a New York State of Mind

 BB King's Blues Club, NYC 3-18-19-08 
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reviews / images from Karen Slavik.

 

  My passion for all things concerning Robin Trower began when I was 12 years old.  My very first Trower concert was November, 1977 at the Commack Arena on Long Island.  I don't think anyone ever forgets their first concert experience, especially if it was someone of Trower's caliber. I'll always remember the sound of his strat though the Marshall Amps for the first time, the blistering jams and smiles at a song well done between bandmates.  In looking back I now realize how fortunate I was to see Jimmy Dewar as well.  I knew as we left the arena that night that my life had been transformed.  There was actually other "stuff" out there to listen to now that was not Beatle related!  The next day I rode my 12 speed bike up to Looney Tunes to purchase my first Trower LP;  It was In City Dreams and I couldn't get enough of it.  The cover was dazzling. 
 January, 2008.  A new Trower tour on the horizon!  This afforded me the opportunity to see RT live again after many years of not being able to attend his shows for various reasons.  Luckily this tour commenced in FL where I live.  I purchased tickets to Jannus Landing in St Petersburg and Orlando's HOBs.  My brother was flying down from NY for both shows!  All of a sudden I felt that tingle of anticipation, excitement and even curiosity.  I hadn't see Trower live in quite awhile and I was wondering if he'd still be able to ignite my soul as he had many years before.  This was a special occasion also, to go see Trower again with Glenn.  If not for him I never would have discovered Robin Trower in the first place and it was our first concert together in about 14 years. 
The concert at Jannus Landing (review) was an uncertainty due to very severe thunderstorms that evening.  But we drove south to St Petersburg with our fingers crossed and the show was on!  The RTB were not up to their usual par that evening and I am postive the weather was a factor.  I remember when they began  For Earth Below a loud rumble of thunder accompanied the first chords and some blue tarp was placed over some of the equipment....despite this, my enthusiam was in full force and I was so happy to be there!  Ecstatic actually. 
The next night at the HOBs the band came on with huge smiles and were greeted by a very enthusiastic crowd!  The band was tight and played extremely well and seemed to really enjoy themselves that night.  It was the Trower I had remembered from way back when! He played a blistering version of Bridge of Sighs, soared through Hannah and it was a pleasure to hear Gonna Be More Suspicious live for the first time!  My personal favorite that night was Rise Up Like The Sun. They really pumped that one out!  I have to admit I was still trying to figure out the inclusion of Islands when they had such an extensive song list to choose from.  Perhaps to give Davey's vocals a break?  I left the HOBs that night feeling both happy and sad.  I knew that was the last Trower show for me until the next tour and even then I was all ready praying that he'd come back around. 
 Sometimes situations in life end up working themselves out, if the timing is right.  I picked up extra hours at work which afforded me the time off to fly up to NY for the March shows.  I was beyond excited at this point as  I have never been to either  BB Kings or IMAC Theater, and I was actually going to get to see Trower live again. 
Glenn secured 3 tickets for BBs;  IMAC was sold out.  They had all ready purchased 3 tickets and one of them was promised to Glenn's neighbor Don.  This was to be Don's first ever live Trower performance.  Ann Marie was willing to give up her ticket so I could go in her place.  Through the Trower Power website I met a very special person whom many of you all ready know, Neil Calandra.   Neil was gracious enough to offer to take me as his guest to IMAC and to see the soundcheck before the show. I gratefully accepted his offer and in turn I promised Neil a late lunch before hand and few cold beers. No one would have to give up their IMAC ticket and it also meant that I'd 
have the opportunity to see a professional photographer at work.  It was almost too good to be true! 
   The Trower shows in NYC  for us were on the 19th and 20th.  Word came from Neil that he was in the hospital awaiting emergency surgery!!  Neil did not think he would be able to make any of the shows that week and I know he was just as disappointed as we were.   Most importantly we were deeply concerned for Neil and only wished for him speedy and uncomplicated recovery.  We all still held hope though that Neil would be able to attend at least one of the shows. 
   It was not looking good for Neil's discharge from the hospital the eve of BBs on the 19th.   To add to that my brother Glenn was not feeling well and decided he wasn't going either.  I knew my sister in law Ann Marie was a little ambivilent about driving into NYC and for a few moments I thought I would not make it to BBs myself! Talk about feeling such utter disbelief and tremendous disappointment at all that had and continued to unfold.  How could such perfect plans unwravel so quickly?  Fortunately Ann Marie decided we were not going to miss this event and off we went. 
It was while we were driving into Manhattan on the Southern State Parkway that Neil text messaged me and said he was able to get Ann and I on the guest list for BB Kings!!!  Much like Jannus it was raining that evening but the news from Neil certainly overshadowed the lously weather and unfortunate events.  To have such an opportunity as being on the guestlist was almost incomprehensible, not to mention the chance of a lifetime! 
  As we made a right hand turn to head over to the parking garage, we were pulled over.  Ann Marie unknowingly made a right turn where such a manuever is prohibited.  Luckily the officer only wrote her a ticket for not having her seat belt on. 
Still our mood was light and we were both very excited.  We parked the van and walked to BBs, umbrellas in hand and huge smiles on our faces. As we stood in the downstairs doorway to the club itself in walked Trower, straight between us! 
He politely ducked his head and said quietly "excuse me ladies", and we watched him go by, spellbound! We knew then it was going to be a fantastic evening.  You could almost feel the electricity in the air such was our level of excitement! 
Not long after our arrival we saw Ronnie Kerrigan and his lovely wife Sylvia.  We sat down at a table near the backstage entrance and squared ourselves away with RT's road manager, Laurie.  Laurie clearly had his hands full that evening but he was extremely helpful and very gracious and made sure we were settled in comfortably.  His patience and good cheer was very much appreciated.
 

Glenn Letsch and Pete Thompson turned up to say hello and were extremely friendly and fun to chat with.  I had mentioned to Glenn the difference I noticed from Jannus Landing to the HOBs, and he cheerfully quipped "Yea, that's because we didn't have to worry about getting killed!"  (that's how bad the weather was 3rd show into the tour!) 
I asked Glenn about his muscial background and learned that he also plays the saxaphone.  We even chatted about Classmates.com and he mentioned that he was having tremendous fun this tour, meeting up with a lot of his old classmates etc. 
I asked him if he was comfortable playing with Trower by now, he replied that he was and that "someone needs to be left of stage to reel Robin back in when he gets lost in the moment." 
Soundcheck time!  The band came out, Trower strapped on his strat and they played on and off for about 10 minutes!  I understand that this is unusual, soundchecks are normally only a few minutes long.  Happy glances at one another shared, a little tweaking, then RT broke open with the opening chords of Go My Way!  Thrilled, is an understatement. Awestruck is more like it and he just jammed for a few minutes and I could feel the floor shaking beneath my feet! 
We sat at our table, just up front and a little right of the soundboard, front and center.  I overheard from Laurie that showtime was 8:15pm and they didn't keep us waiting long at all.  The band  walked onstage and seemed relaxed and very happy to be there.   This tour the opening song is Twice Removed From Yesterday.  It is one of my favorites from that particular LP along with Hannah.   I have to note how refreshing it is to hear some very old but beloved songs included in this set list.  Left out this tour is Daydream and much to Ronnie's dismay the jam that normally gets tacked onto the end of Too Rolling Stoned.  I have to say despite that omission, I love how Trower blended the ending of TRS into the opening jam of Go My Way! Trower was on target that night, brilliantly so and it was clear, even to the casual Trower fan that he completely disolves himself into his playing, truly does get lost and when he plays like that I could actually cry. 
He picks those strings forcefully then yet ever so gently to produce such a  beautiful sound such as in Hannah.

  Some of the songs performed that night, I feel, deserve to be mentioned here.  Shame the Devil kicked it from start to finish, For Earth Below was just beautiful, thoughtful and soul searching.  No Time has always been a favorite of mine as well as Gonna Be More Suspicious, Rise Up Like The Sun and Go My Way!  The place was going crazy during these songs and as I looked around at the many fans there, I could see they felt the same way I did. I even saw young boys and teenagers there and I thought that was fantastic.  Keep the music alive for generations to come so they say!

I also have to admit I am falling in love with Islands now, not that isn't a beautiful song; I just couldn't figure out why that particular song on the list this time round, why not Sailing which I know Davey would sing beautifully or In This Place?  I did miss hearing Extermination Blues and would have loved to see and hear Trower perform Sweet Little Angel.  A perfect ending to a near perfect set was Another Time, Another Place and I as I mentioned earlier, I hope that turns out to be true.

After the show Davey and Pete and Glenn came out, ate a little bit and graciously allowed me to take some more photos.  I felt obligated to try my best to get some good shots for Neil who couldn't be there and hoped that I wasn't being a pest at the same time.  We had the pleasure of meeting Pete's girlfriend Angie and shared a beer or two and she obviously enjoyed the show as much as we did. It was really great to be able to meet her. 
 

We did however miss out on the opportunity to meet Trower one on one and get a signature and a photograph....the fans lined up and Trower graciously obliged each and everyone.  Ann Marie wanted to get online but Ronnie insisted we hang out, to be patient, that we would get backstage....I could see the angst in Re's face but we also wanted to be polite and waited with Ronnie.  Trower left smartly, did not hang around and there went that opp despite Ronnie's polite request to RT to get "one photo for the community".  We did however get to chat a little more with Pete, Davey and Laurie, snap a few more photos and bid our farewell and offer up many thanks to all for such a tremendous evening. I couldn't wait to see how the photos turned out the next day.
 
 
 

IMAC 3-20-08. 
 
IMAC Theater Huntington, NY 3-20-08

 

 What a wonderful old theater and a very small venue.  I cannot imagine a bad seat in the 
house.  The show sold out quickly and left me wondering why they didn't add another date at this venue.  I am sure the second show would have also sold itself out quickly and it would have given many other fans on Long Island an opportunity to see their guitar hero in their hometown.  It was Don, Glenn's neighbors turn to see Trower for the first time and I was almost excited for him knowing how I felt after my first show.  We shared a few beers and settled into our seats.  Trower was a little off that night, they missed a few beats that only a true Trowerhead would notice. 
Again, I loved Rise Up Like The Sun and Go My Way and I think Don clearly had his socks knocked off!  It is all he talked about on the ride home and he even patiently waited with me after the show, in the freezing wind for Trower to come round in his Suburban so I could get my autograph and picture which I missed out on the night before. 
We waited for a good 30 minutes and I should have realized it wasn't looking good when other fans started to walk away.  Don and I stood staring at the white barricades that were supposed to save Trower's spot and even picked them up when the wind blew them down.  Still no Trower.  I went back inside and was informed that most likely Trower left as he wasn't feeling good that evening.  That explains the missed beats but still Trower didn't disappoint.  I still came home with my RT 2008 ball cap and hearing Don's enthusiam over Trower's playing was pretty cool. 
Some very special thanks are in order before I close.  First of all to Neil Calandra for without whom this review would not have been possible.  You are sincerely a special person and a wonderful friend.  So glad to know you though we've yet to meet! 
 To Steve Shail for maintaining such a comprehensive Robin Trower website, always up to date, tons of accurate information (I did point a fan in your direction while waiting at IMAC) and beautiful to look at, lots of memorabilia and great stories. 
To Laurie for all of his hospitality at BBs and for trying to secure a ticket for me to IMAC via NC's request.  I really appreciate all that you have given us this tour, the memories will surely last a lifetime.  I'd also like to thank Laurie and the guys at the soundboard in BBs for letting me pop off many many flash photos of Trower during the show and for being so nice about it when I was reminded of the "no flash photography request".  I hope I got a lot of nice shots for this review and know I can count on Neil to choose the right ones.  Thanks Re for being so much fun and for sharing my excitement and last but not least to my brother Glenn who started this whole Trower fascination to begin with.