It’s six months on from the Bob Seger concert in Episode 7, and my world had fully transformed. The old wave was (mostly) banished from my turntable by this point as I completely surrendered to the electrifying bang of punk which was delivering an exciting and ear/eye/mind-opening flood of completely new sounds, triggering several unprecedented years of relentlessly morphing sonic innovations and hand grenades.
While I had followed the development of the US, and then UK, punk/new wave scenes through the press, starting in the mid-70s with Patti Smith and the Ramones, it wasn’t until 1977 that I finally really got to hear a substantial amount of this music.
This Elvis Costello show from 1978—my third live rock concert—was my first direct interface with any of the new artists, and I was eager to jump into the fray. And while this show’s energy was high, and I was thrilled to have finally seen one of the new breed of acts I was playing relentlessly at home, there was something about this show that left me unsatisfied.
My old pal from the 70s—who I will call “Autobahn”—attended this gig with me along with my siblings, and he drops by the podcast to share his thoughts and memories about the concert. This was his very first show and he has some interesting and different perspectives on the gig than moi.
Tune in for anticipated bedlam, herbal dental remedies, & Biff’n’Buffy rent-a-cops.
Also tune in to hear me get the title of Costello’s 1983 album (Punch the Clock) wrong.
Read the original 2010 blog post here.
NEXT PODCAST: Since the Covid Summer of 2020 is also The Summer Without Live Music, I am going to pause my story and instead present two episodes devoted to performances that were missed rather than remembering those I attended.
In Episode 9 (no.020b) Waiting in Vain: 20 + 2 Performances I Missed (1980-2020), I reflect on a rich 40 years of Not attending gigs or sets. Join me in a heartwarming look back at cancelled shows and tours, student penury, inclement weather, mystery no-shows, limited mobility options, instant sell-outs, undersold annulments, competing options and obligations, and sometimes just being a lazy bugger.
Episode 10 will recall at the 20 Acts from the Past I Wish I’d Seen, while Episode 11 will look back at the 40th Anniversary of the Heatwave Festival outside of Barrie, Ontario (April 23, 2020).
EP 9 (no.020b) Waiting in Vain: 20 Performances I Missed + 2 1980-2020 (Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2012 blog entry here.)
Coming in September -> EP 9 (no.004)