New Year's Eve Concert - Dec. 31, 1998
at The Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa, California
Terry Haggerty (guitar) - James Preston (drums) - Bill Champlin (guitar)
Terry Haggerty (guitar) - James Preston (drums) - Bill Champlin (guitar)
The Sons Of Champlin proved that they are the most awesome musicians on the planet! Their music is fresh, spirited, powerful, and energetic. They were singing and playing from their hearts and souls and it was incredible.I can't begin to describe the depth of the joy I felt in seeing and hearing them play. There was a sense of being in a mystical experience, with the band and the audience being so tuned in to each other that it fueled the energy to the point that the atmosphere was positively electric. You could feel the "luv"...
The doors opened at 8:00 p.m. with an acoustic set in the foyer by Moby Grape starting the evening off. When the doors to the auditorium were opened, we were treated to Sons member, Geoff Palmer, playing the hall's grand piano. Then Moby Grape, including Jerry Miller, Peter Lewis, Bob Mosely, and the Sons' James Preston, were joined by Big Brother's Sam Andrew for an electric set. They really rocked the house.
(Charles Kelly - Sons Roadie, In Background)
(Photo courtesy of Kate Nay)
Les Lizama (GreatHawk on AOL) gave an amazing review of the Sons New Year's Eve performance on both AOL and The Champlin Mailing List. He has graciously given permission to use it here. (Thanks, Les.)"The Sons opened with a new Bill tune titled 'Star Outa You', very funky and in the 'Bill Solo' mode, with wonderful pre-recorded backup vocals (Bill and Tamara?) making a very lush sound. James was working with headsets and a click track to match the tape, which worked well on this and a couple other new tunes. Bill was very showy on guitar out front, with the band behind.... great staging, with the B3 slightly off-center stage left at an angle to the audience. Geoff's keys/vibes were far stage right, followed by Terry, James on a riser stage-center, David, the B3 down-stage, and the horns, Mic and Tom, dressed in matching black bowler hats, far stage left.
They followed, roughly, with the 'Gold Mine/Love Lights Intro' into 'Fat City/1982A', 'Rooftop', another New Bill tune in the 'Party Time in DC' vein, called 'Stone Cold Hollywood', 'Time Will Bring You Love', 'To The Sea', (featuring 'Tex Haggerty'), 'No Mo', 'Follow Your Heart', and closed the first set with a rearranged version of 'The Swim' which knocked me out... lots of killer new chord progressions during Terry's solo, and a rewritten and complex ending... all featuring Terry, who, of course, seems to be a perennial crowd favorite (not to take anything away from fabulous performances from Bill, Geoff, Mic, and Tom, too.) It's just the way he leans back, closes his eyes, grimaces, and just RIPS his solos that makes me tingle. The new songs all seem to 'feature' very tasty, moving bass parts by David Schallock, a very nice new creative element... his bass is almost a lead instrument in these new arrangements.
I may be fuzzy on the order, but the band opened the second set with a GREAT jazz instrumental by Geoff Palmer called 'Eklektos', featuring complex unison work with him on electric piano and T. Sav on the alto, ala Chick Corea/Al DeMiola, who have nothing on our boys when in comes to jazz. Back to more recognizable fare, they launched into the 'Black and Blue Rainbow/Things Are Getting Better' medley, which segues spacily into the crowd-enhanced chorus ride-out of 'Get High'. Then into the 'Shuffle Medley' ('Misery Isn't Free/Hey Children') with a lengthy Bill guitar solo which really got the crowd off; 'First and Last', the obligatory 'Auld Lang Syne' (sp?) at midnight, another stylish new tune called 'Just Another Fool' with Bill gracing the electric piano, and the 'Tobacco Road/Beggin' You Baby' slow blues medley, with outrageous Terry solo. (After one of Terry's solos, Bill said, 'Is that legal?') An abbreviated 'Freedom' finished the night, but the epic closer from the 'Loosen Up Naturally' album still featured explosive guitar work by Terry, and the soulful scat/B3 soloing by Bill. Horn solos abounded through the entire night, and the audience just loves the sweet vibraphone work by Geoff Palmer.
And YES, we were treated to 'Hold On/James Preston Solo/GoldMine' as an encore, with some backup vocals supplied by Tamara Champlin. Many folks lingered after the show, just soaking up the vibes, which wrapped up about 12:45 am." - Les
(Photo courtesy of John Warne, Sons Photographer)
Here's more quotes from members of AOL and The Champlin Mailing List.
"I had the time of my life last night! I'd waited 30 years to hear these guys live ... but I swear, waiting that long made it that much better! The place was packed and the audience really dug the band and there was enough energy in that room to light up the entire continent, I think!" - Kate
(Photo courtesy of Kate Nay)
"The Santa Rosa show was FANTASTIC!!... the Sons performed 4... count em'... 4 new songs NYE. Songs that knocked my socks off... this may have been the best show I've seen yet... since the second coming... no offense anyone... just being retorical. ... The Sons just keep gettin' better... almost hard to believe isn't it? Anyway... for this fan... NYE couldn't have been better." - Dave Duncan
(Photo courtesy of John Warne, Sons Photographer)
"The show was great!!! The guys were so 'on' last night... you could just feel the energy bouncing off the walls... and Tamara got up and sang with the boyz (wish she would have gotten up there sooner!)... Happy New Year everyone!!!" - Brenda
The concert was better than I could have ever imagined. It was great meeting the members of The Sons Of Champlin, as well as the added pleasure of meeting so many of the wonderful people from AOL and the mailing list in person. This was definitely a night I will always remember. Thank you Bill, Terry, Geoff, David, James, Tom, and Mic for all the great music and energy and your hospitality backstage. Y'all are the best!
Bill Champlin Brenda, Les, Kate, Tim, Melanie, Michael, Dave & family, Tip, Brian, Nell, Renee, Dave & Jacque, Tamara, Kalena, Dara, Charlie, and all those whose names I can't recall, it was wonderful to meet y'all.
Special thanks go to Brian (HansiBrian) for the post-concert party at the Hilton. It was so kind of you to make this night even more special. It was very much appreciated!
Visit my New Year's Eve Pictures page for more pictures.
Visit the official Sons Of Champlin web site for upcoming performance information and much more.
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