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Were you there? Possible Urban Legend? Youth Center Mystery?


zeptangerine

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I just about choked on my coffee when I read this. Back in the 80s, I frequently went to this dumpy little Wheaton Youth Center to see knock-off 60s bands. I wouldn't go near the place today, but could it be true that THE Led Zeppelin played to a house of 55 fans on Jan. 20th 1969? If you were there, let this guy know!

Washington Post: Led Zeppelin Played Where?

ps- This website mentions that Zep DID play at this youth center on 1-20-69. It's a complete list of shows with songs played at each show.

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Could it be true that THE Led Zeppelin played to a house of 55 fans on Jan. 20th 1969?

Yes. In my previous research I found it was an unadvertised gig played for $250.00

(Source: 'Washington Post' May 25, 2003 --"Stairway to Concert Heaven" DVDs, CDs put metal band on the stage and in your face (album review))

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That is wild! I never heard about that! I grew up in Maryland and was only 9 when this took place. I did have 2 older brothers, but I don't think they had come of Zep age, yet, either. Wow! Wish I was there and old enough to remember.

I live in a fairly small town in CA now and remember in the early 80's seeing U2 and NXS play at what now is a retirement community center. Also saw Guns and Roses at a small club here right after Appetite for Destruction first came out, so I know from experience that these happenings do occur. Only wish I could have seen that one!!! I remember, in my teens, hearing about Led Zeppelin playing at the Capitol Center in DC and my dad said no, I had spent enough of his money on concerts that year. Oooooooohhh, what a waste!

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:hippy: Wow! Is there a specific reason why they and the audience kept quiet about it afterwards?

I would imagine it was because Zep was new at the time to those in the states and, hey, there where only 55 people there. How much of an uproar could 55 kids in Wheaton, MD. make? :slapface:

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I would imagine it was because Zep was new at the time to those in the states and, hey, there where only 55 people there. How much of an uproar could 55 kids in Wheaton, MD. make? :slapface:

Oh, I thought they just played there for fun and maybe without a permission.

Still it appears a bit peculiar to me, that the audience hasn't blabbed more about their experience in all these years.

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I remember, in my teens, hearing about Led Zeppelin playing at the Capitol Center in DC and my dad said no, I had spent enough of his money on concerts that year.

May 25, 26, 28 & 30 1977. The band stayed at The Plaza hotel in NYC, flying back

and forth from Newark International to Baltimore Washington International on Starship.

Guests from the Russian Embassy met them backstage prior to the fourth night. I don't believe there was any official distribution of rock records in the communist USSR back then so what a thrill it must have been for them to meet the band, see the concert.

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May 25, 26, 28 & 30 1977. The band stayed at The Plaza hotel in NYC, flying back

and forth from Newark International to Baltimore Washington International on Starship.

Guests from the Russian Embassy met them backstage prior to the fourth night. I don't believe there was any official distribution of rock records in the communist USSR back then so what a thrill it must have been for them to meet the band, see the concert.

I think the Communist Party elite did pretty much whatever they fancied, while the people were deprived of many things more important than rock'n roll (Plus rock'n roll, of course). I'm not impressed at all about LZ agreeing to chit-chat with the embassy, if that story is true.

Although I must admit that in the 70's it wasn't widely known what was going on in the USSR. Many people read Marx and Lenin and thought it was cool, and perhaps most of them had no idea what the actual communist reality was at the moment and what it had been before.

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I think the Communist Party elite did pretty much whatever they fancied, while the people were deprived of many things more important than rock'n roll (Plus rock'n roll, of course). I'm not impressed at all about LZ agreeing to chit-chat with the embassy, if that story is true.

Although I must admit that in the 70's it wasn't widely known what was going on in the USSR. Many people read Marx and Lenin and thought it was cool, and perhaps most of them had no idea what the actual communist reality was at the moment and what it had been before.

Absolutely true...I'm glad Zeppelin was never a political band, though!

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Yes. In my previous research I found it was an unadvertised gig played for $250.00

(Source: 'Washington Post' May 25, 2003 --"Stairway to Concert Heaven" DVDs, CDs put metal band on the stage and in your face (album review))

$250! That was probably the Center's entire budget for 1969! Only Peter Grant could make that gig happen. :D

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Not all that surprising considering most of the 69 tour venues were somewhat small. In every pic I've seen of that tour Bonzo doesn't even have his drums miked and the the crowds look to be in the several hundreds range. There's a great pic in the new Guitar World of Zep on a small stage somewhere in 69, you can see from the stage behind the band to the back of the hall and the people are about 40-50 bodies deep.

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There's a great pic in the new Guitar World of Zep on a small stage somewhere in 69, you can see from the stage behind the band to the back of the hall and the people are about 40-50 bodies deep.

If it's the one I'm thinking of (with JJ Jackson, the black radio personality and former MTV VJ in the front row) it was undoubtedly taken at one of the Boston Tea Party

gigs in January 1969 which he is known to have attended.

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If it's the one I'm thinking of (with JJ Jackson, the black radio personality and former MTV VJ in the front row) it was undoubtedly taken at one of the Boston Tea Party

gigs in January 1969 which he is known to have attended.

I think that's it. I remember seeing a black guy up front, he's standing right in front of Jimmy.

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I think that's it. I remember seeing a black guy up front, he's standing right in front of Jimmy.

Yes, that's JJ Jackson, and from his description of the concert (many years later) it may well have been THE night of the magic "four-hour marathon show" recalled by the band.

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I looked again and there is definitely a dark complected man standing in front of Jimmy. If it's a young JJ I can't tell, been a while since the glory days of MTV, can't say for that I'd be able to pick him out of crowd without comparing a picture. But I don't doubt he was there, from what I remember he was the serious one concerning music. At any rate I was more of a Nina Blackwood fan, though looking back she looks pretty scary.

mtv_original_vjs.jpg

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