Coolest show you've ever managed

On June 7 2007, I will be SMing a benefit concert at my school. The lineup includes:

Kenny G
The Horns of Blood, Sweat, and Tears
Chris Botti
Jeff Lorber
Paula Cole
...And other guests to be announced.

I'm so freaking excited.

 

Ahhh....let's see....off the top of my head my "cool" shows.

Air Supply, more times than I can count.

Lynyrd Skynyrd made me an unofficial "Honkette" (what they call their female backup singers). I also got to pick/fetch which girls got to go backstage.

Neville Brothers. Killing it all night!

Gladys Knight -the night her niece Aaliyah's ("Queen of the [email protected]") plane crashed.

Neil Sedaka!

But as of right now, the night last year with Beautiful Creatures opening for The Hollywood All-Stars (Carlos Cavazo, Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain, Chas West) was pretty much the most off the hook rock n' roll night ever. I only had to dodge 2 flying beer bottles coming off the stage!

I know there's more, but f all if I can remember right now.

 

I remember seeing Jeff Lorber back in the late 70's at ChicagoFest when it was still at Navy Pier. The old pier with the crumbling warehouses. There were probably 50 people in the crowd in that area.

Best show I think I ever saw was Emerson Lake and Palmer in 1976 or 77. The whole idea of Carl Palmer in his drum kit rising up and rotating upside down was amazing, even then.

As for the best show to work, probably the Disturbed shows last summer. They have a great crew. Never met any of the band.

 

Theatre: I stage managed for Jon Pertwee on his last live show in UK before he went to NY and had his fatal heart attack.
Working with Jack Dee and Jo Brand in the UK.
No rock and roll recently although I worked on Santana's gig in Adelaide in the seventies as well as a few others.
I saw The Beatles live in Adelaide in 1964. Yeah I'm that old.

 

George Clinton and the P-Funk. I worked monitors for them. It was a lot of fun. There was no touring crew, no roadies, etc.. It was just us house techs.

 

I love a good road crew. It makes it so much easier to help them when they get off the bus!

If you ever get a chance to work Bobby Rydell and/or Frankie Avalon (they do gigs together quite a bit)-DO IT! These guys are awesome human beings, complete pro's, and really fun.

Any Bela Fleck gig is worth it for the "being taken to school" factor alone. Especially when Victor Wooten is playing bass for him.

 

I once ran a spot for chris botti and the city had a lot of tornadoes that night. Well, we lost power and he just kept laying in the dark, it was pretty sweet.

 

Coolest actual theatrical show was "Chess" and 'band' show it was Oingo Boingo - those folks know how to treat their crew!

Charlie