Mike Stampalia
By Mike Stampalia. No matter how good you do or don’t think LCD Soundsystem is, they are better than that. I have “rock ‘n’ roll purist” friends who dismiss them for being too dancey, or too electronic, or not being “real” rock ‘n’ roll. Pssshhh … they are as much punk as they are dance […]
By Mike Stampalia. 1 year ago: John Legend with the Philadelphia Orchestra @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center As the narrative flowed, Legend guided the crowd through the story of his life — his time in high school, playing piano on Lauryn Hill’s “Everything Is Everything” for which he was only paid $500, and the […]
By Mike Stampalia. 40 years ago: Judy Collins / Donovan @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center More often his (Donovan) voice was off-tune, he seemed lost on the guitar, and the audience sat back and put up with the annoyance until Judy Collins could take the stage and make things better. – John Magee for […]
By Mike Stampalia. 30 years ago: Santana / Jeff Beck / Keb’ Mo’ @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center A regular at SPAC in recent years, Santana closed the concert with his usual fine performance, but there was no question that Beck stole the show with a volcanic performance that left most in attendance absolutely […]
By Mike Stampalia. 60 years ago: Thelonious Monk @ Berkshire Music Barn Monk’s piano sounded as if it were being played only by his right hand, a tired right hand that relied on many varying repetitions of simple, odd phrases rather than the invention of new ones and whose fingers fumbled with astonishing […]
By Mike Stampalia. 40 years ago: Motley Crue @ Glens Falls Civic Center On their latest album, Motley Crue has covered “Smokin’ in the Boys Room,” an old Browsville Station song written by Cub Koda, who currently lives in the Boston area and has promoted numerous shows in Greater Lynn. “I used to sing […]
By Mike Stampalia. 20 years ago: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers / The Black Crowes @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center A surprise rendition of the Wilburys’ “Handle with Care,” with Campbell replicating Harrison’s silky slide-guitar lines and Thurston doing his best Orbison falsetto, sent them into a frenzy. Was this the best SPAC show […]
By Mike Stampalia. 40 years ago: Foreigner / Joe Walsh @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center Poor Joe Walsh. He harbored none of this pretentiousness and acted as if he had just stepped out of Lake George on a Saturday. Foreigner was at least a pleasant change from Walsh’s mumbling and sloppy slide guitar riffs. […]
By Mike Stampalia. 40 years ago: Chuck Mangione @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center When Chuck Mangione played SPAC on this date, it was the 14th consecutive year he had headlined the venue. He was, from the ’70s into the ’80s, as much a SPAC fixture as Dave Matthews or Phish is now. He was […]
image: Richard and Karen Carpenter at SPAC (July 27, 1975) – photo by the Saratogian By Mike Stampalia. 50 years ago: The Carpenters / Neil Sedaka @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center And Sedaka, verteran singer-songwriter, was not about to disappoint anyone as he earned two encores and a standing ovation before the Carpenters could […]
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