brief Crosby-Stills-Nash-Young reunion. This was the first and only time I ever saw Elton John perform. Elton was in town coincidentally to support AIDS patient Ryan White. Also got to see Guns 'N Roses at their peak. Neil Young's SETLIST: This Old House / Rockin' In The Free World / Mother Earth / This Land Is Your Land. Guns N Roses SETLIST: Down On The Farm / Civil War /

	ERIC CLAPTON April 19, 1990 Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN Ticket Price: $20.00

080.
"God" as many have referred to him, Eric Clapton is an all-star performer. The setlist drew heavily from his highly successful Journeyman album as well as greatest hits. A big downside for me were the highschool kids who attended the concert for the social value instead of the music. Gab gab gab gab gab all throughout the show. SETLIST: Pretending / No Alibis / Running on Faith / I Shot the Sheriff / White room / Can't find my way home / Bad love / Before you accuse me / After midnight / Tearing us apart / Wonderful tonight / Cocaine / Layla / Crossroads / Sunshine of your love

	GRATEFUL DEAD July 18, 1990 Deer Creek Music Center Noblesville, IN Ticket Price: $19.50

081.
Another fine evening with the Grateful Dead SETLIST: [Set 1]: Help On The Way/Slipknot/Franklin's Tower, New Minglewood Blues, Easy To Love You, Peggy-O, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Brown Eyed Women, Cassidy, Deal [Set 2]: China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, Looks Like Rain, Terrapin Station, (Jam) (Drums/Space) The Other One, Morning Dew [Encore]: The Weight

	GRATEFUL DEAD July 18, 1990 Deer Creek Music Center Noblesville, IN Ticket Price: $19.50

082.
Yet another fine evening with the Grateful Dead SETLIST: [Set 1]: Jack Straw, They Love Each Other, Desolation Row, Row Jimmy, Picasso Moon, Althea, Promised Land [Set 2]: Victim or The Crime, Foolish Heart, Playin' In The Band, China Doll, Uncle John's Band, (Drums/Space) All Along The Watchtower, Black Peter, Not Fade Away [Encore]: U. S. Blues

		ROBERT PLANT w/sg Alannah Myles July 26, 1990 Deer Creek Music Center Noblesville, IN Ticket Price: $17.50

083.
Bought Lawn tickets in advance. When we arrived however, there was no lawn. The entire area had been roped off, the sod had been removed and Lawn ticket holders were asked to sit in the beer garden or concession areas. Obviously you couldn't see the stage from these vantage points. Somehow, we managed to find a spot where we could see and hear pretty well from the back of the pavilion. Apparently, the previous night's concert was Metallica and the fans had pulled up a lot of sod. The Robert Plant segment of the concert featured his best solo band, with guitarist Doug Boyle. Lots of great solo hits as well as a couple Led Zeppelin favorites. Manic Nirvana proved to be Plant's most Zeppelin-like solo album.

Allanah Myles was a very impressive support act, although no one seemed to be too familiar with her songs, except the radio single Black Velvet.

		LITTLE FEAT w/sg John Hiatt August 06, 1990 Deer Creek Music Center Noblesville, IN

084.
We had toyed with the idea of going to this concert, then never got around to buying tickets. On the day of the show, a friend called with two excellent pavilion tickets for sale at face value. We went and it was a great decision to do so. John Hiatt was still a little bit new to me, although I had already been listening to his then current release, Stolen Moments. The show was incredible and featured a lot of great music from that album and also from Slow Turning.

Little Feat sounded great as well. It took them awhile to catch fire, but once they did it was a barn-burner for sure.

TOMMY CHONG November 21, 1990 Crackers Indianapolis, IN

085.
Tommy Chong was a guest on the Bob & Tom radio program one morning just before Thanksgiving and I was laughing so hard I had to pull off to the side of the road to dry the tears from my eyes. Turned out, Chong (one half of Cheech & Chong) was going to be appearing at Crackers the night before Thanksgiving. Tommy can be a very funny guy and based on his radio interview, I had high expectations. However, a blonde in the front row captured Chong's attention early into his show and derailed everything. At one point, the show was just a long conversation between the two of them.