Concert #30 - Bryan Adams at the Forum ( Aug 15, 1987)

 

"Reckless" is one of the best rock & roll album of the 1980s, with a bunch of catchy songs that were getting lots of air time on radio and MTV. Not unlike the Hooters, whose "Nervous Night" album also yielded a few great songs. So the pairing of these two acts promised a fun night at the Forum.

Bryan did not disappoint. He played "Run To You" and "It's Only Love", my favorite songs from "Reckless". He also did "Cuts Like A Knife" from an earlier album. Surprisingly, he brought out Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols fame. After the show, as I was leaving the parking lot, I nearly bumped into Steve, who had  just located his motorbike.

The Hooters were good, too. They sounded pretty much like their studio recordings.

 

Steve Jones

Concert #29 - Duran Duran at the Forum (July 25, 1987)

 Their then-current album, "Notorious", had a little more edge than their earlier stuff, so I went to the Forum to see them live. The band had just become a trio, with Simon Le Bon on vocals, John Taylor on bass and keyboardist Nick Rhodes - you guessed it - on keyboards. Guitarist Warren Cuccurullo was in their touring band as well.

Their new sound was described in the LA Times as "pseudo-R&B", not a bad way of putting it. Once again I missed the opening act, Erasure, something I regretted later, when their soulful sound, albeit light-weight, did catch my ears.

I must have been among the older people in the crowd, but I had a good time anyway. They played many songs from "Notorious", including the title track and "Skin Trade". From their older hits they did "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Save A Prayer".

Toward the end of the show, totally unannounced, the Bangles joined the boys for a rendition of "If He Knew What He Wants".

Concert #28 - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at the Universal Amphitheater (June 9, 1987)

Other than his radio hits, I had not been exceedingly familiar with Tom Petty's music, nor had I thought too highly of him. All this changed forever on June 9, when I got to fully appreciate the quality of his music, and most of all, the tightness of his band, the Heartbreakers.

It was the first of four consecutive nights at the Universal Amphitheater. I sat at the mezzanine, not too good, but not bad either. The opening acts were OK. The Georgia Satellites played their only major hit, "Keep Your Hands To Yourself", while the Del Fuegos were forgettable.

"The Waiting" was the highlight of the show. I also liked "Let Me Up, I've Had Enough". At one point, Tom talked about the loss of his Encino house to fire, a crime committed by an arsonist. "But he didn't burn this down" said Tom, raising his guitar high in the air.

Concert #27 - Genesis at the Dodger Stadium (May 22, 1987)

My first-ever stadium concert. I was accompanied by Rodica. An interesting experience overall, aside from the time it took us to exit the parking lot. The light show was truly stunning, they must have invested millions in their sophisticated systems.

Hard to believe, but the concert was still part of the "Invisible Touch" World Tour, which started in September 1986. This means that the concert was pretty much the same as the one I saw in October 1986 at the Forum.

Watch "Home By The Sea" from their London show of the "Invisible Touch" World Tour:

 

Paul Young was the opening act. His fluffy pop was not a good match with Genesis' far more complex sound.

Concert #26 - Europe at the Wiltern (April 22, 1987)

As I was driving to the Wiltern, I was thinking that the best possible show opener would be "The Final Countdown", their catchy radio hit. There are other great minds out there, because - lo and behold - they kicked off the show with "The Final Countdown", complete with low-lying smoke and fancy lighting. Come to think of it, the whole show did not jibe well with the art deco style of the theater, but who cared?

Somewhat predictably, the show ended with the same song that started the proceedings. All in all, I had a good time on a night when I wasn't particularly interested in songs with redeeming social content.

I sat at the balcony, an excellent vantage point for a show there. There was no opening act.

SET LIST

1.The Final Countdown

2. Danger On the Track

3. Ninja

4. Carrie

5. Time Has Come

6. Dreamer (a capella)

7. Heart Of Stone

8. Seven Doors Hotel

9. Open Your Heart

10. Rock The Night

11. Dance The Night Away

12. The Final Countdown (encore)

Concert #25 - Eric Clapton at the Forum (April 14, 1987)

I can confirm: Eric Clapton is indeed God. He came out with small band of heavy-hitters: Phil Collins on drums, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes and Nathan East on bass. Phil was just that, a low-profile drummer. They played lots of well-known songs, such as "Crossroads", "I Shot The Sheriff", "Layla", "Let It Rain", and others I don't remember.

Robert Cray was the show opener. Very good set. Great vocals, great guitar playing and the crowd loved him.


By the way, Eric was 47 years old, Robert Cray only 33.