I’m sure you’ve been to shows where you try to figure out which “hit” the artist will use as their last encore. You may have stood silent while others screamed wildly for an artist to return to the stage because you knew they were coming back and saved your energy. And with the advent of the Internet and the ability to see a setlist immediately from the show last night, you can even predict what time you’ll be home and know EVERY song coming your way that night. If you’ve lost your enthusiasm for encores, this week’s blog is a reminder it doesn’t always have to be that way.
This week, I want to share a memory in which an artist’s encore, in my eyes, mind and heart, truly touched the crowd and made me a Warren Zevon fan for life. While I’m sure he played the same number of songs and probably in the same order later on during the tour, on this night, Warren Zevon sang from the soul . Despite all of the encores, I’ve seen at Grateful Dead shows and countless others, this ranks as number one on my holy shit meter.
On April 22, 1980, I got my first taste of a live Warren Zevon show. Zevon was known to drink and womanize and raise as much hell as he could. From the late 70’s until his death in 2003, he battled the demon of alcoholism. What most people don’t know is that at around age 13, he was a frequent visitor to the home of Igor Stravinsky where he studied classical music. For those of you that don’t know much about him, read I’ll sleep when I’m dead:the life and times of Warren Zevon.
Zevon also had a special place in his heart for Philadelphia, or should I say the women of Philadelphia, and even lived there in 83-84. When I saw him perform in 1980, it was clear, and would become clearer to me throughout the show, that Warren Zevon already had a special place in his heart for the city of brotherly love. Zevon had just come off a rough year following his breakthrough album Excitable Boy in 1978 and was touring in support of Bad Luck Steak in Dancing School. Fame had not solved his problems, and in fact put more pressure on him to succeed. Rumor has it that he didn’t record a record sober until late in his career. Despite all of his pissing people off and wild life, he was a musical genius. And on this night, he forged a musical memory that has lasted for me 31 years and counting.
The night started like many others, with a “happy” crowd waiting to hear Excitable Boy and Werewolves of London. But from the opening refrain of Play it All Night Long, I had a feeling that this would be a special night. As Zevon worked his way through old and new tunes, the people of Philadelphia responded with more applause and cheers then I had heard in my life. It seemed after each song, the roar got louder and the performer became more humbled. More appreciative of all we had to offer him in return for his musical gift. I swear that from my balcony seat he was looking right at me when he spoke. I’m sure the rest of the crowd was feeling the same way.
Just when you thought the night was over, he would hit you with another song. Then another and another. When he ran through Wild Age, Lawyers Guns and Money and Bo Diddley’s a Gunslinger I stood and clapped and waited for the lights and a euphoric ride home on the train. But after the lights didn’t come on and the crowd didn’t leave and with the stage quiet, Warren Zevon gave all of us this gift.
Click Here and hit track 22, then share your most memorable encore.