Welcome to CONCERT OVERLOAD, a place for sharing my concert-going experiences. My goal is to say a few words about each and every concert I've ever attended.
CURRENT CONCERT COUNT: 868 (most of them in the Los Angeles area)
The above photo is dated 1965. It shows Barry McGuire and P.F. Sloan riding a motorbike. At that time, their careers were closely intertwined, but that closeness ended soon thereafter, when their career paths took them in totally different directions. I don't think the two have seen each other for fifty years or so, but I know for a fact that they have not performed together since 1965.
Thursday night's concert at the intimate Coffee Gallery in Altadena marked Barry and Phil's first time together on a stage in fifty years and I'm super-happy to say that I was there. Being part of such a historic event gave me a thrill that I will not forget anytime soon. Their joint effort consisted of lots of songs and stories, with lead vocals duties going back and forth between the two.
Barry McGuire (left) and P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)
The concert kicked off with "Green, Green", "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Blowin' In The Wind", performed by Barry with competent support provided by John York. At that point, Barry introduced P.F. Sloan, who took the stage to a loud welcome. The Dylan-theme continued for one more song with the singing of "Mr. Tambourine Man", which then turned seamlessly into "Turn, Turn, Turn". Next came the immortal "Eve of Destruction", the song written by a teenage Phil and recorded by Barry in 1965.
The other four songs we heard before the intermission were "What's Exactly The Matter With Me", "California Dreamin'", "Where Were You When I Needed You" and "Secret Agent Man".
P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)
Barry McGuire at the Coffee Gallery (2015)
The second set kicked off with CCR's "Proud Mary" and ended with Barry's barely whispered rendition of "Try To Remember". In addition to the songs listed in the photo below, we also got to hear "Blue Suede Shoes", which Phil dedicated to birthday-boy Elvis Presley.
The set list (second set)
The evening's one-song encore, Little Eva's "Locomotion" was, in my opinion, the best moment of the show, with Barry's strong voice and contagious joie-de-vivre taking over the concert room. In his eightieth year of existence, Barry continues to impress me with his seemingly unchanged voice, not to mention his boundless energy and charisma. His exuberance worked very well with Phil's more restrained stage presence.
Barry McGuire, John York & P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)
Although I've always liked the New Christy Minstrels, I went to see them in concert for one reason and one reason only: to be in the same room with one of my long-time idols, Barry McGuire, who had just rejoined his old band for a couple of shows. So I got to see Barry, he was phenomenal, but to my surprise, the evening turned out to be so much more than just Barry.
The concert took place at the Haugh Performing Arts Center on the
campus of the Citrus College in the City of Glendora. Sitting in the second row of the auditorium, I witnessed a rare reunion of the original members of the band, a little detail that had not been advertised.
Band line-up
(bold names indicate original members)
Randy Sparks
Barry McGuire
Jackie Miller Davidson
Gayle Caldwell
Clarence Treat
Art Podell
Dolan Ellis
Becky Jo Benson
Bill Boycott
Chuck Cole
Barry's delivery of P.F. Sloan's "Eve Of Destruction" gave me the goosebumps, and I'm not exaggerating. I was amazed by how well his trademark voice still sounded, forty years after his hit song first came out. Equally impressive was the pure joy that he exuded through his every pore - while everyone on stage had a lot of fun, no one enjoyed the moment more than Barry.
Barry McGuire
Randy Sparks, the unmistakable leader of the band, gave plenty of room to every band member to showcase their talents, but the evening's finest moments came when they all pooled their voices together. As expected, "Green Green" was a highlight and so was "Greenback Dollar". They also sang many songs I did not know, but everything they touched sounded great.
After the show, I had the immense pleasure to shake hands with Barry. Unforgettable.
Typically, my response to nostalgia concert offerings involves a great deal of apprehension. Just like you, I have a soft spot for many musicians of the sixties, but do I really want to see them in action half a century after their heyday? Well, if they are as vibrant as Barry McGuire was Friday night at McCabe's, the answer must be a resounding yes.
Although I enjoyed Barry's concert very much, I will always remember the evening as a series of missed opportunities. It would have been out-of-this-world to have had P.F. Sloan walk in for the singing of "Eve Of Destruction" or John Sebastian engage in a duet with Barry on "Daydream". Well, neither of them showed up, nor anyone else, as a matter of fact. For almost two full hours, the stage belonged to Barry and John, who together delivered one classic gem after another, complete with stories about the musicians who wrote or sang those songs decades ago.
Barry McGuire (left) & John York at McCabe's
Barry is seventy-eight years old now, as in two years shy of his eightieth birthday - can you believe that? Almost eighty years old, and still on the road, still giving it all, still exuding immense joy while performing and still sounding pretty much like Barry McGuire.
Barry singing "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
Since 2007, I have caught Barry's "Trippin' The Sixties" act not fewer than five times, a clear sign that I'm a satisfied customer. The format of the show has remained intact, with occasional changes in content. Some songs get dropped, others get added. One of these new additions, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me", delivered by Barry almost like a whisper, was one of the highlights of the evening. Equally good was Barry and John's treatment of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter".
The set list
After almost two hours of well-known classics, it felt great hearing the two songs chosen by Barry for his encore. What a surprise - who would have thought that Barry would sing a song written and recorded by Madonna?? But he did! His version of Madonna's "Frozen" sounded great and so did the tune that preceded it, "Somewhere Only We Know", from the repertoire of Keane, the British alternative rock band.
With his powerful guitar playing and good vocals, John York was once again an outstanding support musician, who got to show what he could do without ever trying to upstage the headliner.
Last night marked my first-time ever to attend a show in a house-concert setting. The event took place at the Gelencser residence in Claremont, California, so now their living room is listed in my concert database alongside the Hollywood Bowl, Greek Theatre, House Of Blues and other famed venues. The hosts, Andy and Janice Gelencser, deserve a lot of praise for opening up their home to larger groups of people, putting in time and effort to organize the concert and accepting a great deal of inconvenience without any financial benefit, all done for the love of music. Again, kudos to them.
This was my fifth time to see Barry live in concert and the fourth time to attend his "Trippin' the Sixties" show. He is seventy-seven now, an age when most of his singing peers from the sixties are either retired or dead. Barry, on the other hand, keeps pressing on and well he should, as he is still perfectly capable of putting on an entertaining show that is heart-warming, humorous and informative.
Barry McGuire sharing stories with the audience
Masterfully intertwining stories with music, Barry's show kept moving along at a fast pace. I particularly enjoyed the story-telling part of the show, with Barry paying his respects to many musical heroes from decades ago, among them Tim Hardin, John Denver, John Sebastian, Scott McKenzie, Steve Goodman,
Zal Yanovski, The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Arlo Guthrie, PF Sloan, Lou
Adler and Fred Neil. Barry also made frequent references to the "herbal medicines" used by many of the top musicians of the era.
I was impressed by Barry's overall shape. He performed the entire concert with full intensity, lots of self-confidence and it appeared to me that he enjoyed the show as much as the rest of us. His voice did not falter, he never looked for words and came up with funny quips whenever needed.
Compared to earlier shows, last night's "Trippin' the Sixties" set included a few new additions, such as Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", CCR's "Proud Mary" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" from the repertoire of John Denver. Funny thing though, the latter song was actually released in the early seventies.
SET LIST
Green Green
Eve Of Destruction
Everybody's Talkin'
Hair
Johnny B. Goode
Daydream
Turn Turn Turn
California Dreamin'
San Francisco
Creeque Alley
Tambourine Man
City Of New Orleans
If I Were A Carpenter
Proud Mary
Woodstock
Get Together
Dancing In The Street
Take Me Home, Country Roads
For me, the highlight of the show was Tim Hardin’s “If I Were
A Carpenter”.
Barry's shows just wouldn't be the same without the competent support provided by John York, a musician whose credentials include a stint with the Byrds. To these eyes and ears, John is an outstanding support musician who adds value without ever attempting to outshine the headliner. His guitar solos were great and his singing was subdued, just the way a backup-vocalist is supposed to sing. And he's got a sense of humor, too: when a spectator asked Barry about how he hooked up with John, the answer came fast and short from the latter: "Internet dating service"!
Barry McGuire (left) and John York
After the show, I had once again the good fortune of shaking hands with Barry and chatting with him for a couple of minutes. His humility, warmth and friendship are something to behold.
From left to right: My friend Steve, Barry McGuire and Yours Truly
Barry's autograph on my newly purchased CD
Overall, my first-ever exposure to house concerts was a success. I liked the intimacy of the place and enjoyed meeting the hosts. Oh yeah, the brownies were great, too.
The stage
Barry McGuire and John York (both seated) after the show
When I first heard Barry McGuire's voice in 1965, my young jaw dropped to the floor and it stayed there for months and years, while I was waiting for a follow-up to his brilliant "Eve Of Destruction". Well, the follow-up never came and to make things worse, Barry disappeared without a trace. It was two decades later when I learned about his becoming a new-born Christian and, at that time, I did not even dream about ever having the chance to see him perform live, let alone meet him and talk with him. Over the years, I kept listening to his long out-of-print early recordings, which I managed to find at swap meets and garage sales, but otherwise, as far as I was concerned, Barry McGuire was gone for good.
Fast forward to 2005. I'm sitting in front of my TV, watching one of those typical PBS pledge-drive nostalgia concerts that specialize in unearthing old musicians who have long gone from the public eye, and to my huge surprise, who do I see? Well, well, it's the New Christy Minstrels, with Barry McGuire in the line-up, singing "Green Green" and "Eve Of Destruction" and sounding unbelievably good, exactly forty years after my introduction to him. I could not have been more thrilled! What followed was a Google search and, a day later, I was in direct touch with Barry, via email. True story.
In August 2007, I went with my friend Hans to the intimate Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena to see Barry perform at the tender age of seventy two, alongside his friend and musical collaborator Terry Talbot of Mason Proffit fame. The show, titled "Trippin' The Sixties", featured some of the greatest American songs of the sixties, many of them with some direct connection to Barry. His stories about Bob Dylan, Mama Cass and others were fun to listen to.
Sadly, the show was marred by a sound problem that persisted throughout the evening and the main culprit was the speaker that was supposed to carry primarily Barry's voice. Still, I loved the songs and enjoyed watching Barry, whose vitality and "joie de vivre" are hard to forget.
Barry McGuire at the Coffee Gallery Backstage
Yes, the sound was disappointing, but on the plus side, I got to meet
Bary after the show. We shook hands and had a brief conversation. I mentioned to him that there was an opportunity for someone to write a
Christian-themed song that uses a word-play on the title of his best known secular
song. "What do you mean?", Barry asked. I said "The Destruction Of Eve would be a good title for a Christian song, wouldn't it?". Barry had a good laugh and said "I've never thought of that". What an unforgettable moment!
Partial set list
Green Green
Greenback Dollar
Eve Of Destruction
Hair
Reason To Believe
If I Were A Carpenter
Creeque Alley
California Dreamin'
Mr. Tambourine Man
Woodstock
Daydream
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Do You Believe In Magic
Times They Are A Changing
Quite often during the show, Terry Talbot's overzealous singing and loud strumming overpowered Barry's voice, something I did not appreciate, as I was there to hear Barry and no one else. In addition to backing up Barry, Terry also soloed on "Two Hangmen", from his days with Mason Proffit.
Barry McGuire (left) and Terry Talbot at the end of their set
While looking his age, Barry did not sound his age at all. I was impressed by the way he told his stories, without ever stumbling or halting. His singing voice was "trademark Barry McGuire", easy to recognize even after the passing of so many decades.
A few months later, in December 2007, I went back to the Coffee Gallery to catch Barry once again. This time the sound was perfect and I had a blast. The set list remained pretty much unchanged, not necessarily a bad thing. In addition to his repertoire of songs from the sixties, Barry also sang his own Christian song, "Cosmic Cowboy", which sounded quite good. Just like the first time, Barry was accompanied by Terry Talbot and just like the first time, I would have preferred him to be a lower-key partner, not because he is not a good musician in his own right, but simply because I wanted more Barry.
Here's a YouTube video of "Eve Of Destruction" with Barry McGuire and Terry Talbot:
The Coffee Hallery is a small venue, without green rooms and secret chambers, so once again I got to talk with Barry, both before and after the show. This time, our conversation went on for fifteen minutes or so.
My close encounters with Barry McGuire will forever remain a highlight of my concert-going life.
Barry McGuire (center), with My Better Half and Yours Truly
Barry McGuire (left), with Terry Talbot
Barry McGuire promo DVD, given to me by Barry himself
This was my third time to catch Barry McGuire in concert in just about two years, which clearly demonstrates how much I enjoyed his "Trippin' The Sixties" series of concerts. But there was something different about this third show: Terry Talbott, Barry's long-time musical collaborator, was no longer there. I don't know what led to the breakup, but in the end I was a lot happier with Barry's new partner, John York, a musician associated with one of the early incarnations of the Byrds.
Well into his seventies, Barry showed no signs of slowing down. His seemingly bottomless energy and the tremendous joy radiating from his face are hard to forget. It was very obvious that Barry loved being up there on the stage and when he thanked the fans for their support, his words did not sound fake at all.
I was very impressed with Barry's voice, which remained as instantly recognizable as it was during his "Eve Of Destruction" days. The concert started with "Green, Green", the classic New Christy Minstrels tune featuring Barry's raspy voice, and after that, it was one gem after another, all interspersed with stories about Bob Dylan, Mama Cass, Tim Hardin, the Lovin' Spoonful and others. And you can bet your life that no one questioned his credibility. He was there!
The set list
I went to the show with my childhood friend Mircea, who happens to be a walking encyclopedia of music of all genres, if there ever was one. We both loved the show.
My friend Mircea, just minutes before the show
My friend Mircea checking out the set list
John York was exceptionally good in his new role as Barry's sidekick. Unlike the somewhat overbearing Terry Talbot, Barry's previous partner, John was a perfect complement to the headlining Barry, always offering his musical skills to support, rather than upstage.
Barry McGuire (left) and John York (October 11, 2008)
The highlight of the show had to be "Eve Of Destruction", a song that still gives me the goosebumps. "I I Were A Carpenter", "Hair" and "Greenback Dollar" were also outstanding, but then so was the entire show.
I consider myself extremely lucky for having had the chance to not only see one of my life-long heroes, but also talk with him. As he often does, Barry made himself available after the show to meet his fans, so I got to shake his hand once again. Barry also autographed for me a photograph taken in December 2007 after his show in Altadena, here it is:
Yours Truly and Barry McGuire in 2007 (photo autographed in October 2008)
Barry McGuire chatting with fans after the show
The sparse stage of the First Baptist Church of Glendora
