Hall & Oates last night

[Lee]

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