Category Archives: Live

by Salvi C. | September 6, 2010 · 6:07 pm

‘Today Your Love, Tamara Ward!’

Everyone has a wish list of events from the past that they would like to have the chance to witness or change. Some would dine with dignitaries, some would bear witness to the great art movements, some would prevent wars.

Noble goals, one and all. I’m a little more street with my list. I’d keep Julie Newmar from quitting the “Catwoman” role after only one year. I’d introduce Curley Howard to the concepts of restraint and nutrition, to prevent the world from losing a comic genius at age 46. I’d bi*ch-slap Harry Sinden into stopping Bobby Orr from signing with the Blackhawks. And I’d bring a VCR back to 1975 NYC so I could record the Dictators’ performance at the MS. All-Bare America contest at the Beacon Theater on Sept. 6, 1975.

“More Beauty per Square Inch than the Grand Canyon!”

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Live, The Cincotta Archives

by Thunderbolt Patterson | August 30, 2010 · 10:54 am

Thunderbolt Patterson: Viva Las Vegas Shakedown!

Newark Airport, 8/13/2010, 8:00 am EST:
Well, the air train at EWR works like a champ, and I would recommend it to anyone who has to fly. Of course, flying sucks these days, so WALK. Seriously. Lovely Bloody Mary at “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Bar and Grill,” gate 37. Nice footage of the O’Jays.

Dallas Airport, 8/13/2010, noon, CST:
No Shiner Bock? Wait, I always make connections through Dallas FOR the Shiner Bock … and no, I don’t want a Bud Light. I NEVER want a Bud Light. Is this because I’m in the American Airlines terminal? I definitely had a Shiner Bock at the very same airport on the way to SXSW in February. OK, Miller Lite will be fine.

American Airlines: Suck, but not any worse than the other flying buses. I prefer train travel, but Vegas might have been a bit of a haul.

Las Vegas Airport, 8/13/2010, 2:00 pm PCT:
Nothing says “welcome” like a bank of slot machines right inside your arrival gate. Even better, a scant 10 minute drive to my hotel, the lovely…

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Live, Thunderbolt

by Robbiecube | August 21, 2010 · 2:00 pm

“How Ya Doing, Chicago!?”

As we documented in the last post, the Summer of 1991 had our heroes on the road again. This revamped juggernaut wiped out Chicago on this date in 1991. The boys played the Avalon with the Lunachicks and Spinout in support. Here are some memories of the gig from our Senior Midwest correspondent, Robbie Q:

The Avalon was formerly known as The Quiet Knight, a truly legendary folk/rock/blues/comedy club. It was located on the second floor of a building at Belmont & Sheffield, just a bit south of Wrigley Field.

Many future stars played there in the ’60s & ’70s. Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, the Kinkster, even Jimmy Buffett played there before they were stars. But by the time punk hit, the place was declining, as was the neighborhood, and it finally closed, reopening as “Tut’s,” becoming a cornerstone of the Chicago punk scene, then finally becoming the Avalon. I don’t believe it stayed open as the Avalon very long, either. Too bad, it was a cool and historic room. The building is still there. Last time I went by, several years ago, the second floor was now occupied by a beauty/barber college. I wonder how many future cosmetologists knew the real history of the place?

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Archive, Dictators Assembled, Live, Live Review

by Salvi C. | August 20, 2010 · 2:26 am

1991: Out of Traction, Back in Action!

Photos courtesy of Kris Quaedvlieg

The summer of 1991 once again found the band with time on its hands. Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom had been dropped by the geniuses at MCA, the Del-Lords had broken up, and our heroes were left with the choice of scattering into the wind (again) or putting the band back together. To quote Manitoba, “We could stay home for the summer and lose money, or go on the road and lose money.” So, in best DIY, 3-to-a-room-at-the-Motel-6 fashion, the road was the choice. The Dictators played 20-plus dates over the course of the summer, the most since the “Bloodbrothers” tour in 1978.

I saw the first three shows from 1991. The 4/27 Palladium show was fun and exciting, but overall a shaky affair. Andy sat this one out, and RTB and Scott both did great jobs carrying the backing vocals. They obviously had worked their tails off rehearsing, but guitar cues were missed left and right, and it took until encores for things to really jell. The Uptown Horns were special guests on a surprise version of “Looking for a Love.”

The first weekend on the road, 5/31 in Providence and 6/1 at the Channel in Boston, were much improved shows, but it still felt like they were playing it safe. The set lists were identical to those from the 1981 shows, and they still seemed tentative. They were still short-arming their throws.

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under Dictators Assembled, Live, Live Review, The Cincotta Archives

by Salvi C. | August 16, 2010 · 5:08 pm

Long Live the King!

On the 33rd anniversary of the death of Elvis, let us quote the immortal words of the Bard, Sir Scott of Kempner, which are from the Dictators’ Palladium show on 8/24/77:

“For the first time in a long time, rock & roll is without a King. The Dictators want to hereby commemorate, and dedicate, this set and every set from now on, to the King, Elvis Presley. Now, and forever.”

— Salvi C.

5 Comments

Filed under Live, Top Ten

by Salvi C. | August 5, 2010 · 10:20 am

August 5, 1977: On the Road Again

On August 5, 1977, the Dictators opened for Bob Seger at the Merriwether Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. To hear band members talk about it, the 1977 opening slots were nothing but horrible experiences. No one was ever there to see them, and they were basically just a 30-minute cock-block. Not to explode a myth, but this show stands as evidence to the contrary. Sure, the sound quality is horrible, but the band is totally smoking, obviously having a fine old time for themselves, and the show is enjoyably flavored by the disgruntled comments of the startled patrons who were being pinned to the back wall by the extremely loud Dictators. It’s lots of fun, and one of my favorite bootleg shows.

The set list:

1.        Science Gone Too Far
2.        The Next Big Thing
3.        Young, Fast, and Scientific
4.        Disease
5.        Two Tub Man

Bob Seger, Handsome Dick Manitoba

— Salvi C.

2 Comments

Filed under Dictators Assembled, Live, Live Review, The Cincotta Archives

by Salvi C. | July 28, 2010 · 1:40 pm

We Waxed Our Bikini Zones for THIS??

July 28, 1990. In what has to have been one of the more bizarre bookings they ever played, Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom was the special musical guest at the 1990 United States Lifesaving Association’s National Lifeguard Championship in, or, more accurately, ON, Pompano Beach in FLA. Yes, there really is such a thing, and no, points are not added if you look like David Hasselhoff.

Someplace between the Junior Lifeguard Treasure Hunt, the Women’s Run-Swim-Run, (again, there really is such a thing) and the Senior Men’s Tournament, in which we presume the victims were instructed to drown very, very slowly, the band unleashed their brand of mayhem on the estimated 15,000 spectators and sun worshippers in attendance.

“The Party Starts Now” was getting heavy airplay all over Florida, and the boys were riding the unfamiliar wave of commercial popularity with a seven-gig tour of the state. Well, it turned out that the majesty of their rock was too much for the crowd to handle, as security had to shut the show down after only seven songs because they thought the over-enthusiastic crowd was on the verge of a musical riot. The band was all revved up, but at least they had someplace to go, as they played a second gig later that same day in Ft. Lauderdale.

— Salvi C.

Everybody Needs a Home

Homer has Moe’s. Arnold Ziffle had Hooterville. Peter Griffin has the Drunken Clam. Every boy, girl, woman, man and child needs a home, some place where they can let it all hang out, be themselves, and find themselves.

The Dictators had CBGBs. Love it or lump it, that hallowed dump was theirs. Between benefits, farewell shows, Joey’s birthdays, BBC broadcasts, DVD recordings and more farewell shows, they must have played there 75 times over the years. The very first time took place on this day in 1976, when they set the Monday attendance record at the club.

The show got off with a literal bang, as they blew the electricity in the middle of the first song! Manitoba said it all with “It’s just a simple fact of life — no place in the world can supply enough power for us!”

Continue reading →