Post #9: Tom Petty at the Whisky! Date: Saturday, February 12, 1977 Since my friend and I were going to the March 12 and 13 Led Zeppelin shows for sure, those concerts were now exactly a month away. I was still looking at the upcoming concert calendar to decide which concerts to trade some of my extra Zeppelin tix for...The Kinks at the Santa Monica Civic and Boston at Long Beach Arena were a couple I could go to for sure, as they were on a weekend. As mentioned above in an earlier post, I had given thought to going to the Foghat show Feb. 12 at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernadino(just north of Riverside), colloquially known as San Berdu. It was relatively cheaper and closer than going to Long Beach for their show the previous night of Feb. 11. But two things nipped that idea in the bud. One was that I still only had $5 or so on hand...not quite enough for a Foghat ticket. Second was my friend calling up and asking if I wanted to go see Tom Petty at the Whisky that Saturday night; his brother was going and we could get a ride with him. "Hell YEAH!!!" said I. I had only just recently gotten the debut Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album. It was released in November 1976, and there was a write-up about it in the LA Times in December, but it wasn't until I heard "Breakdown" and "American Girl" on the radio(Jim Ladd of KMET was a BIG BOOSTER of the album) that I decided to buy the album. It immediately became one of my favourite albums of the year...and I thought it was a better debut than Boston's first album. How could you not like a song such as "American Girl", with those incredible lines: "God it's so painful when something that's so close Is still so far out of reach" Besides the radio songs, it was "The Wild One, Forever" that sealed the deal for me...such a great and underplayed song. And THAT album cover...with the Flying V straight thru the heart...one of the great band logos of all-time! I had seen an ad for the Whisky shows...he was opening for Blondie(had no clue about them yet) for four nights Feb. 9-12...but I didn't think I would have any way to get to and from the Whisky. My friend appeared to have only a lukewarm interest in Tom Petty...he didn't really think the album was all that great; he loved the Boston album instead. But apparently his older brother did like Tom Petty...and liked him enough to want to see him at the Whisky, too. My $5 was enough for the Whisky cover charge, too. So fortune or good luck shone down again, and I was able to see my FIRST Tom Petty concert(and first Blondie concert, for that matter) in a small club. It wasn't even close to being sold out. In fact, I think it was less crowded than the Van Halen show the previous month. I thought it was weird that Tom Petty was opening...he had an album out and was played on the radio, while I had no idea who or what Blondie was, and they certainly didn't play them on KMET or KLOS("Heart of Glass" was still a year or so away). But in a way, that was cool, as that meant I didn't have to wait long for them to take the stage. I can't remember the setlist in detail...I'm pretty sure they played mostly the first album and maybe a new one or two. What I do recall is how great the songs SOUNDED live...this was a GREAT BAND. This wasn't just Tom Petty and a bunch of schlubs, but Tom Petty & the HEARTBREAKERS: Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, Ron Blair all could really play, and they had a chemistry on stage. In concert, those songs from the album came alive and were punchier, raunchier, more rocking! Best of all, there was no fat to the set...no long drum solos or self-indulgent wanking. Tom Petty himself cut a rather unique figure onstage...he was so thin and gangly, his face like a hawk, with those sharp lines of his nose and jaw. The girls seemed to find him appealing, that's for sure. In a flash, his set was over...at least it seemed his set was over too soon. We decided to stick around for at least a couple songs of Blondie and if we didn't like what we heard, we would leave. Well, as soon as Blondie came on, I think we all forgot about that, as all I can remember is being struck by how HOT Blondie(or to be more specific, Debbie Harry) looked! I think it was even a few songs before I even started paying attention to the music, hehehe. Of the New York CBGB's scene bands, Blondie was the second one I had now seen; The Ramones were the first(saw them at the Roxy summer of 1976) and I also had bought the first Ramones album. In my early opinion, Blondie were no Ramones. Like the Ramones, though, they seemed to have a "look"...but more European and "upscale" than the Ramones' jeans and leather jackets motif. But they didn't have any songs....at least no songs stood out at that Whisky show to me; not in the way that the Ramones had instantly catchy songs that stuck in your head for days. Or the way Tom Petty's songs did. In fact, Tom Petty reminded me of another guy who I had recently discovered in 1976 thanks to Robert Hilburn's championing of him: Dwight Twilley. Sadly, Dwight Twilley had some of the worst luck in music biz history and his career never took off the way Petty's did.

^^^YOU banned? I couldn't think of such a thing! I liked the first two Whitney Houston albums...even went to see her in concert. There was no question about her voice and her talent. If only she (or Clive) could have picked better material for her. By the time of The Bodyguard, when she destroyed Dolly Parton's song with her overwrought performance...paving the way for Mariah and her melismatic clones...ihad pretty much moved on, as her material became more robotic and soulless. By the way, I realized my earlier post may have come across as rude to the people here who still watch the Grammys. I have no problem with anyone watching the Grammys...it's fun to people-watch and take note of the fashions and there even may be a great performance or two. One of the best Grammy moments of recent times was when the Foos, Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen joined forces for a Joe Strummer/Clash tribute. Their "London Calling" was SAVAGE! But don't take the Grammys as validation for your favourite band...if you're a Foo Fighters fan and they lose tonight, it doesn't invalidate them or mean the end of the world. Think of it this way...the Clash, Cramps and Replacements won zero Grammys, while the Starland Vocal Band, Debby Boone and the Captain & Tennille did.

THIS plus a million!

Whitney was supposed to sing at Clive's pre-Grammy bash last night. She caused a stir at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Thursday with her disheveled appearance and loopy behavior. Same old Whitney. None of my friends here in LA even watch the Grammys anymore...we all gave up on them years ago. It was bad enough when Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Queen were ignored in the 70s. The final straw was Jethro Bore winning over Metallica for Best Metal Album in 1988. It's nothing but a Clive Davis orgy.

Judging from this post, your knowledge is seriously lacking and misguided, making any judgments you have on how the band should have "honoured John" or what they should have done post-Bonham flawed and not a little off-base. If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that Robert and John Paul Jones especially, have not been wasting their talents.

I won't be watching as I have a Filmforum event to attend. I might catch some highlights on YouTube...I hear Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are performing. Since the Big Man's death, I was somewhat surprised Bruce decided to carry on. But really, with Whitney Houston's death, nobody is going to remember the winners...her death will overshadow the Grammys.

Sad, yes. But not so sudden if you've seen the toll her addiction took on her. Once you start doing crack, you might as well start digging your grave. Other than crystal meth, no other drug ravages the body, mind and soul like crack. I would venture to say that crack has ruined more lives than heroin...and I've heard of more people successfully rehabbing from heroin than crack. I really feel for her daughter and her family. I hope they keep Bobby Brown away from the daughter. What was that book years ago? "Smart women, foolish choices". When Whitney hooked up with Bobby Brown, that was the red flag that something was wrong. Whatever demons Whitney had, Bobby Brown was not a supportive husband or helpmate. In fact, he exacerbated her problems. He ruined her...and he'll do the same to her daughter if he gets a chance. Well, better dead and at peace than living life as a crackhead...for that AIN'T living. R.I.P.

Photoshop, yes? Clever all the same. On the topic of skateboarding, there is an insanely good book that came out in 2010 called "Locals Only: California Skateboarding 1975-1978", that is a collection of photographs that Hugh Holland took around the California skate spots of the time...the Dog Bowl, Kemper Elementary, the drainage pipes along Laurel Canyon, Redondo Beach, etc. If you want to know what part of my childhood was like, this book is a good starting point. Especially the time I lived close to the beach...it was harder to skateboard in the fields and dirt of Woodcrest. The book is huge, with large format photos that you just want to fall into. A definite must for anyone interested in skateboarding history and photography. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934429473/ref=aw_d_iv_books?is=l

Those Real Men of Genius ads are one of the few recent beer ads that are actually funny. Too bad the beer sucks. Dude, you mean you haven't heard? EVERY TEAM will get scheduled for a prime time Thursday night game. From week 2 to week 15 there will be a Thursday night game, including an added NBC game Thanksgiving night, in addition to the CBS and Fox games. Every NFL team will now play at least one prime-time game, whether it's Sunday, Monday or Thursday nights. If you ask me it's overkill. There's enough NFL on Sunday and Monday. I like to go out the rest of the week, so I don't need a football game during the week to worry about. Both college(it used to be Saturdays only...now it's also on Fridays, Thursdays, Tuesdays) and the NFL are saturating the market. It's ridiculous.

Clipper curse strikes Billups. Predictably, Lakers lose second night of back-to-back against the Knicks...stop the Linsanity! Hope you took NY and the points, Rick.

LA Lakers beating the Boston Celtics in an Overtime thriller. I was out last night, so I didn't get to watch the end of the game until this morning.

July 15, 1973 Buffalo, NY (Hey Rick! You go to this show?)

^^^We have a winner...THAT'S the shirt the OP was asking about! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151284185015457&set=a.10151279606890457.815490.597015456&type=3&l=3c29bc6566

Thanks everyone...and if I missed anyone, thank you to you, too. I wasn't sure how this would be received...making you wait and all that. Not to mention the potential for solipsistic overdose. I am trying to strike the right balance between giving you a flavour of the times and getting bogged down in too much detail. I was hoping somebody would have any info about that San Diego Party Bus...how about you MadScreamingGallery? Also, in the rush of activity leading up to the Super Bowl weekend, I goofed and overlooked one of the days of my timeline...so this should have been posted February 5. Post #8: How 4 became 5...the Fifth Forum concert is added. Before 4 turns to 6, there has to be a 5, right? Well, here's your answer, AYKHII... I was reading the paper that weekend (Feb. 5-6, 1977) and came across this ad for Led Zeppelin tickets by one of the ticket agencies. It puzzled me because it listed a 5th LA Forum date...March 16!!! I called the number and sure enough they said there were now 5 Forum shows. Mar. 9, 12, 13, 15, and 16. The tickets for the fifth Forum show had gone on sale Thursday, February 3 at 10:00am. Shit, how did I miss that news? Not that it mattered much, as I was still pretty much broke, and the 16th was a school night and so I wouldn't be able to go. The first chance I got I went to the library and asked for the Thursday Feb. 3 edition of the Los Angeles Times. Went through the View section(Part IV), which during the weekdays was where the arts, movies, television and music news was located. Yep...there it was...Page 15. The ad took the entire page. So that is when the four Forum shows became FIVE...and there was still room to add a SIXTH, as Monday the 14th was still open. Just to wrap up...I mentioned the "Roots" miniseries that ABC broadcasted the final week of January 1977, when the news of the Zeppelin tickets struck. Well, the ratings for "Roots" were shattering; it broke the record for most-watched and highest-rated TV show...beating the previous year's first-time airing of "Gone With the Wind". Which has a sort of poetic justice about it. Eventually, Super Bowls and the final episode of "M*A*S*H*" would eclipse "Roots", but it is interesting to note the difference in ratings between now and then. The 8th and final episode of "Roots"(ABC, in a daring move, broadcast "Roots" over eight consecutive nights) garnered a Nielson rating of 51.1 and a 71% share. That means that 51.1 percent of U.S. households with TV's were watching "Roots", and that of the televisions that were in use, 71% were tuned into "Roots", with around 100 million viewers. Nowadays, most Super Bowls get more viewers...for instance, the one just concluded between the NY Giants and New England Patriots was watched by 111.3 million viewers and had a 40.5 rating. But the 1982 Super Bowl between San Francisco and Cincinnati is still the highest RATED Super Bowl with a 49.1 rating and 73% share. And if you look closely at the article above, you will see that ABC won the weekly ratings race with a 35.5 rating. This week, with the Super Bowl, NBC was tops in the ratings, but only with a 7.7 rating. Networks barely crack a 10 rating anymore thanks to the fragmented audience. Oh, and to this day, I still have not seen the end of "Roots". Reading the book was enough for me to do the assigned report and I never got around to watching any of the repeated airings.

Thanks for the help...just about everybody I've seen, including this site, had it listed as May 23.

That is the May 23, 1976 Bad Company concert at the LA Forum, where Robert and Jimmy made a surprise appearance for the encore. It was the first concert appearance for Robert since his accident in Greece. It was a HUGE DEAL and sent ripples around the rock world, as it showed Robert was healed and ready to take the stage...which meant a Led Zeppelin tour was imminent.

Here's the complete answer bamf4k... The top photo is Jimmy with C, S, N & Y...from left to right is Neil Young, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills and Jimmy. Middle photo is Roy Harper and Jimmy. Bottom photo is Jimmy with Bad Company.

Making chocolate chunk cookies and watching "Meet Me in St. Louis" on TMC...Judy Garland, sigh. Love "The Trolley Song"! " 'Clang, clang, clang' went the trolley 'Ding, ding, ding' went the bell 'Zing, zing, zing' went my heartstrings From the moment I saw him I fell"

I was in Europe for three years. Believe me, I was plenty busy. I'm talking about when you're unwinding in your hotel room after a long day and night...either late at night or when you wake up and you're doing a little anthropological study on the viewing habits and options of foreigners. Just as I make it a policy never to eat at ay American establishment when I am abroad.

Best part about this is finding out what "ligged" means...I'd never heard that term before.

Italy has some of the worst television programming in the world. When I was in Italy, I could never find anything appealing to watch. Unlike during my stays in France, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Austria, or the Netherlands, where I usually could find something interesting, no matter the language barrier.

Didn't they play together last year?

I hate the Thursday night games. So the fact the NFL is going to increase the amount of Thursday night games next season gets a resounding NO from me!!! FOUR games on Thanksgiving Day?!?! That's way too much.

Yes, I have seen this...several times, in fact. I didn't find it boring in the least. But then, I also like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Barry Lyndon, two other films with deliberate pacing that take their time. If you find that sort of thing "boring", then I suppose you'll be inclined to find Solaris boring. It's a Tarkovsky film...he's interested in making art, not a video game, so a little patience, attention and thought is required when watching his movies. As usual, the American remake with George Clooney is not as good as the original.