03/07/1998 The Tea Party, Foam (Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall)
By Eric | March 7, 1998 11:59 pm
So a night after the Variety Club show, and only one week after OLP at this same venue… more Canadian goodness with my first time seeing The Tea Party!
Foam was the opener, and I don’t remember a thing about them whatsoever. The Tea Party, on the other hand, made quite the impression on this first timer. I didn’t own Transmission quite yet, but I knew quite a few of the songs. I definitely remember the cool keyboard opening of Army Ants, and the crowd was so densely packed that I’m pretty sure my feet weren’t touching the ground during the entirety of Fire In The Head. Also, as would be per usual at a TTP show, upon playing Sister Awake plenty of people lit up. They played The River as an encore, which I was told was rare on that tour.
I also have no idea where I found this setlist, as there’s practically no information on this show anywhere online. I ended up on a mailing list somehow and got the flyer in the mail for the show after the fact. Bizzare!
Complete Setlist:
Army Ants
The Bazaar
Fire In The Head
Psychopomp
Transmission
Sister Awake (acoustic)
Release
Save Me
Temptation
Correspondences
Aftermath
Sister Awake
Blues intro / The River
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 03/07/1998 The Tea Party, Foam (Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall)
Tags: 1998, Foam, rochester, The Tea Party, Water Street Music Hall
03/06/1998 Variety Rocks: Treble Charger, Ron Hawkins, Irving Klaws (Buffalo, NY @ Showplace Theater)
By Eric | March 6, 1998 11:59 pm
The Variety Club telethon is held every year in Buffalo, and they’ve held an annual rock show to benefit the Club as well. It’s usually local and regional acts, and this year was no different. I think it was like $5 to get in, and I really had nothing better to do, so I checked it out. This was the era of “There’s a show? Do I know anyone? No. Do I care? No? Cool, lets go anyway” for me. There were more bands than I have listed here, but I have no idea who they were (A check of the Buffalo News archives says: Alison Pipitone and the Cash Cows head a list of performers that include Treble Charger, Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails, Yolk, McCarthyizm, Oui 73 and Irving Klaws). The Irving Claws were a three-piece band, with a stand up string bass. Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails were pretty good as I recall, even though I didn’t know him as being from Lowest of the Low at the time. Treble Charger was a Canadian band, and I don’t remember much about them either. This show also started my trend of meeting people at shows (this was the first one I went to flying solo), and fostered a connection with some people on the old Our Lady Peace bulletin board (the Clumsy Congress). I was spotted wearing my OLP shirt by someone in the crowd (Hi Katie!), and after subsequently being identified on the CC, it led to a fun summer of hanging out and concert attendance with her and a couple of others. This show could probably be considered as having a butterfly effect on a ton of my subsequent concert-going!
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 03/06/1998 Variety Rocks: Treble Charger, Ron Hawkins, Irving Klaws (Buffalo, NY @ Showplace Theater)
Tags: 1998, Buffalo, Irving Klaws, Ron Hawkins, Showplace Theater, Treble Charger, Variety Rocks
02/28/1998 Our Lady Peace, Jack Drag (Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall)
By Eric | February 28, 1998 11:59 pm
My first show at Water Street! Myself, Jon, and his girlfriend at the time wandered up the Thruway for this. The opener was Jack Drag, who in no way were memorable, save for the fact that a good number of us were hoping it was Black Lab instead, which would have made for a better opener (and did, later that May).
This was a typical US Clumsy show for the era, heavy on that album, with Automatic Flowers as the opener. I seem to remember this being the first time I ever saw the strobe-light treatment for The Birdman, and they used a video screen as accompaniment for some of the songs (the middle part of Naveed in particular, with Sol Fox reciting the actual Our Lady Peace poem).
Mike Turner’s guitar cut out right at the beginning of Let You Down. It came back in for a bit, they soldiered on with the song for a bit, but it eventually cut out again, and he was none too happy about it… Mike ended up knocking over a mic stand, and they abandoned the song. They kept it electric-guitar free for a little while longer, as 4am was the next song. The rest of the set continued on with no issues, and while Clumsy started the encore, a take on the Beatles’ Dear Prudence finished the night off. A fun show, and one I can listen back to as someone recorded the show, and I have a copy of it!
Setlist:
Automatic Flowers
The Birdman
Superman’s Dead
Naveed
Car Crash
Carnival
Let You Down (cut off)
4am
Shaking
Starseed
Encore:
Clumsy
Dear Prudence
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Tags: 1998, Jack Drag, Our Lady Peace, rochester, Water Street Music Hall
02/20/1998 God Lives Underwater, Fluorescein (Buffalo, NY @ Showplace Theater)
By Eric | February 20, 1998 11:59 pm
This show is notable for a number of reasons, not least of which was it was on my 18th birthday! Since I never got my blue card, this was also the first night I could legally drive after 9pm, how convenient! It also was a kinda-sorta-not really date with a girl from high school. To this day I’m not sure how interested she ultimately was in either me or the band, but whatever, I got to see a show and we ended up having a good time. It was also the first time I’d see a show at the Showplace Theater (and certainly wouldn’t be the last!)
The only thing I really remember about Fluorescein is that they were ridiculously loud. Apparently they had a single called “Cathy’s On Crank”, but I don’t ever remember hearing it. There was apparently a local opener called Transparent also, but I don’t remember seeing them.
GLU was up after them, and this was one of my first experiences with the phenomenon known as “our album isn’t out yet but we’re gonna play a ton of stuff from it anyways and you won’t know it”. Life in the So-Called Space Age wouldn’t be out for another month, yet six out of the ten tunes were off that album. At least we got Don’t Know How To Be, No More Love, All Wrong, and Nothing. Despite this, we had a lot of fun at the show, and I’m pretty sure this was the first time I had a barrier spot for the duration of a show. I distinctly remember the drummer messing with the DAT machine for the backing tracks, but they also had a full band, so no cries of FAKE here. I seem to remember the place being decently full, probably not packed to the gills, but a good showing.
Setlist:
Intro
Rearrange
The Rush is Loud
Dress Rehersal For Reproduction
Alone Again
From Your Mouth
No More Love
Can’t Come Down
Don’t Know How To Be
Nothing
All Wrong
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 02/20/1998 God Lives Underwater, Fluorescein (Buffalo, NY @ Showplace Theater)
Tags: 1998, Buffalo, Fluorescein, God Lives Underwater, Showplace Theater
08/06/1997 Soul Coughing, Star Kicker, Lance Diamond (Niagara Falls, NY @ Hard Rock Cafe)
By Eric | August 6, 1997 11:59 pm
This was a free show in the street adjoining the Hard Rock, apparently for the first anniversary of the restaurant (so says this article). The Goo Goo Dolls were also in attendance and made a presentation from the stage. I only know that it was Lance Diamond and Star Kicker that we saw as openers because I found the info online! This is definitely one of those “I know I was there, but I barely remember the show” type of deals. As far as Soul Coughing goes, I really only knew Super Bon Bon at the time, but it was a good and fun show nonetheless. These guys put out a LOT of bass, but it wasn’t overpowering, got the crowd into it. Due to further internet research, I found the setlist:
Tell The Mermaid
Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago
White Girl
Disseminated
Soft Serve
Soundtrack to Mary
Miss The Girl
St. Louise is Listening
Blueeyed Devil
Sleepless
Bus to Beezlebub
Idiot Kings
Mr. Bitterness
Super Bon Bon
Moon Sammy
Down To This
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Tags: 1997, Hard Rock Cafe, Lance Diamond, Niagara Falls, Soul Coughing, Star Kicker
07/24/1997 Link80, The Creepers, Johnny Revolting (Tonawanda, NY @ Discovery Records)
By Eric | July 24, 1997 11:14 pm
I never really forgot about this one, but much like the Wide Mouth Mason show, it never made the list because I had zero idea when it occurred! Thanks to trolling the archives of the really cool @buffaloshowfliers account on Instagram, I came across the flier for the show! Cross referencing against setlist.fm, I nailed down the year to 1997.
Having said that, I can’t remember who I went with, or how we got there as, I didn’t have my blue card to drive after 9pm, so I certainly didn’t drive. Could’ve been someone else driving, could’ve been our bikes. I have no idea. It was during Canal Fest, so I’m assuming that’s why I was down there in the first place. Regardless of that, I have memories of being upstairs at Discovery for the show, and I know I saw Johnny Revolting, but couldn’t tell you a thing about either the Creepers or Link 80. I had a Link 80 poster for their album “17 Reasons” on the back of my door for quite awhile at home – I never did get the album. It’s pop-punk with horns, not anything I would have been into at that time.
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 07/24/1997 Link80, The Creepers, Johnny Revolting (Tonawanda, NY @ Discovery Records)
Tags: 1997, Discovery Records, Johnny revolting, Link80, The Creepers, Tonawanda
07/05/1997 Lollapalooza 97: Orbital, Tool, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tricky, Korn, James, Julian and Damian Marley and the Uprising Band, Summercamp (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
By Eric | July 5, 1997 11:59 pm
I went to this one with my buddy Steve from the co-op program. My primary interests were to see Snoop, Korn and Tool. If nothing else, I can say that I’ve seen Snoop Dogg live! His set was pretty fun, but it felt like they only got through half of each song before they’d switch to the next one.
Korn rode their bikes around on stage, and had a nasty pit down front from what we could see. I found the setlist on the net somewhere, and allegedly it was: Porno Creep, Chi, Divine, No Place To Hide, Twist, A.D.I.D.A.S., Low Rider, Shoots and Ladders, Clown, Good God, Blind, Ball Tongue, Faget.
James played the one song that everyone knew (Laid), and that’s really all I remember about them. I know we watched the Marley’s and Tricky, but I couldn’t tell you a thing about them. At some point during the day we caught Summercamp’s set on the side stage, as Steve was a fan of them, and I’m pretty sure we saw part of Dr. Octagon as well.
I was, however, psyched to see Tool, and they didn’t disappoint. It felt like most of the crowd was there to see them as well. I can remember us being at the back of the seating area, and standing on the seats to see the stage. At the prior Lolla shows, they had been showing the “new” video for AEnima that wasn’t on MTV quite yet, but it was windy at our show, and they couldn’t deploy the video screen, so we didn’t get to see it… Tool’s setlist: Hooker With A Penis, Stinkfist, 46 & 2, Prison Sex, Eulogy, Sober, H., Opiate, Aenema. The stage “costumes” for the band members are now-legendary: Maynard in a tank top complete with fake boobs, booty shorts, and white face paint with a ponytail. Guitarist Adam Jones was head-to-toe in blue paint, bassist Justin Chancellor the same but in red. Only drummer Danny Carey was devoid of any decoration. Quite the scene!
Orbital closed out the main stage set, and for me, techno just doesn’t cut it live. Nevertheless, we had a great time, and as I recall went the wrong way on Route 77 to go home and it took us quite awhile to get back to Steve’s house in Barker!
I found an interview with Maynard from the day before, and while it doesn’t mention the show specifically, it’s certainly relevant:
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 07/05/1997 Lollapalooza 97: Orbital, Tool, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tricky, Korn, James, Julian and Damian Marley and the Uprising Band, Summercamp (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
Tags: 1997, Darien, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, James, Julian and Damian Marley and the Uprising Band, Korn, Lollapalooza, Orbital, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Summercamp, Tool, Tricky
06/28/1997 103.3 WEDG Edgefest: Goo Goo Dolls, Sloan, Moist, Buck-O-Nine (Buffalo, NY @ North Americare Park)
By Eric | June 28, 1997 11:59 pm
This show was at Pilot Field, actually down on the ball diamond. Jeff, Christine and I arrived late, thereby missing Weezer, and we wandered around for a good long time while the local acts played. Part of the reason we all wanted to go to this show was because Cake was supposed to play, but ultimately weren’t on the bill. We actually paid attention to Buck-O-Nine, and although ska isn’t my thing, they were fairly decent. Moist was up next, and they were the main reason I went. I can’t recall the setlist, but it was heavy on Creature tunes. They did play “This Shrieking Love” into a cover of Billie Jean, which was fairly cool, and David Usher commented that the cello player that was going to play Tangerine with them got stopped at the Canadian border. Sloan was unimpressive. The Goo’s were alright, even though I don’t remember much about their set either. I know they did Lazy Eye, and that’s about all I remember, save for Lance Diamond coming out with them later.
Goo Goo Dolls Setlist
———————
Lazy Eye
Hey
Lucky Star
Fallin’ Down
Somethin’ Bad
Eyes Wide Open
Flat Top
Long Way Down
Only One
String Of Lies
We Are the Normal
Impersonality
Cuz You’re Gone
Name
Modern Love (David Bowie Cover) W/Lance Diamond
Heartbreak Beat (Psychedelic Furs Cover) W/Lance Diamond
Never Take the Place of Your Man (Prince Cover) W/Lance Diamond
Naked
Burnin’ Up
Disconnected
Another Second Time Around
Girl Right Next to Me
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 06/28/1997 103.3 WEDG Edgefest: Goo Goo Dolls, Sloan, Moist, Buck-O-Nine (Buffalo, NY @ North Americare Park)
Tags: 1997, Buck-O-Nine, Buffalo, Edgefest, Goo Goo Dolls, Moist, North Americare Park, Sloan
06/11/1997 Our Lady Peace, Cool For August, Puzzle Gut (Buffalo, NY @ The Tralf)
By Eric | June 11, 1997 11:59 pm
This show is ground zero, my first real concert. Looking back on it, the whole thing was a pretty good introduction, and I couldn’t have done much better both band and experience-wise!
My friend Christine from my high-school co-op program was the person that gave me copies of Naveed and Clumsy (and Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” for that matter) and her mother was nice enough to drive us (plus another one of Christine’s girlfriends whose name escapes me) down to the Tralf and pick us up. I remember walking into the venue, as since we got there fairly early, and there was hardly anyone in there. It didn’t fill up much when Puzzle Gut started either. They were a punk band, and besides the bass player giving the girls all sorts of creepy looks, my only other takeaway was their song “The Cow“, because, come on, a song with the chorus “I like the cow” repeated over and over is gonna stick in the memory. I actually owned this CD for a little bit, but it truthfully wasn’t all that good, and I traded it back in. Their half-hour came and went.
Cool For August was up next. They were a 5 piece from the Atlanta area, had gotten in with Matchbox 20 (who were getting huge at that point), and their bass player Andrew Shives was originally in Fear Factory(!!). Lead singer Gordon Vaughn was obviously influenced by Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus fame) both in looks and sound. I was impressed by these guys, and ended up later finding their only CD “Grand World” and enjoying it quite a bit. The crowd had sort of filled in by this point, but not so much that Vaughan’s stage-dive attempt was a smart move. He dove off to the right of where we were standing, and I don’t recall anyone really catching him. Ouch. None the worse for wear, he soldiered on with the rest of the set. I’d end up getting to see CFA again a year later opening for Creed, and I’d actually know the material!
So after two bands, I was feeling pretty good about my concert experience so far, and didn’t have to wonder where all the people were, because true to form everyone piled in during set change right before OLP took the stage. We were pretty much right up front, dead center (sound familiar?), and I thought everyone would just kinda stand there, keep their space, etc. Can you say “naive”?? Once the band came out and Supersattelite opened the show, it felt like all hell broke loose! Knowing what I know now, it probably did get a little pushy (OLP shows always ended up being this way for some reason), but nothing outrageous. However, skinny little 17-year-old me wasn’t quite prepared for it. Anyway, both the crowd and I eventually calmed down, and settled in for a damn good show. I distinctly remember thinking going in, “I *like* this band”, but after Raine nailed the note (you know, *the* note) in Car Crash, I was completely sold and it turned into “I *love* this band”. We got a little extra, as we essentially got to hear Clumsy twice – Mike Turner’s guitar cut out right at the beginning of the song, so the crowd had a big acapella sing-along for the first 2/3’s of the song, after which they got Mike fixed up and they ran through the song proper. We even got a cover of the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”, which the band recorded for the The Craft soundtrack.
Not only did I leave with one heck of an experience, I also left with the now-legendary (to me, anyway) OLP Eclipse shirt, which I’ve faithfully worn to every subsequent OLP show I’ve attended! And the cherry on top? A couple years later, while trolling the old Super Flea on Walden Ave. in Buffalo, one of the vendors had a ton of bootlegs on cassette, including this very show. I own a copy (albeit of pretty suspect quality) of the first concert I ever attended. Not too shabby for a first time out. Little did I know it was going to lead to such prolific concert attendance in the ensuing years!
OLP Setlist:
Supersattelite
Naveed
Big Dumb Rocket
Superman’s Dead
Car Crash
Automatic Flowers
Carnival
4am
Clumsy (twice)
Let You Down
Shaking
Starseed
Tomorrow Never Knows
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 06/11/1997 Our Lady Peace, Cool For August, Puzzle Gut (Buffalo, NY @ The Tralf)
Tags: 1997, Buffalo, Cool For August, Our Lady Peace, Puzzle Gut, The Tralf