Let me begin this review by stating that in all the years I have been going to concerts (since the early 1970’s), I never had the opportunity to see either Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship live in concert. I absolutely had no idea what to expect once my friend and I walked into the Metropolis Theater. I had been to a few concerts at the Metropolis before and knew that whatever band I was going to see would sound really good because of the acoustics. After picking up our tickets, we were greeted by a man in a top hat and wig and a bizarre 60’s tie who happened to introduce himself as Charlie Beck, the Executive Director of the Metropolis. He welcomed us and thanked us for coming there to see the show. He said to me, “This is going to be a great show. We’re pretty much sold out at 370 seats. I hope you enjoy the show.”
The show began by Charlie Beck getting on stage and introducing Jefferson Starship. The band came out and started with “Ride the Tiger.” All I can say is 2 minutes into the song, I was impressed by the 3-part harmonies and how tight the band sounded. This set the tone for the rest of the concert. I felt like I was back in the 70’s and in my element. After the song concluded, Cathy Richardson thanked the crowd for coming out and talked a little bit about her roots in Chicago and how she happened to meet Jefferson Starship, who consisted of Paul Kantner (vocals, guitar), David Freiberg (vocals, guitar), Chris Smith (keyboards), Donny Baldwin (drums) and Slick Aguilar (lead guitar) at The Heroes of Woodstock tour where she was singing the part of Janis Joplin for Big Brother and The Holding Company. She told the crowd how she always loved Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship and how much she listened to their records while growing up, and never thought in her wildest dreams that someday she would be singing with the band. She also mentioned playing the role of Janis Joplin in the musical, “Love, Janis” and then forming her own band, the Cathy Richardson Band and most recently, the Macrodots. After giving the audience a brief history, she stated, “This is the quiet set. We are playing 2 sets for you tonight. Wait until you hear the second set.” (As a side note: Playing lead guitar was Jude Gold from Cathy’s band, the Macrodots).
...and check out the Gonzo Artist Page for Jefferson Starship you know it makes sense
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