Tony Iommi

So, I hear Tony Iommi has cancer. Lymphoma.

That's bad. The few people I've known that have come down with lymphoma have died. I hope Iommi survives it, I really do. I would miss him.

The stage in my life where I spent much of my free time and my extra money going to as many concerts as I could -- from small rock clubs to large, pyrotechnic arena shows -- began and ended with Tony Iommi. From the first time I saw Black Sabbath in 1984 to the last time I saw that band in 1999, Iommi laid out the dark chords for me and made me love loud music. And Black Sabbath has been a part of my musical preferences ever since.

Black Sabbath is undoubtedly one of the most influential bands of all time, and Iommi has always been the heart of that ensemble, the only constant in a band that proved to be both innovative and dysfunctional at the very same time. I love his unique, heavy style, and I think all of metal owes him much gratitude.

I recognize that not every metalhead finds Iommi's guitar work easy to listen to. But without him and his crazy, left-handed, two-leathered-fingertipped way of playing there would be no black metal today. There would be no doom metal, no death metal. And, dare I say, no real heavy metal at all. Oh, there was hard rock back in the 1970s, sure, and without Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi that hard rock eventually would have developed and grown into something like heavy metal, but there is no way that metal would have been anything like what we have today. Not without Iommi. His dark chords and low tuning have burned a template into the realm of rock that headbangers still use to this day.

I hate to gush like a fanboy, but I really do think that much of Iommi. And I hope he has all the strength and support he needs to pull through this personal crisis. I certainly hope the best for him.

Concert -- Black Sabbath II

Black Sabbath
January 22, 1999
The Alamodome
Opening acts: Pantera and Incubus

This is the last major concert I attended, and I'm glad it was Black Sabbath, a nice bookend to my concert-going experiences. And this was their reunion tour, which made it all the more special.

Sabbath put on a great show, and it was good to hear the band live with Ozzy's vocals. Iommi rocked, and Geezer Butler and Bill Ward were on that night. And, though I'm not a big fan, I also enjoyed Pantera very much. It was my first time to see them live, and I was struck by how clear their sound was. Sometimes opening acts get the short end of the stick in the sound department, but these guys were on that night, too, and it made for a very enjoyable concert.

I can't comment on Incubus ---- we showed up late and missed them altogether.


Well, that's it for my major concerts. In my time I saw many more shows in much smaller venues (which were often much more enjoyable because you could get a lot closer to the action), but I don't have the tickets to show for it. And time and familial obligations have caught up to me, and I just don't have the opportunity to see shows these days. Not like I used to.

But I do have my memories, and I thank you for letting me share them with you.

Concert -- Dream Theater

Dream Theater
May 28, 1993
Majestic Theatre
Opening act: Galactic Cowboys

This is the first hard rock/heavy metal concert that I saw in the Majestic Theatre, and it really felt kind of weird to be there banging my head. I'm used to my rock being performed in bars, in night clubs, in the Sunken Garden Theater, at festivals, in arenas, and even in the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum. You know, places like this:




And this:





And in even dirtier and seedier places. Certainly nothing like this:





Don't get me wrong, I love classical music, too. And I've been in the Majestic Theatre many, many times for performances of the San Antonio Symphony and other ensembles. It's just that I'm used to a certain atmosphere in that place, and it was a bit incongruous to see it fill with a mess of metalheads (including me, mind you). So, overall, the concert was a unique experience, one that was actually pretty darn cool, if weird. Dream Theater rocked, and the opening act wasn't bad, either. And it was all done in a very nice setting where they ring little triangles to let you know that intermission is over and it's time to come back to your seats.

(Just kidding! I don't think they rang the triangle at the Dream Theater concert.)

(I don't ---- think.)

(Hm.)

Concert -- ZZ Top

ZZ Top
May 3, 1991
Frank Erwin Center
Opening act: Jay Aaron

Oh, man. What was it about Austin and concerts, way back then? Here is another show that I remember going to -- and enjoying -- but for the life of me I couldn't tell you very many details of the performance. I lacked ---- focus.

This was just after ZZ Top's Recycler album was released, which wasn't nearly as popular as the previous two albums nor as good as the others before that. But I still liked such songs as "My Head's in Mississippi", and Gibbons, Hill, and Beard still put on a good show that night in Austin. That I'm sure of.

What I'm not so clear on is why the band chose to go with someone like Jay Aaron to open for them.

Who? You mean you've never heard of Jay Aaron? Well, let me clear that up for you a bit.

No ----- no, wait. I can't. That's right, I've never heard of Jay Aaron either, not before that night and not since. A complete nobody to me. And so, completely forgettable while waiting for the headliner to come out on stage.

Hm. Maybe ZZ Top didn't want any real competition to open for them. If that was the case, then why have an opening act at all?


And now, classic ZZ.

Concert -- Queensrÿche

Queensrÿche
April 24, 1991
Freeman Coliseum
Opening act: Suicidal Tendencies

In this earlier post, I described the show where Queensrÿche opened up for Metallica (the second time I had seen them as an opening act), and I said this of the set:

Geoff Tate and crew put on a great opening set, and the only disappointment I felt with this concert was the fact that they didn't have a stage of their own that they could have set up with their own lights and effects. And I thought it was a mild tragedy that Operation: Mindcrime couldn't be performed in its entirety, from beginning to end, as it should have been.

And then, Queensrÿche finally got to headline. And they did things their way. And I was there for all the fun!

This tour followed the release of the band's Empire album, which is a very good metal offering itself. The first half of Queensrÿche's set consisted of most of the songs off of Empire mixed in with a liberal sampling of their earlier works. There was a very good light show, and if they had finished the concert with just this portion, then it would have been a great show already.

But then, after a long set of kickin' songs, all of the lights went out, and the audience heard the opening track of Operation: Mindcrime.

Perhaps you need another shot.

Sweet dreams, you bastard!

And we all knew that Geoff Tate and crew were making up for their last tour! The crowd roared when we realized that the band was going to play the Mindcrime album from beginning to end with one of the best multimedia light shows at the time.

And they did! From beginning to end.

And it looked something like this:

And this:

And this:

And it was quite probably the best metal concert I have seen. Hands down.

I wish you could have been there.



Oh, and Suicidal Tendencies rocked, too!

Concert -- Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett
January 22, 1990
Frank Erwin Center
Opening act: ?

This goes to show that I am not just about heavy metal. Or classical music. I happen to have a fondness for some of Jimmy Buffett's music as well, even though I think the man himself is overrated.

And I'd like to tell you a little about this concert, but, to tell you the truth, I don't remember much about it. Or of it. I wasn't quite as ...... focused ...... as I usually try to be during concerts, so I can't recall a whole lot after we got to Austin that night. I don't even remember if there was an opening act. I don't think there was, but I can't be sure.

So, sorry, I can't tell you much. I did have fun, I know that, but don't expect any details.

Concert -- Metallica

Metallica
February 1, 1989
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Queensrÿche

Oh, what a hard-rockin' metalfest this was. As the Pistolero might say, Nothin' but WIN!

This was the tour supporting the ... And Justice for All album, which just happens to be my favorite from the band. In my estimation this was Metallica at the band's finest; they were peaking with their fire and energy, and they held that intensity through their next, self-titled album that launched them into true superstardom. With ... And Justice for All the band was still a raw thrash act and still very much a denizen of the metal world. With the next album, they became popular, and after that they were the property of the masses. And I don't think they were the better for it. But this album was great, and the live show was wonderful.

And how much better could Metallica-at-its-finest get than to have Queensrÿche as an opening act? Not very damn much at all! Operation: Mindcrime had just come out the year before, and Queensrÿche, too, was putting out some of their best work. Geoff Tate and crew put on a great opening set, and the only disappointment I felt with this concert was the fact that they didn't have a stage of their own that they could have set up with their own lights and effects. And I thought it was a mild tragedy that Operation: Mindcrime couldn't be performed in its entirety, from beginning to end, as it should have been.

But, more on that later!

Concert -- Aerosmith

Aerosmith
February 16, 1988
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Dokken

Remember 1988? That's the year Aerosmith came to town in support of Permanent Vacation ("Dude Looks Like a Lady", "Rag Doll", "Angel", etc.) and Dokken was opening for them after releasing Back for the Attack.

Do you remember? I do, and I'm still grinning.

OK, OK, I wasn't a huge Dokken fan, but the guys in Aerosmith are just fantastic showmen, and Dokken actually did a pretty good job warming up the crowd for their boisterousness. Another great time for all!

Concert -- Rush

Rush
January 21, 1988
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Tommy Shaw

I never got the album associated with this tour, Hold Your Fire, but I'm still a big enough fan of Rush's previous stuff that this was a very enjoyable concert. Rush isn't quite the flash and dazzle of acts like David Lee Roth, but they put on a good show anyway.

I can't really say the same about Tommy Shaw. With Styx, Shaw is great. Most of my favorite songs from Styx are those where Shaw is the lead singer and writer, like "Love in the Midnight", "Too Much Time on My Hands", "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)", "Blue Collar Man", etc. But as a solo performer, I never quite warmed up to his musical offerings, and I'm afraid I was a bit bored with his performance.

Concert -- Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe
June 26, 1987
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Whitesnake

Another fun, fun show.

This tour was for Mötley Crüe's Girls, Girls, Girls album and Whitesnake's self-titled album, both incredibly popular in their time. And if you've never seen Crüe and Whitesnake together (and if it didn't happen to be the mid 1980s when hard rock and metal were peaking in a rush of fiery fury!), then you've missed out.

I'm sorry.

Concert -- Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden
January 31, 1987
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Vinnie Vincent Invasion


Two words: Great show.

This tour was for the band's Somewhere in Time album (my review of this album is here), and it was a rollicking good show. Iron Maiden has a reputation for putting on great performances, and this one definitely did not disappoint.

Well, except for the opening act.

We got to the concert late, so Vinnie Vincent Invasion was halfway through their set when we arrived. Vinnie Vincent himself was full into his guitar solo when we found our seats, and all I can say is I was very unimpressed. His solo sucked, the songs were lame, and, even though we had shown up late, his set went on for entirely too long. It's too bad, really. I think Maiden could have done better without an opening act that night, because they were great, and having the Invasion come on stage before them just put me in a sour mood right from the start. Thankfully I shed that mood when Maiden took the stage, but I shouldn't have to shake off bad feelings before the headliner starts.

Concert -- David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth
Novembver 26, 1986
Frank Erwin Center
Opening act: Cinderella


What a great concert! No matter what you might think about David Lee Roth and Van Halen and their famous divorce or even Roth's music on his own, this guy puts on a damn good show! Or at least he did. Last I heard he was a paramedic.

This was for Roth's Eat 'Em and Smile album, and on stage with him was the smokin' duo of bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Steve Vai. Incredible musicians, all having a ball on stage for our entertainment, and it sounded a lot like this (except with better sound).

And Cinderella was decent as well. I never really got into them too much, but they were a worthy opening act for Roth, and I wasn't disappointed.

And now, here's a neat little story about this concert.

When my friends and I went to Austin, we parked someplace downtown that led to us approaching the Frank Erwin Center from the side. (Yes, I know the building is round, but it has a main entrance, and the stage entrance is opposite, and so I consider any gate halfway in between to be a "side" entrance.) The gates weren't open yet, and people were lining up at the doors on that cool evening at least a couple of hours before the show. I remember the weather being comfortable, so it was not a real burden to be waiting outside.

The lines at the main entrance doors were long, but at the side entrance where we were at the line was pretty short. In fact, there coudn't have been more than twenty or thirty people lined up there, so we all began to chat in a very amiable manner. Soon all of us in our little groups were talking like we were friends, even though we had never seen each other before that night. And it was also pretty cool that the side entrance was close to the loading dock, and we could clearly see the roadies unloading last-minute equipment from Roth's tour trucks.

Before long, we got to comparing tickets, asking each other which sections we got and congratulating the ones who had the best seats. I was in Section 42, which was not very close to the stage but gave a great view of the set-up anyway.




As we were showing each other our tickets, there was one girl towards the back who started furrowing her brow, and she looked very interested in what we were doing. She seemed to be waiting alone. She was tall with long, straight blond hair, and she was done up in what were typical mid-1980s rock-hottie duds, including short leather skirt, high heels, stockings, and some kind of flashy blouse.

It wasn't long before this girl leaned forward and said, kind of to everybody, "Hey, your tickets look different from mine."

We looked, and sure enough, the tickets that were sold in Austin looked different from those sold in San Antonio (which, as you can see, had a nice Alamo outline on them). We explained to her that everything was fine, the tickets looked different because they were bought in different cities, but they were all good. And then someone asked her where her seats were, and she replied, "I don't know. I just have this."

And she showed us all a very large, very plastic, very looped-around-her-neck-with-a-lanyard kind of card that said, in prominent letters, STAGE PASS.

We looked at her, and we kind of chuckled. And then one of the other girls there, without trying to sound too condescending, patted her on the arm and said, "Oh, honey, you get special seats. Much better than ours. And you are in the wrong line." When she asked which line she should be in, we all pointed toward the trucks at the loading dock and told her that's where her entrance was. She thanked us, and then she click-clacked off in her heels while we politely waited until she was out of earshot before we started laughing.

I hope she got to see the show. It was pretty good.

Concert -- Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne
May 8, 1986
Frank Erwin Center
Opening act: Metallica

Ozzy's album at the time: The Ultimate Sin.
Metallica's album at the time: Master of Puppets.
Greatness of the show: Way up there!

I had to go to Austin to see this show because at the time Ozzy -- due to a few problems involving a dress, urination, and the Alamo Cenotaph -- was officially banned from performing in San Antonio.

Concert -- Dio

Dio
November 14, 1985
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Rough Cutt

This show was the tour for Ronnie James Dio's Sacred Heart album, but I really went to hear the stuff from the previous two albums, Holy Diver and The Last in Line. Dio turned in a smacking performance, but I was once again left to wondering exactly how headline groups chose their opening acts. Dice? Paper slips in a hat? Ouija board?

I mean, really ---- Rough Cutt?

Oh, oh I see. Then I read this on Rough Cutt's page at the site of all truth and knowing:

Dio’s wife Wendy Dio was the group’s manager, and Dio himself helped write one of the band’s songs.

Well, if it works for them, it works for them. It didn't do much as an opening act, though.


And here's one more tidbit about this concert: This was the first major show to be held in the Convention Center Arena after the city banned smoking in that venue. Talk about an event! One of the hallmarks of a show in the Arena was the hundreds of lighters being lit after the house lights went down, and those lighters weren't sparking up just to make pretty little flames. They were lighting hundreds of cigarettes and hand-rolled cigarettes, if you know what I mean. A rock show in the Arena was nothing without clouds of audience-produced smoke.

So I went to this show curious to see how the officials would handle the ban. And, man, did they ever come down hard on the smokers! I watched each person in uniform, and as soon as a rocker would light up a Camel they would swoop down and pull those poor schmoes out of the crowd. And I think they were throwing them out of the Arena altogether.

But, curiously enough, that new rule seemed to apply just to the cigarette smokers. Because when the lights went down for Dio, I smelled just as much sweet leaf as ever. And I didn't see a single head get the boot.

Concert -- KISS

KISS
January 30, 1985
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Queensrÿche

In my previous post, I said this: I was beginning to think that these headline acts just didn't know how to pick an opening act worth anything.

This concert proved me wrong. The guys in KISS are legends, and they are professionals. And they definitely know how to pick an opening act.

This concert was part of the tour supporting their Animalize album, and the show was fantastic. And Queensrÿche, their star still ascending, wowed the crowd with their polished licks, piercing vocals, and professional mien, demonstrating the goodness yet to come for the band. They were a great opening act for KISS, and no one in their right mind at that concert came away disappointed.

Concert -- Deep Purple

Deep Purple
January 20, 1985
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Giuffria

This was the tour supporting Deep Purple's highly successfully (and very tasty) Perfect Strangers album. An awesome concert that was filled with smoke, lasers, classic DP, and raucous new music, and the re-formed group really made the arena shake that cold winter night with their rough rock 'n' roll.

So, I wondered afterward, what the hell was this? Giuffria? Really? In no way did their musical style fit the tone of the evening.

I was beginning to get disillusioned with my favorite bands. I was beginning to think that these headline acts just didn't know how to pick an opening act worth anything.

Concert -- Billy Squier

Billy Squier
October 14, 1984
Convention Center Arena
Opening Act: Fastway

Though Billy Squier's star faded quickly after this point, he was still putting on a hell of a good show, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

We had seats on the floor, though Section C was toward the back. But it didn't matter. Fastway blew as an opening act (does anyone remember any other song besides "Say What You Will"?), so we were able to walk around just about anywhere on the floor. And when Billy Squier took the stage, we were close. No one was bothering with ticket checks at that point, so we just moved up through the crowd to get as close as we could. Eh, he's not as heavy as many of the other bands I like, but it was the first time I was right next to the stage for a major act, and it was pretty cool.

Concert -- Ratt and Twisted Sister

Ratt, Twisted Sister
July 26, 1984
Convention Center Arena
Opening Act: Mama's Boys

This was a fun show. Ratt was the newest, hottest thing in hair metal in those days, and Twisted Sister was a bunch of made-up dudes that looked horrible and didn't take themselves too seriously at the time. They made for an upbeat and humorous double bill, and the only real downside of the concert was the opening act.

Mama's Boys.

Yeah, I remember hearing about them at the time, but I don't really remember them at all today. Anybody else?

Concert -- Judas Priest

Judas Priest
April 28, 1984
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Great White

Another great show. This was the tour supporting the Defenders of the Faith album, which is one of JP's best, featuring such metal gems as "Freewheel Burning," "Love Bites," "Some Heads are Gonna Roll," and "The Sentinel." Every song absolutely rocks, and the live show was a faithful rendering of the album's sound. It's a show I will never forget.

This was also the first time I had heard Great White. They were a new band back then, and, if I remember correctly, they did a good job opening for Priest. Since this concert, Great White achieved success and fame (especially with the platinum albums Once Bitten ... and ... Twice Shy), and it's neat that I got a chance to see them live before they hit it big.

Concert -- Black Sabbath

I used to go to see quite a few concerts back in the 1980s and 90s. Hey, I was young with few responsibilities, no dependents, and a bit of disposable income. But today you can reverse all those, and then you'll see why I don't go see live music much any more.

But the other day, I chanced upon a stack of old ticket stubs, and the memories came rushing over me. Of course, the stubs I saved were ones that could actually identify which concert I had attended, not the generic ones that are marked "Admit One". I used to go to clubs and smaller venues to see a lot of acts as well, and these places often used the generic types of tickets. But the arena shows had better tickets, and I saved as many as I could to preserve the memories.

Please indulge me as I share a few with you.





Black Sabbath
February 4, 1984
Convention Center Arena
Opening act: Girlschool

There it is, the first big concert I went to. I was young, and I was impressionable, so when the lights went down, the crosses were lit, and the sounds blasted forth, I was duly impressed. And this wasn't even one of Black Sabbath's better tours (or albums). Ian Gillan from Deep Purple made this his one and only tour with Sabbath, and actually I thought he was pretty good as their vocalist. Though he was no Dio, he still did a bang-up job on the "Heaven and Hell" song. I came away wanting much more.

Except for the opening act. Really, Girlschool? The font of all information that is called Wikipedia doesn't even mention this band as being part of the tour, and, given that this concert was in the last days of the tour, perhaps they were a last minute replacement that wasn't given much thought at the time. I know I sure haven't given them much thought since. To this day I can't remember a song of theirs.

Other than that, a very good concert. As I said, I was young and eager to rock, and this just whetted my appetite.