couple of nights ago I went and saw Robin Trower, I love his music but the concert, I wasn't too thrilled with it. The guy is old and its totally cool that he's still up there jamming away when he's in his 60s. What I didn't realize is that most people there were there for his guitar solos more than anything else and me, I love the music all together, watching someone play a guitar solo for 30 mins ain't really my thing and I got a contact high from all the pot floating around in the air - that was horrible, I got stoned.
What was really cool about the night, I met some really interesting people, one couple who were in their 50-60s were totally cool, she had on a Led Zeppelin tshirt and completely down to earth, her husband bought me a valentine drink, Rob and Tina (I think that was her name) - so sweet and they knew other people there, one guy in particular stood out, Ernie or Bernie - kind of hard to hear over the music and a few other people. During intermission, they were talking about Winterland and when the Dead played there and seeing Janis at the Fillmore and seeing Beck at Winterland and Led Zeppelin and Sabbath when Ozzy was in the band and the Yardbirds, it was like being submerged in the rock-n-roll history of the past. Most of the people there were in their late 50s to 70s and were talking about Winterland and all the old history like it was yesterday. My first thought, was what the hell is Winterland and omg, it would have been so cool to see Janis Joplin. Second thought, I am so out of my time zone here, these people have been going to concerts before I was born. Third thought, was I thought Beck was dead, he's still alive? (ok, I checked it out, he's still alive - oops, his music sounds cool, although I'm not too sure I'd want to go watch guitar solos again)
So I checked out what the hell Winterland was - anyone interested in rocknroll history, Winterland Ballroom was an old ice skating rink in San Francisco, it was located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street, it later was taken over by rock promoter Bill Graham, and became legendary for the shows that happened there. The Grateful Dead made Winterland their home base, also, the Sex Pistols played their last show there on January 14, 1978. The Band played their famous and incredible last show with numerous guest performers, including Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and many others. Winterland closed on New Years 1978/79 with a concert by the Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Blues Brothers. It was torn down a few years later, and was replaced by apartment condominiums and a Burger King. (excerpt from Rock and Roll Roadmaps)
Why the hell they tore it down and put apt condos and a Burger King is beyond me.
Overall it was once in a lifetime experience to see Robin Trower and to be surround by people that have seen Led Zeppelin, the Dead, Janis Joplin, Beck, Sabbath live, plus many more that I'll never see. These people were talking about things that at the time I was between 1-5 years old like it was yesterday, that was cool.
Although will I ever want to see Robin Trower again, no. If Janis was still alive, yes.
11:38:21 PM 
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