Outrider Live...

[mstork]

Sadly it's gone -- the site is now a parking lot. It was a small music hall with great acoustics and home to the Pittsburgh Symphony for many years. A lot of great acts played there, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, The Band, Springsteen, REM among others. There was much controversy when it was demolished, and resulted in an organization dedicated to the preservation of historical sites in Pgh to be formed.

That's a shame, I really liked that venue.

Thanks...

[Jack13]

I was at the New Orleans show (Louis Armstrong Park?) at the old auditorium. This was the first time I saw Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham. Great show.

[dave2007]

I also saw Jimmy on this tour in New Orleans, which just so happened to be my first concert ever. It was great! I wish that there was footage from this show, but as far as I know-none exist. A guy named Maso Ruffner opened up (a three piece blues/rock outfit) and they were killer too. Great memories indeed. I've been searching hi and low for any tapes of this show. Would love to relive that night again. Page played very well and from the stuff I have found from this tour, he had an aggressive tone to his guitar sound, much more distortion than I was used to hearing from him, but it was all great.

I was at the New Orleans show too. Afterwards Jimmy (and Patricia) and the band went to the Hard Rock Cafe to hang out. Jimmy got a standing ovation from the diners when he left later on with Patricia. Jason stayed behind to carry on partying. We left and went back to the Absynthe Bar, they were still queing round the block, in the hope that Jimmy might be there ( I was with the Absynthe staff so no queueing for me). Mason Ruffner was in but not Jimmy. Had a great time in New Orleans on that tour....spent far too much time in the Absynthe Bar.....and a club called the "Dungeon" !!...partying with the Absynthe Staff and Frank Melfi. Aaah memories.

Back home in the UK...the best show I saw on that tour was Manchester. Even Jimmy reckoned it was the best of the whole tour.

[SteveAJones]

I was at the New Orleans show (Louis Armstrong Park?) at the old auditorium. This was the first time I saw Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham. Great show.

Welcome to the board, Jack.

[Yucko]

I saw the NJ show at the Meadowlands (first time I ever saw Jimmy live) and a show in a tiny theater in Pittsburgh. He was unbelievable both times.

I remember being upset at the relatively small crowd for the Meadowlands show, but Jimmy's performance was stellar. Much better than I expected because the last glimpse I'd had of him live was the disastrous (for him) Atlantic reunion. I know a lot of people had their expectations lowered because of that and were blown away by what they saw and heard in the Meadowlands.

The Pittsburgh show was special because the place was so small, I'd never imagined getting the chance to see him in that kind of venue. I must have been no more than 30 feet away when he played Stairway, which was totally cool.

Steve, do you know the name of the venue in Pittsburgh? I think it had the word "mosque" in it, can't quite remember...

It was called the Syria Mosque...which, sadly is no longer standing

[ro_a]

I saw the Worcester MA, USA stop. Robert was in attendance having played the night before, and we all hoped in vain for you know what.. others did get a taste that year..

Jimmy played a very together set, and his playing was fluid. I think my favorite solo was in the Chase one of two or three from the Deathwish II soundtrack he did that night. He seemed to glide around on the stage with all the effort of an air hockey puck. I was over the moon when they played OTHaFA.

This was my first time hearing Jason Bonham with the naked ear. He kept Jimmy honest with the timekeeping.

There used to be a charter bus that would leave downtown Boston around the statehouse and go to the venue and back. My older, more worldly friends called it "The Roach Coach", and claimed in the old days the party would start right there. That was not the case on this night, at least as far as party favors. I went with my band-mates. We were at just the right age to appreciate it as the faithful do their deity.

[Jack13]

Thanks Steve. Your posts are very informative. I have some photos of the show I need to dig up.

[leddy]

Are there many of you here who were lucky enough to catch Jimmy's 1988 tour for Outrider? I saw him on that tour and it was also the first time I got to meet him. He was exceptionally friendly and receptive, spending upwards of 30 minutes with my friends and me.

The show was a tour-de-force. Songs from his entire career up to that point... Yardbirds, Zep, The Firm, Death Wish II and Outrider. Jason was on drums and John Miles was a fantastic singer for Jimmy's music.

The instrumental version of Stairway was phenomenal as he invited us to sing along. He did some killer versions of In My Time Of Dying, Midnight Moonlight, Over The Hills, The Chase (complete with a violin bow work-out) a great one song acoustic set for Blues Anthem and show stopping Custard Pie which included a brief snippet of Black Dog.

The 1988 Outrider Tour was my third time seeing Jimmy as I had seen him on each of The Firm's tours. The 1988 show, the one I saw anyway, was a tremendous success and meeting him afterward was the icing on the cake!

So... how many of you caught that tour?

Yeh I saw him at hammy Odeon in 88 , still one of my fave gigs, was so much better than The Firm gig I saw..Jimmy was really on form, happy days .