Magical Moment Photos

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE PHOTOS AND ARTWORK OF NATURE IN THE SPOKANE, WA. AREA:
FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES OF NATURE IN SPOKANE, WA. BY BEN UPHAM
and
FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES OF WILDLIFE IN THE SPOKANE AREA BY BEN UPHAM
and
MAGICAL MOMENT ARTISTIC ADVENTURES IN NATURE BY BEN UPHAM
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Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County, of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region. The city is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington, 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canadian border, approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the Washington–Idaho border, and 230 miles (370 km) east of Seattle.

David Thompson explored the Spokane area and began European settlement with the westward expansion and establishment of the North West Company’s Spokane House in 1810. This trading post was the first long-term European settlement in Washington and the center of the fur trade between the Rockies and the Cascades for 16 years. In the late 19th century, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest. The Spokane area is considered to be one of the most productive mining districts in North America. Spokane’s economy has traditionally been based on natural resources, being a center for mining, timber, and agriculture; however, the city’s economy has diversified to include other industries, including the high-tech and biotech sectors. Spokane is known as the birthplace of Father’s Day, hosted the first environmentally themed World’s Fair, Expo ’74, and is home to Gonzaga University and Whitworth University.

The city of Spokane (then known as “Spokan Falls”) was settled in 1871 and officially incorporated as a city in 1881. The city’s name is drawn from the Native American tribe known as the Spokane, which means “Children of the Sun” in Salishan. Spokane’s official nickname is the “Lilac City”, named after the flowers that have flourished since their introduction to the area in the early 20th century. Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 brought major settlement to the Spokane area.

With a population of 208,916, according to the 2010 Census, Spokane is the second largest city in Washington, and the third largest in the American portion of the Pacific Northwest, behind Seattle, and Portland, Oregon, and is the 102nd largest city in the United States. Spokane is the principal city of the Spokane Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is coterminous with Spokane County. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 471,221. The most recent population figures from the U.S. Census of 2010 show the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Metropolitan area to have 609,000 residents.

The first humans to live in the Spokane area arrived between twelve and eight thousand years ago and were hunter-gatherer societies that lived off the plentiful game in the area. The Spokane tribe, after which the city is named, are believed to be either direct descendants of the original hunter-gatherers that settled in the region, or descendants of tribes from the Great Plains. When asked by early white explorers, the tribe said their ancestors came from “up North”. Early in the 19th century, the Northwest Fur Company sent two white fur trappers west of the Rocky Mountains to search for fur. The trappers became the first two white men met by the Spokane tribe, who believed them to be Sama, or sacred, and set the trappers up in the Colville River valley for the winter.

Spokane’s climate is near a humid continental climate (Köppen Dsb), a rare climate due to its elevation and significant winter precipitation, precluding a semi-arid climate classification. However, it is considered a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) because the average temperature for the coldest month at Spokane airport is just over −3 °C (26.6 °F). The area is typified by a very warm, arid climate during the summer months and a cold, snowy, and moist climate in the winter. Both summer and winter are the predominant seasons, as spring and fall constitute a rapid transition. On average, July and August are equally warm, and the coolest month is December.[61] Daily temperature ranges are large during the summer, approaching, and often exceeding 30 °F (16.7 °C), and small during the winter, with a range just above 10 °F (5.6 °C). December, the coldest month, averages 26.9 °F (−2.8 °C), while July, the warmest month, averages 88 °F (31.1 °C). Extremes range from 108 °F (42 °C) to −30 °F (−34 °C), but temperatures of more than 100 °F (38 °C) and less than −10 °F (−23 °C) are rare, though on average, temperatures above 90 °F (32 °C) occur on 19 days and below 0 °F (−18 °C) on 3.5 days annually.

Because of Spokane’s location between the Cascade Mountains to the west and Rocky Mountains to the east and north, the city is protected from weather patterns experienced in other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The Cascade Mountains form a barrier to the eastward flow of moist and relatively mild air from the Pacific Ocean in winter and cool air in summer. As a result of the rain shadow effect of the Cascade Mountains, the Spokane area also has less than half the rainfall of its west side neighbor, Seattle. The average annual precipitation in the Spokane area is 17 inches (430 mm), whereas the Seattle area receives 37 inches (940 mm) annually. The most precipitation occurs in December, and summer is the driest time of the year. The Rocky Mountains shield Spokane from the winter season’s cold air masses traveling southward across Canada, sparing the city from the worst effects of Arctic air in winter.
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CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE MORE Y&T PHOTOS:
Y&T FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
YESTERDAY & TODAY- SAN FRANCISCO APRIL 1975 PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
Y&T PHOTOS FROM SPOKANE ON 7-18-10 BY BEN UPHAM

YESTERDAY & TODAY
“A BAND ON THE WAY UP”
BY KATHIE STASKA AND GEORGE MANGRUM
THE ARGUS
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA
JANUARY 24, 1975

A little over a year ago Yesterday and Today was just another East Bay rock quartet trying to find itself. Today it is one of the fastest rising rock bands in the area.
After they took a first place in last year’s Hayward Battle of The Bands at Chabot College things seemed to happen for this young hard rock group.
Y&T played several gigs in the East Bay. Then in the middle of last summer they went to Seattle to get their act together. They came back last fall much more polished and played clubs like the Tuckett Inn in Hayward. The next thing you know Yesterday & Today played Winterland twice and a New Year’s Eve concert with the Doobie Brothers at the Cow Palace. It is hard to believe that four can improve so much in a year’s time as a unit like they have.
The band consists of Dave Meniketti on lead guitar: Leonard Haze on drums; Phil Kennemore is the bassist and Joe Alves plays rhythm guitar.
Although the hard rockers have their roots in Hayward, they like to be considered an East Bay band because some of the members live in Oakland.
They are the featured guest stars in this year’s Hayward Battle of The Bands to take place tomorrow night at Chabot College. “We’re all looking forward to playing in front of our fans in the Battle this year.” Haze said. “We are looking forward to hearing some of the young bands that will be in this year’s competition.
The new-East Bay Band played Winterland last Saturday night on the first Saturday sounds Of The City gig. The audience gave a bigger response to Yesterday and Today than the other two bands. Journey who have a new album coming out soon and Fever.
Although there were some sound problems it did not seem to bother Y&T, they cooked from the start to end and drew two encores from the large Winterland crowd. “It is like going home to play Winterland.” Haze said. “We are not all that familiar with it yet but it’s a fun place to play. “We sure owe Bill Graham a lot. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met, and one of
the most together ones also.” says Haze.
Did Yesterday & Today ever think they would play Winterland as soon as they did in their young musical career?
“I did.” said Meniketti. “You have to have 100 per cent confidence and we do.” “To me it was a goal and now it is not a goal.” Alves said. “Now a goal for me is an album.” “The band does most of their own writing. That is a plus to any group if their material is good and Y&T’s is.
They have a good management firm in Spreadeagle (who takes care of business for the rock group Journey) and they have good people working with them right down the line from the road crew to their road manager Ken McMillian.
Haze tells the story of how Yesterday and Today got their name. “We were playing Treasure Island when they asked how we wanted to be billed. At the time I was listening to the Beatles album ‘Yesterday & Today’. I was on the phone trying to think of a good title and I looked over at the album cover and said Yeslerday & Today. That has been our name ever since.”
“A lot of bands pay their dues by playing a lot of local clubs. We wanted to stay away from that if we could because we don’t play club music. We paid our dues by playing high schools. Navy Clubs, apartment complexes and so on. We are better at larger places,” says Meniketti.
If Yesterday & Today improves in 1975 as much as they did in 1974 the East Bay is going to have a dynamite band.

YESTERDAY & TODAY (Y&T) DISCOGRAPHY:

1976 Yesterday & Today
1978 Struck Down
1981 Earthshaker
1982 Black Tiger
1983 Mean Streak
1984 In Rock We Trust
1985 Open Fire (Live)
1985 Down for the Count
1987 Contageous
1990 Ten
1991 Yesterday & Today Live
1995 Musically Incorrect
1997 Endangered Species
2000 BBC In Concert
2003 Unearthed Volume 1
2004 Unearthed Volume 2
2009 OneTwo (1st two albums Remastered)
2010 Facemelter

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE Y&T PHOTOS:
Y&T FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
YESTERDAY & TODAY PHOTOS FROM SAN FRANCISCO APRIL 1975 BY BEN UPHAM
AND
Y&T PHOTOS FROM SPOKANE ON 7-18-10 BY BEN UPHAM

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SUPERTRAMP PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

SUPERTRAMP-
“GROUP’S LATEST ALBUM ECHOES EARLY PROMISE”
BY MICHAEL JENSEN
STAR NEWS
PASEDENA, CALIFORNIA
APRIL 22, 1977

When Supertramp released “Crime of the Century” two-and-a-half years ago the group was earmarked for stardom. It’s unique sound, careful instrumentation, arrangements and production established it as a band that cared about its product.
The group has just completed its latest album, “Even in the Quietest Moments” and, the band is playing the Los Angeles Forum next Thursday night.
Although the material on ‘Quietest Moments’ lacks the originality and drive that “Crime of the Century” and “Crisis, What Crisis?” displayed, it is perhaps the band’s most cohesive work to date. Several songs on the LP show that the band is building on musical concepts.
It is using certain identifiable hooks from previous albums and modifying them into newer material. In a way the latest platter begins where “Crisis . . .” left off …but, there are a few twists.
In an interview with Rick Davies, John Helliwell and Bob Benberg at the A&M recording lot in Hollywood, the three men talked about the new project and what they hoped to accomplish with the album and their music, “You know we are not rich”, John Helliwell said “Everyone thinks that when you are a rock group . . . that everyone in the band is loaded with bucks. That isn’t so … at least in our case.” “We spend so much money on production of the album that we have to sell an incredible amount of albums to get any royalties.” He added, “Unfortunately, I personally feel like the days of work keep getting longer and longer.” Bob Benberg, the only American in the group and a native of Glendale, blurted in. “We like what we are doing. The band is getting along better than it has ever in the past.”
Supertramp’s new album makes it evident that the band is injecting personal experience into their material. Rick Davies wrote the potential single “Lover Boy?” and noted — “I wrote the song because I was inspired by advertisements in men’s magazines telling you how to pick up women. You know, you send away for it and it’s guaranteed not to fail. If you haven’t slept with at least five women in two weeks, you can get your money back. You just can’t stop the lover boy, he’s guaranteed.”
A slight sense of humor exists throughout the album, but it is immersed in the billowing symphonic structures. “I think the band is taking things as they come”, Benberg said. “Nobody is really planning anything definite. We all have our dreams. But it’s a bit difficult to turn your dreams into something material overnight.” “If I had to tell the public one thing”, Helliwell added, “It would be to buy the album. Also, that we would like to see Dale Robertson (of the Carpeteria commercials) do a commercial for us. Imagine him on the tube with that gruff voice of his . . . buy Supertramp.”
Supertramp is destined for great things. It’s unfortunate that this album isn’t as dynamic as previous efforts. Their show, so we hear, is better than ever and should prove to be an exciting evening next Thursday.

SUPERTRAMP DISCOGRAPHY:
1970 Supertramp
1971 Indeibly Stamped
1974 Crime of the Century
1975 Crisis? What Crisis?
1977 Even in the Quietest Moments
1979 Breakfast in America
1980 Paris (Live)
1982 Famous Last Words
1985 Brother Where you Bound
1987 free as a Bird
1988 Live 1988
1997 Some things Never Change
1999 It Was the Best of Times (Live)
2001 Is Everybody Listening? (Live)
2002 Slow Motion

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SUPERTRAMP PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE UFO AND RUSH PHOTOS:
UFO PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
RUSH PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
RUSH FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM

UFO & RUSH-
“HEAVY METAL IS BACK”
BY JOHNNY HOLMES
CORPUS CHRISTI TIMES
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
OCTOBER 25, 1977

During the early 70s, there was an unwritten rule which said heavy metal Music wouldn’t sell. The real problem was that the number and quality of such heavy groups had dwindled and heavy music was dying because it had become stale and mundane. That’s all changed now. Heavy metal is back with a bang, as Rush and UFO proved last night by playing to a sold-out Memorial Coliseum.
UFO opened the show with perhaps the most powerful song in its’ repertoire, the title cut from its latest album, “Lights Out,” and the tone of the evening was set. UFO can handle several different forms of music quite well but focuses on its raw, heavy songs in concert.
Onstage, UFO possesses all the tools of stardom. Vocalist Phil Mogg, clad in contrasting black and white, appeared to be emulating Queen crooner Freddie Mercury with his moves and stage dominance, spending most of his time working with bassist Pete Way. Always on the prowl, Way was a terror onstage, easily the focal point away from the singer as he was forever stalking his fellow musicians, marking time or just getting carried away with the music.
But perhaps the most imposing figure of all was guitarist Michael Schenker. At times, Schenker appeared to occupy a different plane altogether, often merely standing back before his wall of amplifiers watching his cronies, or leaning over the audience, pitching out his leads.
UFO moved through several songs from various albums, the best of which were “Doctor Doctor,” “Out On The Street” and “This Kid’s,” before concluding with its tour-de-force, “Rock Bottom.” Rock bottom is about the last place you could find UFO after last night. If it can keep this sort of performance level up, UFO should soon be flying high.
Rush took the stage for its 100 minutes of music shortly thereafter and launched into its usual opener, “Bastille Day,” before changing things up a bit. The band had some trouble getting things going, and though the trouble was minor, Rush started a little better than it did last night. Once cranked up however, the boys in the band became unstoppable. “Lakeside Park” was moved into the second slot but was surpassed by “By-Tor and the Snow Dog,” an old favorite featuring some blistering guitar work from Alex Lifeson.
The entire show was reflected in singer/ bassist Geddy Lee’s articulate expressions. Every note, every chord, every move was detectable and it became obvious by the grin on his face that he was pleased with the performance. “Xanadu,” a concept piece from the new album, worked well, thanks to several precise tempo and rhythm changes courtesy of drummer Neil Peart. “A Farewll To Kings” followed and and brought on Lee’s biggest grin of the evening before the group retreated into some older material
like “Something For Nothing” and “Anthem.” At times, Lee’s voice suffered from stress and humidity, but he covered well, avoiding the lower ranges where it most bothered him. Lee also deserves credit for maintaining his concentration because there was a circus of craziness in full swing backstage all evening long. A running battle between Lee, UFO and crew members kept things constantly appearing onstage, culminating in UFO’s irrepressible bassist Pete Way’s candy-striped pants being strung up on Lee’s amps. As Rush prepared to return for its well-deserved encore, Lee and Way quickly exchanged clothes and Way led Rush back out on stage. Running and jumping around and generally being crazy, Way clowned through most of Rush’s three-song encore, which began with “Working Man” and concluded with Lee laughing uncontrollably in Way’s arms off the side of the stage following “Cinderella Man.”
But seriously, folks, Rush was in typically fine form last night.
The rejuvenation of heavy metal music is largely due to groups like this — groups that can take a basic heavy metal premise, add some clever innovations and shape its music into something truly extraordinary. As if it were written in a script, Rush bade “Farewell to the Old Kings of Rock” as the older music was laid to rest.
There is a new, progressive heavy metal-king and his name is Rush.

UFO DISCOGRAPHY:
1970 UFO 1
1971 UFO 2 Flying
1974 Phenomenon
1975 Force It
1976 No Heavy Petting
1977 Lights Out
1978 Obsession
1979 Strangers in the Night (Live)
1980 No Place to Run
1981 The Wild, The Willing and the Innocent
1982 Mechanix
1983 Making Contact
1985 Misdemeanor
1988 Ain’t Misbehavin’
1992 High Stakes & Dangerous Men
1998 Walk on Water
2000 Covenant
2002 Sharks
2004 You are Here
2006 Monkey Puzzle
2009 The Visitor
2012 Seven Deadly Sins

RUSH DISCOGRAPHY:
1974 Rush
1975 Fly by Night
1975 Caress of Steel
1976 2112
1976 All the World’s a Stage
1977 A Farewell to Kings
1978 Hemispheres
1980 Permanent Waves
1981 Moving Pictures
1981 Exit, Stage Left
1982 Signals
1984 Grace Under Pressure
1985 Power Windows
1987 Hold your Fire
1989 Presto
1989 Show of Hands (Live)
1991 Roll the Bones
1993 Counterparts
1996 Test for Echo
1998 Different Stages (Live)
2002 Vapor Trails
2003 Rush in Rio (Live)
2004 Feedback (Live Covers)
2005 R30 30th Anniversary World Tour (Live)
2006 Grace Under Pressure Tour (Live)
2007 Snakes & Arrows
2008 Snakes & Arrows Live
2011 Time Machine
2012 Clockwork Angels

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE UFO AND RUSH PHOTOS:
UFO PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
RUSH PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
RUSH FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM

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STYX PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

STYX-
“STYX TO HARD ROCK AT THE STANLEY TONIGHT”
BY GRANT DILLEWSON
NORTH HILLS NEWS RECORD
WARRENDALE, PA. DECEMBER 9, 1977

Styx, a rock band that started out in the dingy steel-mill district of Chicago seven years ago blasts into the Stanley Theater tonight at 7:30 p.m. showing few signs of the wear and tear of the climb to the top.
Pounding out the loud and hard sounds of most of their songs, the band has risen to the top rung of the rock music ladder. They have built a steadily increasing following with each of their seven albums.
“Lady”, the hit single that is the band’s most renowned work, has become a certified gold record. The album “Equinox” achieved platinum status in Canada and “Crystal Ball” has been certified gold.
The most recent album from the group, “The Grand Illusion”, was released in July. The cuts “Come Sail Away”, “Fooling Yourself”, and “Superstars” have climbed high on the charts and members of the band feel it is their best material to date.
Styx is made up of original members Dennis DeYoung on the keyboards, and twins John and Chuck Panozzo on the drums and bass guitar respectively, Newcomers James Young, and guitarist-singer-songwriter Tommy Shaw complete the band.
On the road for most of the year, the band members know their live performances have kept them in the public eye and created the attention needed for increasing airplay of their songs. Styx is one band that doesn’t want to be couped up in a studio. But that is not the only reason for long days of touring.
“Music is meant to be performed live, records cannot be a true substitute”, said DeYoung. “I think people are tired of seeing four guys in blue jeans jamming for an hour, they want a show.” said Young.
Each Styx member has a creative part in the production of their stage show. Chuck Panozzo, who has a college degree in art and spent some years teaching high school students, acts as the band’s art director. Young, with his mechanical engineering background, oversees the technical end of the show. DeYoung coordinates the musical aspects of the staging and each member adds his own touch of expertise.
“The Grand Illusion,” the third album on the A&M label, is a culmination of a year of growing acceptance and increasing confidence within the group. “There’s so much excitement around this album that things are really flowing. It portrays the enthusiasm we feel right now”, said Shaw. “Good vibes are the impetus to good music,” Chuck Panozzo, said. “There were definite good vibes behind “Grand Illusion “. Whether the vibes are good or not, there is going to be plenty of movement tonight when Styx takes the stage. The fans will be dancing and screaming and the amplifiers will make sure nothing remains undisturbed.

STYX DISCOGRAPHY:
1972 Styx
1973 Styx II
1974 The Serpent is Rising
1974 Man of Miracles
1975 Equinox
1976 Crystal Ball
1977 The Grand Illusion
1978 Pieces of Eight
1979 Cornerstone
1981 Paradise Theatre
1983 Kilroy was Here
1984 Caught in the Act (Live)
1990 The Edge of the Century
1997 Return to Paradise (Live)
1999 Brave New World
2001 Styxworld Live 2001
2002 Live at the Rivers Edge
2003 Cyclorama
2003 21st Century Live
2005 The Big Bang Theory
2006 One with Everything (Live)

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STYX PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE MORE LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS:

LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD ART BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD SPOKANE SOUND-CHECK PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM

LYNYRD SKYNYRD-
“WISH YOU WERE THERE”
(Part 4)
BY BEN UPHAM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Five months later I moved 1,000 miles North from the Bay Area up to Spokane, Washington. A very different concert scene in Spokane as opposed to the Bay Area. Not so many Rock Concerts to choose from. But…after I’d lived in Spokane for about a month they announced that Skynyrd would be headlining at the Coliseum with Journey opening (on their “Next” tour, which is a great album). I bought a ticket right away and anticipated the upcoming show! Little did I know at that time how amazing and life changing that day would be…The band had just released their first Live album, “One more from the Road” on September 13th and it was Killer! They had added a third guitarist, Steve Gaines, Cassie’s Brother, and he sounded great!

It had been announced that the day of the show the band was going to be doing an in-store appearance at “The Magic Mushroom” record store in downtown Spokane at high noon. I grabbed some of my best Skynyrd pictures and headed down to the record store hoping to get a chance to meet my Rock Heroes (mainly Allen and Ronnie). As I arrived at about 11:41 I was waiting outside the store with some other fans when an odd thing happened. I looked up to the sky and noticed something floating down towards me very slowly. As it got closer I realized that it was a dollar bill. It was headed for the sidewalk but I stepped over and caught it before it hit the ground. I don’t really know the significance of that event, but it was rather odd.

Minutes later a car pulled up and out stepped Artimus Pyle, Leon Wilkeson, JoJo Billingsley, and Steve & Cassie Gaines. They were all very friendly and we talked as they signed autographs with the 30-50 fans that had gathered to see them. I remember asking Artimus if the band had ever played “Am I Losin” live and he said, “Yes, but only 2 or 3 times”…JoJo was the most impressed with my pictures and even gave me her home address so I could send her some. I would have given her some, but I told her that I was hoping to give them to Allen.

I asked Leon where Ronnie, Allen, Billy and Gary were and he said they were back at the Hotel sleeping. It was a little disappointing not getting to meet Allen or Ronnie but I was glad to have met the others. When I got back home I was trying to think if there was any other way I might get to meet Allen and Ronnie. Bingo! I came up with a great idea. Go down to the Coliseum and see if you can talk with any of the road crew setting up the equipment!

I arrived at the Coliseum at around 3:30 and had my camera and a folder with my pictures as well. I parked the car in the empty parking lot and walked over to the back-stage door. There were several security guards. Two at the entrance and then a few more that I could see inside the hallway. I was trying to think of what to say when I decided to say nothing at all. Instead I just walked right in, passing the two security guys, and they didn’t say a word to me. Then I walked down the hallway and the other security guys looked right at me, and I nodded at them…They nodded back. I kept walking, thinking that this just might work.

The next thing I know I’m out on the floor of the venue and there is Neal Schon, Journeys guitarist. I walk over to him and said, “Hello Neal, I Love the new album”. He smiled and thanked me and then said, “I Love opening for Skynyrd, those guys are Great”…Right after he said that I hear a guitar chord being struck and sure enough there is the band up onstage putting on their instruments! Everybody in the band except Ronnie who was still sleeping.

Allen counts off, “One, Two three…” and they leap into a full on version of “MCA” without lead vocals! Neal and I are all grins! After that Steve asks to run through “Travelin’ Man”, this allows the Honkettes to get some singing in. Then they did a fine version of “Cry for the Bad Man”, once again with the only vocals being the Honkettes. I was a little nervous about taking any pictures during the soundcheck, but I did take about 20. Then came the amazing highlight as Allen says, “Lets do the new one”. At that point Neal and I are treated to a blow away instrumental song that is totally unfamiliar and stoundingly hot.

After they ended the song I approached Allen to introduce myself and give him the pictures. I walked up to the stage, made eye contact and he leaned down to shake my hand. I said, “That was incredible Allen, what was the name of that song you just played?”. He smiled and said, “Well, it’s about some accidents that we’ve had lately, and we’re calling it ‘The Smell of Death’, it’ll be on our next record”. I told him that I had some pictures that I’d taken of him from Winterland and the “Day on the Green” and that I’d like to give them to him. He said, “Why don’t you just bring ‘em to the Hotel after the show and we can hang out for a while, it’s room #407 at the Sheraton”. I told him that sounds great and that I’d see him after the show. We said goodbye.

I contemplated leaving the building, but decided to go and sit in the stands and calm down a bit. As I sat down and started to relax the sound man popped in a cassette with some very interesting music that I’d never heard before. Really different stuff with lots of strange effects and unusual changes. As I was listening I saw Artimus head out on to the floor with a skateboard. For the next 20 minutes or so he did a bunch of cool skateboard tricks to this unique music. I kind of felt like I was in a Dream watching and listening.

At that point I went down to the sound man to find out who the music was by, he said, “That’s the new Supertramp, it’s called ‘Crime of the Century”. Another great turn-on…I decided to stay in the building and at about 6:30 an usher approached me and asked what I was doing there. I said, “I’m a friend of Lynyrd Skynyrd” and he said, “Oh, okay”.
At 7:00 the band Rex came on and didn’t really impress me at all.

After their short set Journey came on and unfortunately were plagued with a horrible buzz in the P.A. throughout most of their set. Very frustrating for them as their songs have quiet parts that were ruined by the buzz. All in all they still pulled off a good set though, highlighted by their opening song, “Of a Lifetime” and their stretched out jam song, “Look into the Future”.

At about 9:00 Skynyrd took the stage with a Leon roar jumping into a spirited version of “MCA”, which segued right into “I ain’t the One”. Ronnie said his Good Evenings and we were off once again to the show I wish had never ended…The Spokane set-list was the same as the “Live Album”, except they added “Simple Man”, “Gimme Back my Bullets” and “Cry for the Bad Man”. Steve Gaines was phenomenal to say the least. He really worked well and seemed to push Allen and Gary to new levels on old songs. I got some awesome photos from the balcony and really enjoyed the show. No sound problems during Skynyrds set. After the last notes of “Free Bird” had played I hurriedly left the building with my friend Ed, to head over to the Sheraton. Our timing was Grand! I parked my car and we walked to the entrance of the Hotel just as a Limo pulled up…

Out step Ronnie, Allen and Steve. I looked at Allen and he comes over and puts an arm around me and says, ‘What did ya think of the show Ben?”… I told him that is was as good as it gets! We headed up to the room and Ronnie said, “Are ya’ll coming down to the bar?”. Allen said, “Maybe later, we’re just gonna hang out here for a while”. I will be honest here, I was in shock! I was 18 years old and getting the royal treatment from my “Rock Star Heroes”… I wasn’t really understanding how all of this could be happening…Especially since “Free Bird” meant so much to me, and here I am as a guest of the Man who wrote it!

When we got in the room I think Allen sensed this, probably from my inability to actually say anything half way intelligent. So, he looks at me right in the eyes and says, “You know one major thing that we have in common Ben?”. I said, “What’s that Allen”. He gets a big grin on his face and says, “We both Love to get up in the morning and take a good Shit, so please don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m just the same as you guys, no better and no worse, I’ve gotta wipe everyday too”…This line sent me and Ed to the floor laughing and all of a sudden the whole scenario changed…I wasn’t hanging out with a Rock Star anymore, I was hanging out with a friend…

I handed Allen the stack of pictures, about 25 8×10′s, and he was loving them, commenting on them such as the fact that the corduroy jacket photo from Winterland was very rare because he only wore it onstage at one other show! We talked about all different kinds of subjects ranging from music to sports, to nature, to work and even talked about drugs. At that point Allen asked, “Have you got any weed?”. I told him, “No man, we smoked it all during the show”…So then he asks Steve to hand him his guitar case and he says, “Well, I’ll see what I can scrape out of here”.

Then to our astonishment we watched as Allen scraped just enough grass out of his guitar case to roll a “pinner”. Which he rolled with one hand mind you! I asked, “So is this killer weed Allen?”. He says, “No, it’s just the cheap Mexican that we are given”. Either way, it tasted very nice! Especially chased with a shot of Jack Daniels! Steve was very quiet. And Allen was very talkative. He asked several times what we thought of Steve’s playing and we both told him that he was “Made to be in Skynyrd”…

After about an hour Ronnie made his way in, barefoot and with an open bottle of champagne in his hand. He sat down and checked out the pictures between swigs off his bottle. Then he told us about “Jaws”…A very small dog, I can’t recall if he said a Poodle or a Chihuahua, with a big set of teeth and the attitude of a Devil! Ronnie looked me in the eyes serious as can be and said, “That little dog would bite through a 3 inch solid Oak door just to get you”…He asked Allen and Steve if they wanted to go to the bar (again) and they both said, “No, we’re just gonna hang out here with our friends”.

About 45 minutes later the door opens and it’s the road manager saying, “We gotta Roll ‘em Boys”… As Allen is gathering his stuff I told him that the pictures were all for him. He smiled and thanked me, and as he was putting them into his guitar case he says, “Don’t you want me to sign one for you Ben?”…I hadn’t wanted to ask…So I said, “Sure”…He signed one of him playing Free Bird, “God Bless You, Allen Collins”…That framed photo has been on my walls ever since!

As the band boarded the bus we exchanged hugs and I thanked them for a wonderful evening. Allen said it was a pleasure meeting us. After they were all on the bus I climbed in one last time and said, “You guys Rock, Thank You so much for all of the great Music”, and Ronnie winked at me…Ed and I were blown away by the entire event and decided to go to Denny’s for something to eat. It’s about 1:00 A.M. We look at the menu and both decide to get the same thing, the “Super Bird” Deluxe Turkey Sandwich…And so endeth the tale…

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS:

LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD ART BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD SPOKANE SOUND-CHECK PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM