Minor League Baseball and America 06/26/04

[TimmyB]

I got tickets to my first Minor League Baseball game not for the baseball but for the music. You see California rockers America were the putting on a post game concert at the Buffalo Bisons game so I got a couple of tickets and went for a fun filled afternoon of baseball and classic rock (not oldies as Gerry Beckley pointed out).

I did not even check to see who the Bisons were playing that day and when I walked into the park I was happy to find out I was seeing the Bisons hosting the Durham Bulls. For those of you who have not seen the greatest sports film of all-time (as voted on in Sports Illustrated a couple of years ago.), the Durham Bulls were the team that was used in the Kevin Costner film Bull Durham. The whole afternoon my buddy Chris and I were quoting the film and enjoying the game (The Bisons won 9-3 by the way).

After the game it took around forty minutes for the stage to get set up and then America took it.

For those that don't know America was a band of three army brats, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peeks that grew up in England and then released their debut album on Warner Bros. in late 1971 to great success. Their single "A Horse With No Name" overthrew Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" at the Number one position in the US for two weeks. Which I always found funny as America sounds so much like Neil Young in his Stray Gators formate. America then subsequently were given the Grammy for best new artist in 1972.

A couple of albums later the great Sir George Martin began producing their next four albums. Which helped them to get another number one hit "Sister Golden Hair".

The band has also had hits in "I Need You" (#9), "Ventura Highway" (#8), "Don't Cross The River" (#8), "Tin Man" (#4) and "Lonely People" (#5).

In 1977 Dan Peeks left the band, partially due to him becoming a born again Christain. The band has continued on as a duo ever since.

As the night before when I saw Poco, America for being a band of fifty-somethings was in great vocal form. They performed a greatest hits show and even included a surprise Beatles cover "Nowhere Man", which Gerry introduced as a song by the band that their producer worked with before them.

Unfortunately seeing a band in a minor league baseball park isn't the most ideal venue, though the sound wasn't too terrible.

It was a fun show and after I ran over to catch the end of the Derek Trucks Band and Randy Bachman at the WNED Buffalo Guitar Festival at the Erie Basin Marina.

Here is a setlist of the America concert.

Start time 5:40pm

1. Riverside

2. Ventura Highway

3. You Can Do Magic

4. Don't Cross The River

5. Daisy Jane

6. Company

7. I Need You

8. Nowhere Man

9. Tin Man

10. The Border

11. Woman Tonight

12. Only In Your Heart

13. California Dreamin'

14. Lonely People

15. Survival

16. Hangover

17. Never Be Lonely

18. Sandman

19. Sister Golden Hair

20. A Horse With No Name

Finish time 6:57pm (Total time 1 hour and 17 minutes)

[Jaimoe]

Who won the game and did you enjoy your first minor league experience? I would have gone to the game regardless of what band opened, except Nickelback or The Tea Party.

America will always be a phase band for me, albeit a very small phase. However, I still won't turn off Ventura Highway if it comes on the radio.

I never really got into soft-rock bands like Poco, Loggins & Messina, Bread and America ( to name a few ), however these bands wrote some great tunes ( Bread excluded ).

Hey TimmyB, I thought you were a Who fan? The above bands don't mix too well with the " Horrible Who ".

[TimmyB]

Hey Jaimoe, I'm a huge fan of the Who! Let me give you a "six degrees of separation" example of how the Who mixes well with the soft rock or as I would like to call them, California rock bands and sometimes even country rock bands. And I'll give it to you in one degree of separation, The Beach Boys.

The Who, mainly Keith Moon, were influenced by the Beach Boys and even covered songs like "Bucket T" and "Barbara Ann." By the way Keith's all-time favorite song was "Don't Worry Baby."

Not too many bands have been a bigger influence on soft rock or California rock more than the Beach Boys (minus maybe The Beatles). Bands that started the whole California rock or country rock genre like the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Flying Burrito Brothes and Love were also an influence on these soft rock groups in the seventies.

Also, that is what is so great about music is the overlapping influence of so many genres that have set out to create some amazing artists and material over the years.

[Jaimoe]

Hey Tim,

To add to your Who/Beach Boys connection, Moonie was friends with Brian Johnston ( one of the underrated and influential surf producers, writers and performers. Moon liked all surf music, especially because it was percussive - see The Who's " The Ox ". However, I wouldn't really categorize The Beach Boys as soft rock.

If you haven't already, read Tony Fletcher's Moon biography. It is one of the best rock bios you'll ever read, and it isn't sensationalistic, but will still manage to SCARE THE HELL OUT OF YOU:

[TimmyB]

Thanks for the info on the Moon book, I have not read it and will look for it soon.

As for the Beach Boys and soft rock bands comparison. They were influenced greatly by the Beach Boys harmonies. These bands like Poco and America have such lush and beautiful harmonies. I remember on Friday night when I saw Poco with my girlfriend she was amazed by their harmony vocals "all night long" (an Eagles song).

Back to the Who I really hope they announce a Toronto show again to close another tour. It would be great to see Pete and Roger again.

[TimmyB]

I forgot to mention that the Bisons beat the Bulls 9-3. And I thoroughly enjoyed my first minor league experience. I'll be heading to the opening of The Bob Dylan Show tour in Cooperstown, NY and I'm going to now look up and see if I can see a game at Doubleday Park before or after the concert.