The Ventures in Concert

ventlogo.jpg (25653 bytes)

in Concert

Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco

11/09/97

The Ventures 'post-Japan' set seems to have been well-publicized thus far, but unless (or even if) Paul Moraga beats me to it, here are some notes from their Sunday night (11/9) concert in downtown San Francisco.

Getting there:
vehicle in Concord (bedroom community about 25 miles away) and hopped rapid transit to downtown SF, then took a cable car practically to the front door of Bimbos 365 Club. Bimbos has apparently been around for about 50-60 years and is a well-known nightclub landmark in the City (although I'd never heard of it prior to this concert.)

Arriving there:
As we approached the club at 7pm, we noticed about 25-30 people in line waiting for the doors to open. Another 15 or so were in another line waiting to buy tickets. After walking back and forth a couple of times to see if I could lure Paul out from wherever he was hiding (to no avail - I got email after the fact letting me know he was going to be there a little late), the doors opened and we walked 'briskly' to a table 20 feet from the stage.

Being there:
The club has a medium-sized stage which appeared smaller than it was due to two complete sets of gear - for the opening act 'Swamis', and for The Ventures. Directly in front is a good-sized dance floor, probably 50' x 50', and then the whole floor is surrounded by tables (2-drink minimum for the show). Judging by the size of the bouncers (excuse me... 'professional unruly patron escort staff'), the club has seen its share of excitement. However, due to a relatively tame and appreciative audience like this one, they didn't get much of a workout (save for one notable incident at the end.)

Startup:
The Swamis opened up at about 8pm and launched into some fairly solid surf/rock combinations. I have to confess that I was more interested in trying to find some of the Underfire group and looking for Fiona than in listening to the Swamis, but I got a distinct "Dick Dale"-influence impression from these guys. And I also have to admit that I'm not a real Dick Dale fan. They did do a couple of Ventures tributes, and also one that I recognized from my only Los Straightjackets CD, and really were a pretty good intro.

Main event:
After a break, and enough time to liquor up (okay, 'order another beer...') the announcer introduced (as I saw on the message from Donovan Sullivan) "the greatest instrumental band in the world, The Ventures!" Time: 9:10pm. The crowd at this point had grown to between 500 and 600 strong. And I mean strong! The whole dance floor was packed with standing room only folks, and they were cheering for all they were worth. The band walked on to the stage, plugged into the amps, picked up drumsticks and launched into the Walk Don't Run medley to kick it off. For the next 90 minutes or so (I admit I lost track of time) they went through:

Two songs from the Wild Again CD (fumbling for my notepaper, I promptly forgot the names)
Bumble Bee
The Cruel Sea
Surf Rider (letting the audience know that 'someone else' borrowed it for the movie Pulp Fiction)
Telstar
Apache
Do You Wanna Dance (Wilson vocal)
What'd I Say (McGee vocal)
Runaway (Wilson vocal)
Tequila
La Bamba
Wham
House of the Rising Sun
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Outer Limits
WDR 64
Penetration
Hawaii Five-Oh
Diamond Head
Pipeline
Wipe Out
Caravan
Surf on Guitars (the latter 3 were encores, of course)

I know I missed a few others because I got caught up in the music and forgot to jot down my notes ;-(

Highlights:
I saw The Ventures for the first time in June at Bakersfield's Crystal Palace and reported it here (which many of you fell asleep reading). After that concert, the band departed for their Japan tour for 62 concerts and then returned back for a brief rest and then started this current tour.

At the June concert I mentioned how much Leon Taylor played like Mel, and the band couldn't have made a better choice. Now, there are no questions about it. Leon has gotten even BETTER, if you can believe it! Not only did he maintain a flawless performance throughout the entire show (nonstop, remember!), he extended the solo a l-o-n-g ways in the band's big show-stopper, Caravan. Supercharged energy and control!!

My seat was closest to Don Wilson, and his wit and constant grin are infectious. Everyone watching him was grinning ear-to-ear, and he hammed it up big time. I've goofed around at home with trying to emulate his rapid rhythm guitar style, and I just can't figure out how he keeps up that pace. Phenomenal energy level! Apparently, his aura affected one fan a little differently than others, as Paul Moraga reminded me. At the end of the concert a very sheer black bra flew throught the air and landed squarely on his Jazzmaster (the old one, not the Ventures Edition). He grinned and calmly wrapped it around his head, bandana style, and walked off the stage with the rest of the band. Just one more reason to envy them ;-)

Gerry McGee makes his playing look like he could do it in his sleep. Gerry always has this rather bemused look on his face, as if to say, "I'm out here doing what I love to do, playing with a great band, and this crowd looks like they love it as much as I do. Fun and getting paid, too? What's wrong with this picture?" Nothing at all Gerry... you've hit the nail squarely on the head. All I can say about Gerry's playing style is, "don't try this at home, kids." Too smooth. He makes it look s-o-o-o easy.

Bob Bogle was farthest away from my location, but his prowess at playing 'lead' bass guitar was obvious clear over to my table. I've never seen anyone play bass with the enthusiasm and drive he does, and to keep such a solid beat in time with Leon - consistently.

Comparison:
The dinner club atmosphere at the Crystal Palace was really nice, and it was a great way for me to be introduced to The Ventures 'Live'. And as enthusiastic as the crowd was, it paled compared to the Bimbos crowd! And the great thing about it was that the more the crowd yelled, applauded, and screamed, the more The Ventures' faces lit up. It really is true... artists play to their audiences and this audience played their part well. I wonder how the band compares this crowd to others...

Sidelines:
While I was waiting for a chance to say hello to Fiona (setting up the band souvenirs) prior to the show, Leon walked up beside me to say hi to his cute wife (so sue me... she IS cute) who was helping Fiona. So I took the opportunity to chat with him for a couple of minutes, thinking that I'd bail at the first sign of his eyes glassing over. But we actually talked about the road trip and band life for about 10 minutes before he decided he ought to get moving for the performance. I'll be the first to admit that I'm beaming at the chance to talk with Leon on a one-to-one basis, and almost felt like I was hogging the show. On the other hand, since he's still fairly new to the group, it didn't appear that many folks recognized him. In fact, one fellow came up to us (because I was wearing my Ventures t-shirt) to ask a question about the band. I chuckled when he walked away after getting the answer that the band had a new drummer... without knowing who he had asked the question of.

Fiona recognized me as I walked over to say hello... which amazed me. How someone who deals with hundreds of fans weekly can recall individuals that readily is beyond me, but I assume it has to do with the Underfire group and the web pages. I know I haven't ordered THAT much stuff from her ;-)

Jerk factor:
One so-called 'fan' apparently attempted to lift some music from the stage and had to be escorted from the club. He didn't appear to be in agreement with the ejection order so one of the aforementioned 'professional unruly patron escort staff' who was the size of a 49er linebacker (maybe he WAS a 49er linebacker...) picked him up with one arm and carried him out to the street. That was the ONLY down side to anything at the concert.

Double-take factor:
Bob Bogle picked up a different bass guitar towards the end of the show... kind of a blue tint, 2 machines on each side of the headstock, zig-zag "M" pattern on the end... was that a MOSRITE?!? Unfortunately, he walked off stage with it and disappeared before I could really take a good look. It sure LOOKED like one!

Conclusion:
Hey, attending Ventures concerts can get addicting, quickly! If I didn't have a job to go to, I'd be following them up the coast to Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver... Bizarre-- I wait for 37 years to see them and wind up seeing them twice in 6 months! I really hope y'all can catch 'em one way or the other. If you can't, then that '97 video ought to be a 'must-see' when it comes out!

Bill Tubbs
Sacramento 11/11/97

	*Getting there:* vehicle in Concord (bedroom community about 25 miles away) and hopped rapid transit to downtown SF, then took a cable car practically to the front door of Bimbos 365 Club. Bimbos has apparently been around for about 50-60 years and is a well-known nightclub landmark in the City (although I'd never heard of it prior to this concert.)
	Arriving there: As we approached the club at 7pm, we noticed about 25-30 people in line waiting for the doors to open. Another 15 or so were in another line waiting to buy tickets. After walking back and forth a couple of times to see if I could lure Paul out from wherever he was hiding (to no avail - I got email after the fact letting me know he was going to be there a little late), the doors opened and we walked 'briskly' to a table 20 feet from the stage.
	Being there: The club has a medium-sized stage which appeared smaller than it was due to two complete sets of gear - for the opening act 'Swamis', and for The Ventures. Directly in front is a good-sized dance floor, probably 50' x 50', and then the whole floor is surrounded by tables (2-drink minimum for the show). Judging by the size of the bouncers (excuse me... 'professional unruly patron escort staff'), the club has seen its share of excitement. However, due to a relatively tame and appreciative audience like this one, they didn't get much of a workout (save for one notable incident at the end.)
	Startup: The Swamis opened up at about 8pm and launched into some fairly solid surf/rock combinations. I have to confess that I was more interested in trying to find some of the Underfire group and looking for Fiona than in listening to the Swamis, but I got a distinct "Dick Dale"-influence impression from these guys. And I also have to admit that I'm not a real Dick Dale fan. They did do a couple of Ventures tributes, and also one that I recognized from my only Los Straightjackets CD, and really were a pretty good intro.
	Main event: After a break, and enough time to liquor up (okay, 'order another beer...') the announcer introduced (as I saw on the message from Donovan Sullivan) "the greatest instrumental band in the world, The Ventures!" Time: 9:10pm. The crowd at this point had grown to between 500 and 600 strong. And I mean strong! The whole dance floor was packed with standing room only folks, and they were cheering for all they were worth. The band walked on to the stage, plugged into the amps, picked up drumsticks and launched into the Walk Don't Run medley to kick it off. For the next 90 minutes or so (I admit I lost track of time) they went through:

	Fiona recognized me as I walked over to say hello... which amazed me. How someone who deals with hundreds of fans weekly can recall individuals that readily is beyond me, but I assume it has to do with the Underfire group and the web pages. I know I haven't ordered THAT much stuff from her ;-)
	Jerk factor: One so-called 'fan' apparently attempted to lift some music from the stage and had to be escorted from the club. He didn't appear to be in agreement with the ejection order so one of the aforementioned 'professional unruly patron escort staff' who was the size of a 49er linebacker (maybe he WAS a 49er linebacker...) picked him up with one arm and carried him out to the street. That was the ONLY down side to anything at the concert.
	Double-take factor: Bob Bogle picked up a different bass guitar towards the end of the show... kind of a blue tint, 2 machines on each side of the headstock, zig-zag "M" pattern on the end... was that a MOSRITE?!? Unfortunately, he walked off stage with it and disappeared before I could really take a good look. It sure LOOKED like one!
	Conclusion: Hey, attending Ventures concerts can get addicting, quickly! If I didn't have a job to go to, I'd be following them up the coast to Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver... Bizarre-- I wait for 37 years to see them and wind up seeing them twice in 6 months! I really hope y'all can catch 'em one way or the other. If you can't, then that '97 video ought to be a 'must-see' when it comes out!

	Bob Bogle was farthest away from my location, but his prowess at playing 'lead' bass guitar was obvious clear over to my table. I've never seen anyone play bass with the enthusiasm and drive he does, and to keep such a solid beat in time with Leon - consistently.
	Comparison: The dinner club atmosphere at the Crystal Palace was really nice, and it was a great way for me to be introduced to The Ventures 'Live'. And as enthusiastic as the crowd was, it paled compared to the Bimbos crowd! And the great thing about it was that the more the crowd yelled, applauded, and screamed, the more The Ventures' faces lit up. It really is true... artists play to their audiences and this audience played their part well. I wonder how the band compares this crowd to others...
	Sidelines: While I was waiting for a chance to say hello to Fiona (setting up the band souvenirs) prior to the show, Leon walked up beside me to say hi to his cute wife (so sue me... she IS cute) who was helping Fiona. So I took the opportunity to chat with him for a couple of minutes, thinking that I'd bail at the first sign of his eyes glassing over. But we actually talked about the road trip and band life for about 10 minutes before he decided he ought to get moving for the performance. I'll be the first to admit that I'm beaming at the chance to talk with Leon on a one-to-one basis, and almost felt like I was hogging the show. On the other hand, since he's still fairly new to the group, it didn't appear that many folks recognized him. In fact, one fellow came up to us (because I was wearing my Ventures t-shirt) to ask a question about the band. I chuckled when he walked away after getting the answer that the band had a new drummer... without knowing who he had asked the question of.