in concert
‘An evening of
sacred music’
—the Speer Family
Photos by Jacques Beteinber
It was a 10th anniversary
concert, billed as an “evening
of sacred music,” featuring
the “Speer Family” from
Nashville, Tennessee, last
Saturday night at the Lane
County Fairgrounds.
Also appearing at the
concert were the “Dale Ellis
Trio” of Portland, and
“Dimensions of Faith” from
Springfield.
Sponsored by Adon
Promotions, the concert was
enjoyed by both young and old
alike, who came to the
fairgrounds’ agricultural
building to hear the show.
rock on
‘Summer
Jam’
set
in
New
York
Looks like it will be a slow summer for entertainment here in
Eugene. The ASUO Cultural Forum has no plans for shows this
summer and local promoters are having a problem finding a hall for
shows. The Lane County Fairgrounds has temporarily closed for the
summer and with its closure it effectively stops all shows in tne area.
August will bring the Lane County Fair, and free entertainment
featuring country stars Sonny James, Roy Clark of “Hee Haw” fame
and Kenny Rodgers and the First Edition. The Cultural Forum is in
the process of trying to schedule its fall program: nothing definite yet
but it looks as if the term will start with a performance by Taj Mahal.
Later in the term Leo Kottke will return, possibly for a two-day guitar
workshop-concert type of show. Negotiations with Johnny Cash have
fallen through but the Forum is still in contact with Fats Domino and
with Fleetwood Mac. Chicago will be in the Portland Coliseum next
week, and Leon Russell is scheduled to make a Coliseum appearance
this summer, no date yet.
Summer brings out the festivals . . . The Warrenton-Culpeper
Bluegrass Festival which was held in Lake Whippowill, Va., last week,
drew over 45,000 for the three-day show. The festival featured 40 acts
including some of the all-time great bluegrass artists, but most of the
attention was focused on the rock-based groups. The Earl Scruggs
Revue featuring Earl’s son Randy on electric guitar got the biggest
ovation. Don McLean, doing his first all-country show, Jerry Garcia,
the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Doc and Merle Watson, Grandpa Jones and
Kris Kristofferson also made appearances at the festival . . . The
Allman Brothers Band, the Grateful Dead and the Band will headline a
12-hour concert, “Summer Jam,” July 28 in Watkins Glen, New York.
Tickets for the event will be $10 with other top name acts for the show
to be announced at a later date.
Shorts . . . “Rolling Stone” reports that Crosby, Stills, Nash and
Young are in Hawaii and will soon return to the Bay Area for the
purpose of cutting a new album with the possibility of a tour later this
year. The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers will get together in
Philadelphia later this month for a special country-rock show. Both
bands are now defunct and this has been billed as a last chance
performance ... Blood, Sweat and Tears are in the process of cutting a
new album for Columbia. String arrangements for the album are
being done by Paul Buckmaster. That may not mean anything to you,
unless you start checking some of your albums for credits. Buck
master has worked with almost all the English groups and has much
praise for his arrangements of all the Elton John albums . . . Carlos
Santana and some of the members of Santana will team with John
McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra for a summer tour to
promote the new album by Santana-McLaughlin ... A recent survey
by the National Research Center of the Arts has conducted a survey
and found that musicians rank fourth in public esteem behind scien
tists, doctors and lawyers. I wonder who they questioned? . . . David
Bowie turned them on in Japan when he did his shows in assorted jock
straps . .. Van Morrison has just finished up his latest album, “Hard
Nose Highway.” He is joined on the album by Jackie DeShannon.
Morrison is rumored to be considering touring again and playing to
small auditoriums... Stoneground is playing in Vancouver’s Hayloft.
.. There is still no word as to the possible break-up of Poco, with Richie
Furay heading off with former Byrd Chris Hillman ... Looks like Dan
Hicks and the Hot Licks have seen their days. Despite good sales of
their new album, the group has decided they can’t make it together
anymore . . . Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen are
preparing for a concert tour of Europe late in August. Should be quite
a show for the European audiences ... Possible Beach Boys concert in
the area this summer. The group is in and out of breaking up but
always seems to hang together. They have done a number of concerts
on the east coast and in the L.A. area with nothing but good reviews.
The Beach Boys, now 10 members instead of the original five, have
been living in Holland for the past year, but are now back in Southern
Calif.
Bruce Micklus