# Big Name Rock Bands Before We All Knew Them



## andyzee (May 4, 2006)

Greg said:
			
		

> Speaking of Alice in Chains, I actually saw them open for Van Halen in '91. First concert, second row, Hartford Civic Center. We really didn't know who they were. I remember a lot of "boos".... :lol:


 
This post by Greg got me thinking, have you seen at big names in small enviornments or before they were famous. In my case there was:


Queen opening for Mott the Hoople on Broadway, there were no boos at this one.
The Police at CBGBs, there first show in the US
Talking Heads at CBGBs
Ramones at CBGBs, numurous times. Yeah, spent a lot of time at CBGB 
Clash at the Palladium, their first show in the US


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## Npage148 (May 4, 2006)

I am totally jealous of you!


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## BeanoNYC (May 4, 2006)

Npage148 said:
			
		

> I am totally jealous of you!



Ditto....LOL, Andy, For crying out loud did you see Dylan at Cafe Wa? Too?


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## andyzee (May 4, 2006)

BeanoNYC said:
			
		

> Ditto....LOL, Andy, For crying out loud did you see Dylan at Cafe Wa? Too?


 
No can't say I did. Wasn't a Dylan fan.


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## ski_resort_observer (May 4, 2006)

Earth, Wind and Fire in 1971 in Putney, Vt.
Bonnie Raitt in 1972 in Putney, Vt
Marshal Tucker Band as the warmup band to the Allman Brothers at SPAC in 1970


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## skibum1321 (May 5, 2006)

This isn't really before they're famous but Tool is playing the Orpheum this summer, which is really small. I don't have tix, but I've heard they're selling for almost $1000 on Ebay.


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## noski (May 5, 2006)

ski_resort_observer said:
			
		

> Earth, Wind and Fire in 1971 in Putney, Vt.
> Bonnie Raitt in 1972 in Putney, Vt
> Marshal Tucker Band as the warmup band to the Allman Brothers at SPAC in 1970


Man-oh-man...that took guts to post. You're even older than me.  I only ever saw Rush in Montreal in 1978- but they were hot then. My fave bar band was 8084 and they are still going, I think. Man! They were good!


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## kickstand (May 5, 2006)

skibum1321 said:
			
		

> This isn't really before they're famous but Tool is playing the Orpheum this summer, which is really small. I don't have tix, but I've heard they're selling for almost $1000 on Ebay.



that should be an awesome show.  I was asked to go, but I'm going to Pearl Jam a few nights prior.  I saw Perfect Circle, Tool's lead singer's other band, at Avalon back in 1998 or so.

Going back to Greg' Alice In Chains post, I saw them open for Extreme at the Orpheum in 1990.  They got booed like crazy.  Little did the crowd know Extreme would be toast within 2-3 years and Alice In Chains would help pioneer the grunge movement within the next 2 years.  And in case anyone cares, Extreme just reunited for a summer tour.


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## andyzee (May 5, 2006)

noski said:
			
		

> Man-oh-man...that took guts to post. You're even older than me. I only ever saw Rush in Montreal in 1978- but they were hot then. My fave bar band was 8084 and they are still going, I think. Man! They were good!


 
Oops, you just reminded me of others with the reference to bar bands. There used to be a club back in the early 70s in Parsippany, NJ, it was called Joint in the Woods. Anyway, they used to have a lot of cover bands playing there, then at one point decided to get original bands on a regular basis. Some of the ones I saw were TRex, Quicksilver, New York Dolls. 

Then one day they got this band in that I thought was excellent. They played there every week for about a month. I had a friend that was 3 or 4 years older than me, he had a garage band, I really looked up to this guy. I told him "Eddie, you got to see this band they're great". Well Eddie came, he saw, he said "eh they're OK" The band Aerosmith  I'll never forget that moment.


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## cbcbd (May 5, 2006)

kickstand said:
			
		

> Going back to Greg' Alice In Chains post, I saw them open for Extreme at the Orpheum in 1990.  They got booed like crazy.  Little did the crowd know Extreme would be toast within 2-3 years and Alice In Chains would help pioneer the grunge movement within the next 2 years.  And in case anyone cares, Extreme just reunited for a summer tour.


Wow, I am truly jealous... especially since I never got to see them live and now it's too late.
Didn't see Extreme, but saw Van Halen when Gary Sherone was their lead singer - I couldn't have picked a worse time to see VH.  On the other hand, I like Extreme and have Pornographity 1 + 2. 

My only kind of contribution was seeing the Brian Setzer Orchestra in CT mid 90s before their short-lived swing fad began - granted, Brian Setzer was already well known (from Stray Cats), but the Orchestra wasn't still as known. Fun show, and he's an amazing performer and guitarist.


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## Marc (May 5, 2006)

Two of my high school buddies went and saw Staind open for Godsmack at the Centrum in Worcester in '99... that's about it though.  All of the other obscure artists I've ever seen live are still relatively obscure.


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## kickstand (May 5, 2006)

cbcbd said:
			
		

> I like Extreme and have Pornographity 1 + 2.



there is only one Pornografitti.  The album is called "Extreme II: Pornografitti".




			
				marc said:
			
		

> Two of my high school buddies went and saw Staind open for Godsmack at the Centrum in Worcester in '99... that's about it though. All of the other obscure artists I've ever seen live are still relatively obscure.



I was at that show, as well.  We missed most of Staind, but I had seen them at Avalon before.  If I remember correctly, Incubus was also part of that Avalon show.

in 2004, I sold my Metallica/Godsmack tickets because it was the same night as Game 2 of the World Series.  Still pains me to this day, but I couldn't sit in a concert knowing the Sox were playing in the World Series and I wasn't watching.


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## ctenidae (May 5, 2006)

I saw Dave Matthews at a frathouse party at Chapel Hill in 93, or thereabouts.
I am not in a frat
Annual party.
Lots of beer.


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## cbcbd (May 5, 2006)

kickstand said:
			
		

> there is only one Pornografitti.  The album is called "Extreme II: Pornografitti".


Yeah, you're right... d'oh!


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## marcski (May 5, 2006)

Saw Blues traveller at the tiny (like 10 tables) Mondo Cane blues bar in the Village in...the late 80's I believe.


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## Ski Diva (May 6, 2006)

I saw Jimmy Buffet at the Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA a couple times around '74 or '75. I don't think there were 20 people in the audience, either time. I went to see him again a few years ago, and he still does a lot of the same stuff.

I also saw the Eagles right right before their first album hit big. They were in a small college gym in Cortland, NY. Good show.


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## Plowboy (May 7, 2006)

Marshal Tucker Band as the warmup band to the Allman Brothers at SPAC in 1970[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> Charlie Daniels Band as warmup for Marshal Tucker Band and ZZ Top. at the Spectrum in Phily 76'. Everybody was booing and hissing @ ZZ Top and wanted CDB to come back on. Saw CDB 16 times after that show. 15 of those shows from 77' to 78'. The last time was @ Thunder Road(race track in Barre, VT) a few years ago, what a show!!
> 
> Foghat as warmup for Steve Miller Band 73' Paladium(sp) NYC
> 
> ...


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## andyzee (May 7, 2006)

Plowboy said:
			
		

> Foghat as warmup for Steve Miller Band 73' Paladium(sp) NYC


 
I think I went to that one. If I'm not mistaken, the Paladium was the Acadamy of Music back then.


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## ctenidae (May 7, 2006)

I did see the Allman Brothers at UNCW in '91 or '92, but I think that counts more as seing a big name band well after they were a big name band. Well, well after.


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## Plowboy (May 7, 2006)

ctenidae said:
			
		

> I did see the Allman Brothers at UNCW in '91 or '92, but I think that counts more as seing a big name band well after they were a big name band. Well, well after.



Could be a new thread: How bad were they after they made it big?  The list could be long!!


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## Plowboy (May 7, 2006)

andyzee said:
			
		

> I think I went to that one. If I'm not mistaken, the Paladium was the Acadamy of Music back then.




I think it was called the Paladium @ that time. I think it was near Harlem.

Foghat took the Show. Steve Miller Band was kinda lame.

PS
My first live show was Deep Purple and Billy Preston @ the Allentown Fairgrounds, Allentown, PA. 1972.


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## ChileMass (May 8, 2006)

Very first rock concert I ever saw was Aerosmith in the gym of the Univ of Maine at Farmington in early 1973 before "Dream On" went national and became a huge hit.  There were about 500 kids there and the band (<<gasp>>) swore and drank wine onstage.  What a scandal.  I just remember that they were all very skinny and hairy.  My Dad was not impressed......


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## dmc (May 8, 2006)

Saw DMB, Blues Traveler, Sping Drs and Phish befor they got big at Wetlands and Roseland..

used to catch the Ramones at CBGB in highschool - but they were already pretty big by then..

Also used to catch Twisted Sister in Brooklyn every once and a while... Was a fun time..


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## Max (May 8, 2006)

The Amboy Dukes before anyone knew who Ted Nugent was.


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## Johnskiismore (May 8, 2006)

In the early ninties I saw Godsmack at I think it was Club 3 in Somerville, MA.


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## kickstand (May 8, 2006)

was that back when Sully was still the drummer?  I have a friend who saw them multiple times at the clubs before they got signed.  Said she used to sit on top of the speakers at some of their shows.  Have other friends who used to do the same at Gangsta Bitch Barbie shows - that's Powerman 5000 to the rest of you - at the Rat.  Unfortunately, I was not a part of these.


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## LisaBatt (May 8, 2006)

*wondering....*

Hey DMC, saw in your post you mentioned Twisted Sister , I too saw them way back then . Wondering if you liked "The Good Rats" ...not a band to many people know of. They played alot with Twisted Sister in A rock club in Portchester New York in the early/mid 80's. Infact I still have a "rat" from one of there concerts somewhere in my attic!!! I also remember going to the Pallidum in NYC, CBGB's, The Ritz , Peppermint lounge , and my all time favorite was Danceteria  Ah yes, those good ole days of rock and rock clubs!!!!!


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## dmc (May 8, 2006)

LisaBatt said:
			
		

> Hey DMC, saw in your post you mentioned Twisted Sister , I too saw them way back then . Wondering if you liked "The Good Rats" ...not a band to many people know of. They played alot with Twisted Sister in A rock club in Portchester New York in the early/mid 80's. Infact I still have a "rat" from one of there concerts somewhere in my attic!!! I also remember going to the Pallidum in NYC, CBGB's, The Ritz , Peppermint lounge , and my all time favorite was Danceteria  Ah yes, those good ole days of rock and rock clubs!!!!!




Oh yeah! Good Rats were awesome...  i heard they were getting back together again and playing locally..  Saw them a bunch in and around NYC and NJ

I miss the old Ritz and the old Lonestar Cafe'...  Great places...


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## LisaBatt (May 8, 2006)

*DMC  if you like*

...check out thegoodrats@goodrats.com I just found this web site. I would like to buy some of their music on cd, since all of my albums are boxed up . One of these days I will go through all that great vinyl and replace the broken needle on the old stero record player...I'm lazy and have been replacing older music through cd purchases. ok take care .


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## ChileMass (May 8, 2006)

dmc said:
			
		

> Oh yeah! Good Rats were awesome...  i heard they were getting back together again and playing locally..  Saw them a bunch in and around NYC and NJ
> 
> I miss the old Ritz and the old Lonestar Cafe'...  Great places...



Wow - you guys just jogged my memory - in the spring of 1978 I saw the Talking Heads warm up for The Good Rats at Page Hall in Albany.  There were only about 350 people there and it only cost $1.50 for student admission.  The Talking Heads played for about 45 minutes and got booed off the stage.  Then the crowd (mostly from Lawn Guyland) started going nuts when they thought The Good Rats were coming onstage.  But when the Talking Heads came out to do an encore that nobody had requested, the crowd did everything but throw things at them.  They did a very short version of "Take Me to the River" and ran off.  

Hard to believe the Talking Heads got so famous just a few years after......


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## dmc (May 8, 2006)

ChileMass said:
			
		

> Wow - you guys just jogged my memory - in the spring of 1978 I saw the Talking Heads warm up for The Good Rats at Page Hall in Albany.  There were only about 350 people there and it only cost $1.50 for student admission.  The Talking Heads played for about 45 minutes and got booed off the stage.  Then the crowd (mostly from Lawn Guyland) started going nuts when they thought The Good Rats were coming onstage.  But when the Talking Heads came out to do an encore that nobody had requested, the crowd did everything but throw things at them.  They did a very short version of "Take Me to the River" and ran off.
> 
> Hard to believe the Talking Heads got so famous just a few years after......



THeads were getting famous in 1977 after thier "77" album...  But really didn't start taking off until "More Songs About Buildings and Food" came out in 1978 - and really took off after their famous SNL apperence in 78...


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## andyzee (May 8, 2006)

LisaBatt said:
			
		

> Hey DMC, saw in your post you mentioned Twisted Sister , I too saw them way back then . Wondering if you liked "The Good Rats" ...not a band to many people know of. They played alot with Twisted Sister in A rock club in Portchester New York in the early/mid 80's. Infact I still have a "rat" from one of there concerts somewhere in my attic!!! I also remember going to the Pallidum in NYC, CBGB's, The Ritz , Peppermint lounge , and my all time favorite was Danceteria Ah yes, those good ole days of rock and rock clubs!!!!!


 
Damn some of my old hunting grounds, wonder if we ever hooked up ? 8) Did you forget the Mudd club, Heat, Hurrah's, and Max's Kansas City? For after hours there was Berlins, the Nursery, Laight street.

Used to see Twisted Sister and the Good Rats at a local club here in NJ all the time in the 70's. Funny story about Twisted Sister, there was a guy that worked at our help desk, nice guy, kind of quiet. Well one day one of the guys at work saw one of these "Where are they now" shows and saw this guy on the show. It was the guitar player from Twisted Sister, Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda. He worked the desk here for a couple of years and then got the opportunity for a Twisted Sister reunion for something like $1 million bucks, he's no longer here


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## awf170 (May 8, 2006)

kickstand said:
			
		

> was that back when Sully was still the drummer? I have a friend who saw them multiple times at the clubs before they got signed. Said she used to sit on top of the speakers at some of their shows. Have other friends who used to do the same at Gangsta Bitch Barbie shows - that's Powerman 5000 to the rest of you - at the Rat. Unfortunately, I was not a part of these.



Speaking of Godsmack... did anyone see them when the played at Sugarloaf a while back?


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## Charlie Schuessler (May 8, 2006)

On LI in the '70's Twisted Sister was a Bar Band covering Aerosmith and Party Band songs....they were ugly, loud and lots of fun before they hit it big...

Another LI Bar Band then was the Alley Cats later renamed the Stray Cats...now Brian's playing with His Big Band on PBS...I still like his stuff...


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## andyzee (May 8, 2006)

Charlie Schuessler said:
			
		

> On LI in the '70's Twisted Sister was a Bar Band covering Aerosmith and Party Band songs....they were ugly, loud and lots of fun before they hit it big...
> 
> Another LI Bar Band then was the Alley Cats later renamed the Stray Cats...now Brian's playing with His Big Band on PBS...I still like his stuff...


 
If you remember, Twisted Sister did a good cover of Lou Reed's "On the Wild Side" This was before they got Di Snyder as their lead singer.


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## teachski (May 8, 2006)

Rick Springfield and the Raspberries played at my junior-senior high school when I was in 8th grade (1975 I think). In 1974, carefree gum sponsored a contest for High Schools where the winning prize was a concert with Rick opening for the Raspberries, My school won!

I saw Pat Benetar at a bar in Leominster, MA while in college, she hadn't made the charts yet.

I saw Foghat in concert at the Wallace Civic Center, Fitchburg, MA in the 70's before they gained fame.


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## Johnskiismore (May 9, 2006)

kickstand said:
			
		

> was that back when Sully was still the drummer?  I have a friend who saw them multiple times at the clubs before they got signed.  Said she used to sit on top of the speakers at some of their shows.  Have other friends who used to do the same at Gangsta Bitch Barbie shows - that's Powerman 5000 to the rest of you - at the Rat.  Unfortunately, I was not a part of these.




Honestly, I don't know. I was there for my friends band who were opening!  But when Godsmack started to get really popular my friend still had promo leaflets and ads from the Boston Phoenix showing his band on the line up with Godsmack. They opened more than once, and I will say I liked them alot!

You mentioned Gangsta Bitch Barbie, holy crap I remember when they played at Framingham State College and with Controlled Aggression (Bionic Manson) at the Red Star Pub in Framingham!


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## LisaBatt (May 9, 2006)

*Andyzee, thanks for jogging my memory too*

Yes Mudd club, MKC, Hurrah's were great as well as The Limelight, and Heartbreak in NYC. I recall a club or two in NJ I went to as well. However the only one I remember was The Soap Factory.  In Westchester County every tuesday night was rock night at a Beach Club along Shore Road...can't recall the name right now but ...it sure is fun remembering all this stuff...now to get back to reality, got to get to work... Here's  a good laugh for you before I go, my 11yr old son, with his long hair and pink floyd & led Zep tee shirt's etc, can't believe his "mother" went to Black Sabbath concerts as a teenager  (as well as lots of others) I am finally getting some respect from  the middle school age crowd!!!! When I can't find my cd's from the car, I know whose room to look in.   My very very first rock concert at the tender age of 13 was Grand Funk Railroad at Madison Square Garden....This is truly a blast from the bast....


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## andyzee (May 9, 2006)

LisaBatt said:
			
		

> Yes Mudd club, MKC, Hurrah's were great as well as The Limelight, and Heartbreak in NYC. I recall a club or two in NJ I went to as well. However the only one I remember was The Soap Factory. In Westchester County every tuesday night was rock night at a Beach Club along Shore Road...can't recall the name right now but ...it sure is fun remembering all this stuff...now to get back to reality, got to get to work... Here's a good laugh for you before I go, my 11yr old son, with his long hair and pink floyd & led Zep tee shirt's etc, can't believe his "mother" went to Black Sabbath concerts as a teenager (as well as lots of others) I am finally getting some respect from the middle school age crowd!!!! When I can't find my cd's from the car, I know whose room to look in. My very very first rock concert at the tender age of 13 was Grand Funk Railroad at Madison Square Garden....This is truly a blast from the bast....


 
In NJ for original music at the time two good ones were, Hitsville in Passaic and Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove. Oh and Towpath in I think it was Paterson or West Paterson.


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## augidog (May 30, 2006)

teachski said:
			
		

> Rick Springfield and the Raspberries played at my junior-senior high school when I was in 8th grade (1975 I think). In 1974, carefree gum sponsored a contest for High Schools where the winning prize was a concert with Rick opening for the Raspberries, My school won!


http://www.ericcarmen.com/press/050114b.htm (they got it wrong, but this is the reference, i'm gonna post some details on their forum, also)

hi, teachski & all.

had to jump in here...i was googling around in my past and found this post, WOW! in CT, the winning school was Cheney Tech HS in Manchester, same one i wonder?

since i've posted, let's see what else i can remember...i quit school in '75 and joined the navy, was stationed in california, what a ton of good concerts:

Ted Nugent & Kansas (both new on the west coast) warmed us up for BOC in Long Beach

San Diego:
Sabbath & Van Halen (Runnin with the Devil)
Gary Wright (Dreamweaver)
Bob Seger (Night Moves)
Lynard Skynard (Free Bird)
Foghat & Black Oak (Jim Dandy)
Pink Floyd (Animals)
Chicago (7 or 8 i think)
Heart!!! (Magic Man)

San Fransisco...went to a little off-off broadfway dive called Savoy's, no cover and $1 longneck buds, saw Canned Heat.

and...in Philadelphia, Frank Zappa did a spontaneous performance of "Lather" at the Spectrum in '77.

tangerine dream, charlie daniels, the dead, CS&N, neil young ("trans" tour, very interesting), many more the braincells can't dredge up....

anyhoo, teachski, are you a cheney tech alumni by any chance?

oh yeah!!! just last winter in boston i saw Steve Winwood at the Orpheum (he had his original wooden cabinet Hammond & Leslie, it was like taking the old '64 chevy for a drive, wutta nite!)

this is a completely groovy thread, btw.


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## ChileMass (May 30, 2006)

augidog said:
			
		

> ........this is a completely groovy thread, btw.......



And augidog - it is a stone groove to have you aboard here on AZ.com.............welcome!!!


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## teachski (May 30, 2006)

augidog said:
			
		

> ...
> anyhoo, teachski, are you a cheney tech alumni by any chance?


No, Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, MA.  Must have eaten 10,000 sticks of carefree gum then.  The school actually lifted the ban on gum chewing and one of the clubs was selling the gum at lunch.  We would stay after school to scrawl Carefree Gum on 3x5 cards and then bundle the cards in groups of 100.  There were contests in the school for getting the most wrappers or hand written cards.  Every classroom had a box full of blank 3x5's that we could write on after we did our work.  

Also - Summer of 1980, I worked in a small factory in Brookfield, MA.  After work another girl and I would go to the tennis courts at North Brookfield High School.  At the time the Rolling Stones were recording at Long View Farm.  Mick Jagger and a few of the gang would come down to play tennis and jog the track there.  We were invited to a couple jam/rehearsal sessions which as I recall started late at night and went through the night.


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## augidog (May 30, 2006)

cool, i've been looking around and figured there were a few contests, apparently the grass roots were involved in some of the shows, but we got rick springfield in a caveman getup. the contest allowed for substituting 3X5 cards w/"care-free gum" hand printed on them (most schools missed that detail), we bribed another hs's print shop to cut our paper, the whole school, 450 of us, wrote "care-free gum" all day every day, the winner was the school with the most per student, we had hundreds of thousands, making our per student total more than some schools submitted altogether.

raspberries even gave a custom volkswagon away, one of those "rolls-royce" jobbies, in another contest... http://www.ericcarmen.com/press/730700.htm

neat news about the stones...saw them in hartford early eightie's.

edit: ok, i'm gonna do this, if it breaks a rule, de-edit this...all u peeps who like the good ole days should check out www.9412.com for internet classic rock, live dj's & 15000 searchable songs to request from...tellem augie sentcha.



			
				ChileMass said:
			
		

> And augidog - it is a stone groove to have you aboard here on AZ.com.............welcome!!!


ty, chilemass...hey, peeps, u got a cool (pun intended) community here... 'nother edit: i posted an intro, this might be a good thing for me.


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## deadheadskier (May 30, 2006)

Mark my words

Ryan Montbleau Band

he's from Boston and a ridiculous talent.  Get the chance now while you can to see him in smaller clubs in the area.  It won't be long before he's packing arenas.  

www.ryanmontbleau.com


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## augidog (Jun 7, 2006)

*hey, teachski...this bring back any memories?*







the moddy @ ericcarmen.com found this...cool, huh?


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## teachski (Jun 9, 2006)

Yes!  It does!  I think ours was sponsored by the Gum Company and WAAF or one of the Worcester/Boston stations back then.


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