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View Full Version : Hall & Oates last night


Lee
10-24-2009, 12:29 PM
with the Hooters & Todd Rodgren @ the Wachovia Spectrum (Spectrum is being demolished), The Last Call:

I’ll get all the bad stuff out now. We had so-so seats by the stage, & they were VIP seats, but as an usher pointed out, the stage was set up wrong, making the stage up too far & causing us to not see the front of the stage much because these big, black cases with lights on them were in the way. So the usher asked if we wanted to upgrade, but this upgrade was probably the worst seats that I’ve ever had there as it was near a thorough way for people, some not too sober & some who sometimes decided that their best view was standing in front of us. We were only a little elevated & I couldn’t stand because the people around us didn’t & I didn’t want to block their view. Not only this, but the Wachovia staff found it necessary to also block our view sometimes, well, mostly me, trying to get some pictures which I failed miserably at. Cameras were allowed (big local media coverage, all up front taking pics) & no one searched my bag (a rare thing nowadays).

After 8 p.m., Pierre Robert (WMMR Radio) and John DeBella (WMGK Radio) (these guys booked a lot of acts around Philly back in the day) were on the stage introducing The Hooters. They talked about the Spectrum a little & then asked everyone to stand up & take off their hats because the Hooters come out & opened with the Star Spangled Banner. I’m not too familiar with The Hooters music except I know All You Zombies & We Dance. (to which Pierre Robert was dancing & jumping to on the floor). Let me just say that I’ve always like The Hooters, liked their unique style of music & they put on an excellent show. The audience was into them.

Then there was a break & it was maybe 20 minutes. Then Todd Rundgren & his band came out. I’ve seen him play before with Hall & Oates, but this time his music seemed more heavy metal to me & I swear last time it wasn’t. I didn’t really enjoy his show as much as last time & to tell you the truth, I don’t think the audience did either, not too many people standing down in front. And I couldn’t even tell you his set list. I did like his guitar playing though. He said that he got started in a blues band (like Fleetwood Mac started) in Upper Darby (PA). His music was really loud & the bass seemed too heavy.

Another break in the action & Robert & DeBella came back out & introduced Kevin & Michael Bacon who used to play with Hall & Oates sometimes when they just started out. The audience went crazy. They talked a little about the Spectrum & their time there in the Philly area. They introduced Hall & Oates some time after 10 p.m., & the audience went crazy once more. (Note: no sell out; I saw quite a few empty seats.) They opened with Maneater, playing their guitars & not sitting on stools like when I saw them last time @ The Borgata.

Here the rest of their set list:

Out Of Touch
Say It Isn't So
Las Vegas Turnaround
She's Gone
Sara Smile
No Can Do
Rich Girl
You Make My Dreams

Of course there were encores. They played them with The Hooters, Todd Rundgren and The Soul Survivors. If you know what the Philly sound is, these songs had it…

Expressway To Your Heart
Backstabbers
Didn't I Blow Your Mind
Love Train

And at the very end, & I was really surprised since, well, it’s a disco song, they played Disco Inferno! And it fit because, they are tearing down the Spectrum & this was The Last Call. The show ended after midnight, probably the longest show that I ever been to at a Hall & Oates concert (I'm running on 4 hours of sleep), and it was worth it. I’ve been a Hall & Oates fan for a long time, I’ve seen them numerous times & they should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’ve thought this for years & Rachel Ray (Hall & Oates on RR 11/6) has started a petition to try to rectify this.

After the show, VIP ticket holders got some dessert, beverages & Rolling Rock beer, & a parting poster. (No beer for us just cookies & some Pepsi for the road) And note here that the beer part might not have been a good idea since some people should have had a “Last Call” like hours before.

Lee :)

holidayroad
10-24-2009, 12:45 PM
Lee, thanks so much for posting this! Sorry for the bad seats. I had seats waaay back the only time I saw H&O. My husband saw them twice in the '80s and had primo seats (four rows back, six rows back) both times and paid almost nothing for tickets compared to what someone would pay today. It's cool that you got to see Todd Rundgren also. I like him, too. I admit though that his newest album (Arena) is a bit more metal than you'd expect from him! his album Liars was FAR better. I hope to see H&O again because my husband and I haven't been to a show together. Maybe soon....!

Lee
10-24-2009, 01:49 PM
Sure, & thank God for You Tube. There several clips & one video there already.

Also a review here from The Philly Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/news_breaking/20091024_Philly_pop_stars_rock_hard_at_the_Spectrum.html

I also forgot to mention that I'll be getting some kind of voucher in the mail to receive a "brick" from the Spectrum when it comes down. How I'm going to get this brick, I'm not sure .:lol:

Yeah, you should go & see them. I'm not sure when they'll be playing again though.

Lee :)

holidayroad
10-24-2009, 02:54 PM
Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, they are not having a concert anywhere close to me soon.

WildHeart69
10-24-2009, 04:05 PM
Hey Lee, we must have sat right by each other. I was in sec 225. We also had the speakers in our view but the whole row was open so we just moved all the way over when they moved back...

I was REALLY looking forward to Todd's set (almost as much as Hall and Oates') but I was VERY VERY disappointed with his song selection. I saw him with "The New Cars" a couple summers ago and he just sounded amazing. I love "Hello Its Me", "Can We still be Friends" "Bang the Drum All Day", etc but the ONLY songs he sang that I knew (and even thought were pretty decent) were "Black Maria" and "I Saw the Light".... why would he choose those other hard-rock screechers over the hits?

Hall and Oates' set/ The Finale were GREAT I thought, you pretty much covered the highlights.

I got three picks: 1 Darryl, 1 Tbone Wolk, and 1 Todd, although Todd's was just a plain green Dunlop pick. I also got to meet all of the Hooters as well as T-Bone Wolk, Pierre Robert, and Nick Jameson ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0417068/ )

WildHeart69
10-24-2009, 04:08 PM
Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, they are not having a concert anywhere close to me soon.

This was a one-off show. All of the bands had roots in the Philly area which is why they were in the lineup. I dont think any of the bands are currently on tour at the moment.

Lee
10-24-2009, 04:29 PM
Hey Lee, we must have sat right by each other. I was in sec 225. We also had the speakers in our view but the whole row was open so we just moved all the way over when they moved back...

I was REALLY looking forward to Todd's set (almost as much as Hall and Oates') but I was VERY VERY disappointed with his song selection. I saw him with "The New Cars" a couple summers ago and he just sounded amazing. I love "Hello Its Me", "Can We still be Friends" "Bang the Drum All Day", etc but the ONLY songs he sang that I knew (and even thought were pretty decent) were "Black Maria" and "I Saw the Light".... why would he choose those other hard-rock screechers over the hits?

Hall and Oates' set/ The Finale were GREAT I thought, you pretty much covered the highlights.

I got three picks: 1 Darryl, 1 Tbone Wolk, and 1 Todd, although Todd's was just a plain green Dunlop pick. I also got to meet all of the Hooters as well as T-Bone Wolk, Pierre Robert, and Nick Jameson ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0417068/ )


Man, a Ledgie was there & I didn't get to meet you! :sorry: I wish I would have known that. Yeah, Section 225 was straight across from our section, but how did you mange to get picks unless you got in front of the stage which security was really keeping a close eye on?:shrug: I got a T-Bone pick once at a H & O concert & didn't know it right away; it landed in my hair & I don't really know who threw it. :thumbsup: And when did you get to meet The Hooters? OK, do have connections? :rolleyes:

Lee :)

WildHeart69
10-25-2009, 01:44 AM
Heh.... well I am sneaky... I just walked right up at the end of Todd's set and got his while they were doing teardown and then went back to my seat (I took my mom, so I didnt want to leave her) Nobody tried to stop me - I probably could have stayed there for the rest of the show.
There was a gap between the rail and the half wall in the front corner of the section closest to the stage so when the whole show was over I slipped through when all of the surrounding security was occupied and I just asked the guitar tech on the side of the stage if he had any more left and he gave me the other two from his back pocket. He said "You didnt see me do that, I'm supposed to be working". Ha, he was nice about it though.

WildHeart69
10-25-2009, 01:47 AM
Oh, and we met the Hooters and everyone else at the VIP reception after the show. You must not have stayed long enough! (We stayed til nearly 2am! It was great)

Where did you get the poster? I didnt see any

Lee
10-25-2009, 03:14 PM
Oh, and we met the Hooters and everyone else at the VIP reception after the show. You must not have stayed long enough! (We stayed til nearly 2am! It was great)

Where did you get the poster? I didnt see any

Yeah, we had a long drive back home. And I have a toy poodle @ home that had to go out & not only that has seizures from time to time, so I always worry when I have to leave him for extended periods of time. And he was OK when we got home @ 3 a.m. I would have liked to have stayed, but I really wasn't sure the bands were going to be there at the VIP party anyway.

I asked the woman @ the VIP table for the poster since I knew we were supposed to get one. It says "Last Call" real big @ the top in blue & the names of the bands on the bottom, date & "Spectrum". It's pink & yellow. I also asked about the coupon for the brick; I don't know why. I guess it's just a piece of history from the Spectrum. Anyway, she said we'd get something in the mail, voucher or something. I wonder if the band members will get a brick, too. :shrug:

Lee :)