big bam shows montgomery, alabama big bam shows montgomery, alabama

At the time, Sonny was interested Cher's friend, not her. Deep South was incorporated in late July of 1950 with a capitalization of $60,000. "Cyril's idea was, 'Tell them to sing, just a little bit, and make sure that we get the right one.' Brennan and his wife, Clara, who handled ticketing, estimate that one-third of the tickets for any Shower of Stars datewere purchased on faith, before the lineup was ever announced. He founded his own company, Brennan Video Productions, in 1982and he continues to work there, transferring VHS tapes, old films and other retro footage to DVDs. Whitwam, now in his 47th year playing music, is pleased with the makeup of their current audiences. Jerry Lee Lewis. Im content where Im at, said Beavers, except I could lose about 80 pounds.. In Brennan's view, that's a satisfying legacy. We were all so nervous we wore dark sunglasses so nobody could see how scared we were, said Dupree. ", From UABMBA: "One of the greatest concerts in Alabama was The Rolling Stones with Chuck Berry at Auburn Memorial Coliseum, November 14, 1969. Neither Tommy Shaw nor Beth Nielsen Chapman will be on hand due to their schedules. WBAM Big Bam Shows 7,142 views Nov 21, 2010 One of the big hit singers of the 60's and 70's working on a bit with me for a TV show..a little behind the scenes..Bobby is involved with art. It was great! From Denniswingo: "April 1977 was Led Zeppelin.famous because it was so totally over promoted with the K-99 disc jockeys claiming $100 scalped tickets (it was $7.50 ticket price). (His moniker on the air: Dan the Music Man. We got started because of the Beatles, said Jimbo Jones, longtime singer and guitarist with Harmony, one of the most popular bands to come out of Montgomery that played in the mid to late 70s at Keglers Kove, the lounge at Bama Lanes. Dan Brennan, center, with the Grass Roots. He doesnt keep up with Johnny Townsend, but remains friends with Rusty Crumpton and Ed Sanford, who is a successful artist in Los Angeles. Tommy James, of Tommy James and the Shondells, describing his appearance at the WBAM and WVOK Summer Shows in 1966 (from Me, the Mob and the Music). Toni loved doing the show, but Daryl, who never enjoyed being on camera, did not. WBAM-FM/98.9 ("Bama Country 98.9") is a country music formatted radio station that serves the Montgomery Metropolitan Area, broadcasting on the FM band at a frequency of 98.9 MHz and licensed to Montgomery, Alabama. The Fabulous Shades ", From Art Meripol: "U2's Zoo Tour at Legion was pretty fun from the floor.". Tickets to these shows were typically $3 to $4. "Play It All Night Long." Hal Hodgens of WVOK is second from left. The mothership landed in the BJCC that night. Joplin died on Oct. 4, 1970. From Denniswingo: "Was there! "I always had an idea about saving memories for people, and using the media that was becoming available, and that's what led me into this.". Hisconcertseries rocked their worlds and shaped their music tastes, in tandem with WVOK. I don't even think it was a sell out. I'm sure they were totally confused.". Show Hide article text (OCR) ", "Rolling Stones in Auburn '69," said James Robert Chambless. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. blues show montgomery, al 2021. guildford school of acting auditions; gilroy google font alternative; cuisinart steamer insert; Blog Post Title February 26, 2018. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Brennans said. According to Dan, the only surviving brother, it was Bill's decision to offer$50,000 to the Beatles for their appearance at the Gator Bowl. I don't know, I guess people got to trust us. The song actually topped the charts on WBAM in Montgomery, AL for a few weeks which gave us introductions to the British Invasion groups coming through Montgomery for the Big BAM shows held at the Coliseum for many years, like The Who, The Hollies, The Blues Magoos, The Kinks, and many more including American groups like The Beach Boys, The . Men. "Probably the most famous and beloved would be Buckingham Nicks at Boutwell in January of 1975. We occasionally wouldn't fill all three seatings in Birmingham, but I don't think we ever had one that was less than about 70 percent full, with all three together. Johnny Carson wanted him on The Tonight Show.Music fans were clamoring for the single and album that featured this emotion-filled song about a man in love with his wife, who planted a . The Carpenters. You are free to use the above map for educational and similar purposes; if you publish it online or in print . Anybody remember that one? by Lenore Vickrey If you were a teenager in south-central Alabama in the 1960s, chances are you danced the jerk, flirted with that cute boy, or made out in the corner of the high school gym to the music of a live band of local erstwhile musicians. It wasnt concerts where you played and 500 people sat down and listened to you. (Photo courtesy of the Brennan family). People came from several states to see these shows. Carl Perkins. Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Tommy, I'm in Montgomery, Alabama. A close second would be Yes at the Concert Hall in 2013. Published by at February 16, 2022. I also went to one free concert on the old Quad (Woods Hall) in the late 60s that featured Linda Ronstadt (backed up by the Eagles). This might have swelled a lesser man's head, but for Brennan, it was all about connecting with the listeners. "Little Feat at Boutwell mid 70s. ", From estevev: "Of the ones I attended, the most memorable ones were -- Ike and Tina Turner Review, Plush Horse, (1974? Roy Orbison. View the Full Page. He didn't insist onphotos. The Rockin' Rebellions won top honors - beating out 67 other bands from throughout Alabama. Submit a request Contact us through a specially prepared form. The most entertaining act? "I didn't stay up there too long," Brennan says, laughing. Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995. The Show That Almost Happened FACIAL. Disbanded in 66, reunited 76, returned to active performance 1991. Elton John played three different years and drew over 40,000 total. The Rockin' Rebellions entered the big VOX (sound equipment) sponsored "WVOK Battle of the Bands" contest held at the Boutwell Auditorium in downtown Birmingham on May 20, 1967. . The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC The original investors in the company were William J. A license for the station was issued in 1952. There are still a lot of local bands out there, said Sonny Grier, lead singer with the Rockin Gibraltars. . Its magic, said Beavers. Solid show during a year held in very high regard by a large number of Deadheads. . Moody remembers Roy Orbison being one of the nicer, more polite performers, and the Grass Roots, Paul Revere and Buckinghams being easy to work with. Formed: 1972, Tuscaloosa. "Ringo had a riser above the stage, and of course this is all outdoors, and the winds were blowing up to 70 miles an hour," Brennan says. It's not like now, where they have secret tunnels and drive right into the auditorium.". Respi Mee Sup Sabahiiat. "His 'side' men was the entire Little Feat rhythm section. Otherwise . White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. "Tuscaloosa Memorial Coliseum 1972," said Randy Palmer. With the help of Bill Moody and Cyril Brennan at WBAM, their music was played on the 100,000-watt radio station, helping the group built a following as an R&B band. This doesn't even scratch the surface! Ask anyone who was there. "We never had a flop," Brennan says, "but we had some shows that were a little bit bigger than others. "To go to the concerts was huge. And so he gave them -- the only show in the whole country that did this -- we gave them a flat $50,000, which was pretty good in those days. Shower of Stars audiences were accustomed to seeing a mix of rock, pop and country acts on stage, and the lineup for every show had a pecking order. I think we had at least 15,000-16,000 people there. Big BAM Shows of the late 1960s and early 1970s featured all the biggest artists of the day, including Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie, Iron Butterfly, The Carpenters, The Monkees (as a group and individually), Tommy Joyce and Bobby Heart, The Grass Roots, and many more. The Beatles were paid a fee of $50,000 -- a hefty sum in those days, Brennan says -- and in the thick of the civil rights movement, the band's contract specified that they wouldn't perform for a segregated audience. Big Bam All-Star Spring Show Setlists Apr 8 1967 Date Saturday, April 8, 1967 Venue Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, AL, USA Report festival So far there are setlists of 9 gigs. We were considered the number one soul band in the south. (The Beatles' popularity in the U.S. exploded in 1964, and that year's tour was a watershed moment for the band.). Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the bill, said Whitwam of their first performance at Garrett Coliseum. The entire show was magic, beginning with The Stranger and of course included many of the unknown Joel early songs. "My late husband was owner of Peace Concerts, he brought hundreds of concerts to Birmingham, all over Alabama and southeast from 1970-1975," said Shari Graye. To be honest, Brennan doesn't precisely recall what he said to the audience that evening, just before the mop-topped John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr took the stage. Clayton, Hayward and Gradney. Members: Original members Larry Hoyle, Johnny Hassett and Ron Howard, plus Chris Seymour, Johnny Long, Jr. and Craig Young. The rock band played several times at the Shower of Stars and appeared at one of the last few shows in the concert series, in July 1972. ", From REDSEA: "While I was going to UNA back in 81, I worked on the Stage Crew on these concerts at UNA: Atlanta Rhythm Section (pictured), Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty, Hotel, Crystal Gale. Patsy Cline Performs Her Final Show Country Music Memories; Most Wanted Music: 2023's Country and Americana Album Releases; Follow Us. ', "We went over there and asked Roy, and he said, 'No, we're not going to do that. Here, then, is a readers' choice list of 31 awesome concerts in Alabama, culled from email, Facebook and comments on the original post. Welcome to my Nightmare in Huntsville Von Braun 1975 and KISS in 1976 at Von Braun. In 2020, the median property value in Montgomery, AL was $121,100, and the homeownership rate was 54.1%. Shop Patio & Garden, including exclusive patio furniture from brands like Broyhill. ", From Don Haley Benson: "Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA! I was blown away. Many regulars from the Kove days brought their grown children and will likely do so again. Because it was so big, we ran on stage as soon as we were introduced, grabbed our instruments and started playing before the applause died down. The band has undergone several incarnations. pigella miraculous ladybug power. One show in particular stands out. But in the minds of Alabama listeners, WVOK and WBAM ruled supreme, and the stations were closely linked by their concert series. Fans also rushed to nominate their favorites when asked for feedback. ", Several readers mentioned Lynyrd Skynyrd as a given, pointing to various concerts throughout the state. ", All three Brennan brothers were ambitious businessmen who worked as a team. WVOK is now all-sports. A recent Skype video call to his U.K. home found Whitwam fondly remembering the Hermits Big BAM Show performances. And the Brennans knew how to put on a show.. He never asked forautographs. The Alabama band was the organizer and centerpiece, raising money for charity. "I felt that I was lucky to be able to have the kind of job I had," Brennan says. Four dates per year were standard -- in winter, spring, summer and fall -- and total attendance topped out at 15,000 people for each three-show stint in Birmingham. And the Shower of Stars concerts still linger in localmemory. Via a longstanding partnership with the Benns family, the Brennans also extended theirreach to Chattanooga, the home of WFLI-AM. Tickets were priced at$1.50-$5.50 per show, Brennan says, and artists' fees usually ran about $300-$7,500 per act. So we had another beer. At least 25 people tried to jump the stage during the concert and were knocked backward into the crowd by gigantic stage bouncers! Top (l-r), Keith Brewer, Ed Sanford and Sonny Grier. "It didn't matter. Each episode had a specific theme, mission, or challenge which was accomplished by performing pranks, skateboarding, and enlisting the help of . Cyril's wife Louise would make us outfits for the Shower of Stars, and we'd have on these big bell bottoms. We came along at just the right time.. The Fabulous Shades, 1965. It was just before his popularity exploded. They would buy so many tickets in advance, we didn't have to worry about whether they were going to come or not.". "Excuse me---did I miss the ROLLING STONES STEEL WHEELS TOUR??????????????????" Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans' gifts to a loyal radio audience. The WMSP studios are located on the 3rd floor of . Lindley. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). "Put You Down" was written by lead guitarist Max Kendrick and vocalist Rich Gainer. Brennan bid farewell to concert promotion in 1973 --a necessary business decision, he says -- and for Birmingham music lovers, it was the end of an era. Their annual Big Bam shows, and Show of Stars were traveling medicine shows and featured Lou Christie, Roy Orbison, The Animals. The eruption from the crowd was louder than expected but the lights were so blinding, we could not see the audience. Jones, now 59, also played school dances and armories in a group called The Drones. (It was free.) Think it was 1977," says Craigmo. This was the last concert they did before going back to LA and joining the band Fleetwood Mac. Dylan with Brian Setzer Orchestra opening (about 1998 ?). December 3, 1955-As an extra Bonus..here's the advertisement for sister station WBAM, Montgomery, AL, when the very young Elvis Presley appeared. In one fell swoop, he was in hot demand. Once solo and once with a band. "We'd camp out at the door, on the steps and wait. In the 1950s and '60s, Montgomery, Alabama, was ground zero for many of the major events central to the civil rights movement in this country. You can either do that, or you will not have a place to change. More on the Grateful Dead's 1995 shows in Birmingham, from AL.com's "Lost Stories" series. The father of six and grandfather of two currently lives in Montgomery and plays with the Bama Breeze Band. For this little kid from Wetumpka, that was a big, big deal, he said. Springsteen played the 'short end' of the the Beard-Eaves with the curtain up. No one came down to buy scalped tickets at the price everyone thought they were going to have to pay.. hehehehe .", From Mark Keppler: "Eagles 1977 Hotel California Tour Civic Center. "Radio played the song every twenty minutes. The venue? His clothes were all rumpled, and he said, 'Dan, I need to go on later in the show. Alabama State Coliseum (1951-1963) Garrett Coliseum (1963-) Oct 5 2019 I always was impressed about how well the bands performed when they were live, even though the Coliseum acoustics werent so good.. the tall man aboriginal spirit; metadata api request failed: component conversion failed: file_ended; caleb foote sandlot I said, 'Well, this is Roy's show. ", From bamamaam: "What about the lynyrd skynyrd concert at rickwood field in the '70's.? Clipping found in Alabama Journal in Montgomery, Alabama on Mar 24, 1966. The Rolling Stones. Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park 52 Theaters Parks By Meowy We made $100, remembers Grier. We didn't make any money.". But Brennandoes have many stories to share -- about preventing a fistfight between two starswho wanted theclosing spot in Birmingham, or example, or puzzling over two entertainerswho showed up in Montgomery, both claiming to be country singer Bobby Edwards. ", "I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but for the Alabama Theater I would definitely include Warren Zevon's show in, what?.1986 or '87?, said earman1. Hes been a school principal and now sells wholesale art, although business has been suffering due to the economy. ", Looking back on it, Brennan realizes that bringing the Beatles to the Gator Bowl was a milestone event -- one firmly enshrined in Beatles lore and noted by Ron Howard in his 2016 documentary, "Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years." George Cumuze, RN, Case Manager 4150 Carmichael Court Montgomery, AL 36106 334-270-2274. show . fireworks at the end while playing freebird.??? There were a lot of fun people.. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. Sweet Young Uns J Jackie Culpepper 662 followers More information WBAM Big Bam Shows Remembered Record Case Montgomery Growing Up 60s Old Things Teen Memories Remember Videos Hendrix only played a limited number of concerts before he died and the one in Tuscaloosa blew the top off Memorial Coliseum. Both Shaw and Chapman have gone on to stardom as performers and songwriters.]. From Sell it to the tourists: "I saw an amazing Harry Chapin show at the BJCC Concert Hall in around 1978? ", From Shapeshiftinhmojo: "Jimi Hendrix played Alabama twice in both Tuscaloosa and Auburn in 1968 or 69. Still, for radio listeners who tuned into WVOK back in the day, Brennan will always be Dan the Music Man. Alabama Shakespeare Festival 192 Theaters By Questovia Attended the production of Macbeth in this stunning theater and enjoyed every moment of it. He said, 'We're going to put both of them on.' ), "I remember we used to have people come out to our station on the Bessemer Superhighway," Brennan says, "and they would tell us that our transmitter -- we had a 50-kilowatt transmitter, and it was pretty close to their homes -- and they said, 'Well, I'm picking you up on my coffeepot.'". He must have played an hour and 20 minutes or more. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. One big favorite, however, appears to be a '70s date at Legion Field. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I tried to get us all to dress up as the Fruit of the Loom guys but no one wanted to., For musicians who played together for years, there wont be a need to practice much, if at all. "We're big on memories," Brennan says. The primary reason for the shows was to keep a personal relationship with the listeners, said Dan Brennan, 81, former general manager at WVOK. Their friends were quite envious when they got to hang out with the Grass Roots, Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, and rode around with Eric Burden and the Animals. "Big Church Night Out" / Newsboys / Sidewalk Prophets / 7eventh Time Down / Blanca / Derek Minor / Brock Gill / Jeremy Willet . Dan Brennan had the honor of introducing the Beatles. Oh, and some guy named David on slide. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. Procedimientos. The Animals. Flintstone House. In spirited retaliation, Paul Revere and the Raiders march in lock step across the stage behind performers Jan and Dean. So they both sang a few bars of the song, 'You're the Reason I'm Living," and we still couldn't decide which one was the real one. Id never seen anybody get an audience so excited, Dan Brennan remembered. But it was one of many concerts organized by the Brennans, as they sought to cement listeners' loyalty to WVOK in Birmingham, WBAM-AM in Montgomery and WAPE in Jacksonville. He showed up about five minutes before his show was to go on. Deep South Broadcasting was the licensee of WBAM-AM, 740 kc with 50,000 watts daytime in Montgomery. ", The Birmingham News file photo/Philip Barr. Reactions to these picks -- made by entertainment reporters Matt Wake, Lawrence Specker and Mary Colurso -- ranged from praise to anger, support to dismay. Rinoplastia; Blefaroplastia And they accepted it, but we did get the total amount of the gate that came in. We always had the feeling, said Dan Brennan, that it was more than just a job., It was the golden era of rock and roll, said Moody. Categories . What made those shows big was that Dan and Cyril would always pick the artists who were hot at the time, remembered Bill J. Moody, a former WBAM announcer and later host of Hubcap Classics. If a group had a hit record, we would have them. I told Jimbo we should all come in with walkers, laughed Beavers. It was just the coolest thing.". When Cher and Sonny first met in 1963, she was 16, while he was 27 and married (he and his first wife were separated). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The station's studios are . Mountain 1971," said Billy Bromberg. The Troggs. The Rogues of Montgomery, AL cut one great rock single, "Put You Down" b/w a version of "Stormy Monday Blues". If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He was a very special guy. I just went to the Coliseum for the music. He even did about 30 seconds of Sweet Home Alabama (that was before that song was worn out). The bands that performed were: The Beach Boys / lou christie / Ian Whitcomb / The Happenings / the hollies / peter and gordon. In the 1950s and '60s, Montgomery, Alabama, was ground zero f. The Other Side of Montgomery book. Chuck Berry was awesome and the Stones in their early days were unbelievable.". The chips were glued into Dianes scrap book between photos of the Beatles. By nature, talent and inclination, Brennanwasentirely suited to the family business; thousands of fans knew his voice and remembered his name. "I remember the Rolling Stones came up to me, and they said, 'You don't really expect us to get into the same RV that the Beach Boys are in, do you?' 'I did it my way.'". How many people have been able to say this at a concert, facing a roaring crowd? Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning WVOK used Legion Field as a test case that spring, Brennan says, to see if the Shower of Stars could work at Birmingham's largest venue. Several others mentioned seeing the Rolling Stones in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. By the summer of 1975 hed joined singer and keyboardist Eddie Wohlford and drummer Tommy Beavers to become part of Harvest, the precursor to the group Harmony at the Kove that spawned two major talents who made it big nationally: Tommy Shaw and Beth Nielsen Chapman. "I'm so. Packed house for a 1960s Big BAM Show at Garrett Coliseum. Brennan had many encounters with celebritiesover his three decades as a concert promoter, but says he never felt famous -- not even when he was widely regardedas a household name in Birmingham radio. We had enough left over that, for a lot of our promotions after that, people would get free raincoats.". We were very obnoxious to the security guard, who was the nicest guy, and of course, we would go in and outside all the time. ", Jerry Tavin/Photo courtesy of Everett Collection, From mcarter3: "Uhh. Where's Jimi Hendrix's concert at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1969? Can you believe it? If possible, the Brennans liked to present the same lineup of artists in all three cities over a single weekend, offering three shows in Birmingham for the Shower of Stars, one in Montgomery. Thats not to say Montgomery area favorite bands cant be seen any more. Show Duplicate for Mar 22, 2013: Mar 08, 2013 Justin Moore: Garrett Coliseum: Its amazing the life we got to live.. It is amazing to think that was 41 years ago. "There was a little one, and a big one, and we didn't know which was which," Brennan says. Hello? We'd get hamburgers and bring them back, with someone always holding our place. When was the last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular? Consumate pranksters, duo Jan and Dean walk across the stage carrying a ladder to the surprise of Paul Revere and the Raiders' lead singer Mark Lindsey. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the station sponsored a series of pop/rock concerts known as "Big BAM Shows" featuring acts ranging from Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie, and The Beach Boys to comedian Pat Paulsen. Though theyve had other jobs over the years, neither Jones nor Beavers have stopped playing music. "(Listeners) would tell us what they liked and didn't like. We played a lot of soul music, the Beatles, the Stones, he said. His current band, The Soul Crackas, does many of the same soul hits the Rockin Gibraltar performed. A memorable night that I won't ever forget. George Howell, who as George the D.J. co-hosted Hubcap Classics, was a big fan of the BAM shows beginning in the 9th grade. go to da moon copy and paste. We try to introduce people to music maybe they werent aware of. Signature song includes Both Sides of the Road, about Perdido Bay, written by Ham Wilson. With an amazing backing band, he proceeded to entertain the entire evening. Lowell George in his prime," says Bingothatwuzagoody. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "I'm also a little partial to Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Jerry Reed, Johnny Paycheck, when they played at Old York Farms in the late '90s," said Jeremy Don McCollough. The station's transmitter is located in the town of Grady, Alabama. "It was cold outside, show was to begin at 6 but began at 9; coeds from T-town waited for 2nd show which was to begin at 9 but began at about 2 next morning, had to get permission to stay in those days and freeze outside at Auburn University Coliseum. We mostly had a lot of fun., They were especially known for their James Brown-style revue, with Grier wearing a cape much like the Godfather of Soul used while singing Please, Please, Please., The group got a break in 1968 when a Hollywood producer spotted them at the Big BAM show, and wanted to sign them to a recording contract. I had to play the whole set standing up!. Brennan also remembers that Starr requested reinforcements to the stage area near his drum kit, because strong gusts lingered after the hurricane. In fact, it's safe to say that music shows producedby the Brennans, focusing on rock 'n' roll, Top 40 pop and country, defined the concert experience for an entire generation of fans in those cities. WVOK would produce another show at Legion Field before the station left the concert business -- the Osmonds and Springfield Revival appeared there on Aug. 15, 1973 -- but for the most part, Municipal Auditorium remained home base for the Shower of Stars. That way I could see the stars and hear the music better. But in the stations' 1960s heyday, shows usually kicked off on Fridays inMontgomery atGarrett Coliseum and moved to Birmingham on Saturdays at Municipal Auditorium (now called Boutwell Auditorium). A buddy and I went down hoping for a miracle and some guy offered us two tickets for $10 bucks each which we gladly paid. Search the Largest Online Newspaper Archive. ", From ghostreader: "Springsteen, mobile civic center theater may 1976. We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. They responded, swiftly and passionately, to a recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows at venues throughout the state. "You didn't have to know anything about guitar to realize that he was one of the best ever to take the stage. With no sound checks between acts, group would run on stage and begin playing almost immediately. Pitiful (Otis Redding) sound so much better with real horns.. "We had to import parkas, raincoats from Taiwan, so that was our rain insurance," Brennan says, laughing. ", From TTownTony: "You cannot even imagine the concerts played in Tuscaloosa before the BJCC was built. They played at YMCAs, American Legion halls, private parties, and dances all over south Alabama, Panama City, Savannah, and Greenville, Miss. But from the . He remembers the Kove days with Harvest/Harmony fondly, not only for the bands music but the people who came to see them. ", From Eric Pendergrass: "Grateful Dead BJCC April 4,5 1995.". "It cost enough that we were lucky to come out with just enough and break even with it," Brennan says. They had easy backstage access, as well, and would confidently sashay throughout the venue. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Wish I had gotten one. They didn't come to hear me; they came to hear the Rolling Stones.'". Despite her young age -- she was 7 that year -- Bartoletti felt another emotion at the Gator Bowl: extreme pride. It will be the first time theyve have been together since a reunion benefit at a local club in 2007.