Saw Stephen Stills last night...

[DonK]

Awesome show at a local club in Alexandria, VA called the Birchmere (a pretty small place). We were at one of the front tables, almost directly in front of him. It was cool, as I got an up-close look at some of the techniques he uses. He played mostly acoustic for the first 45 minutes, then with his band (bass, drums, keys) for the rest. He really was as good as ever. Closed with Woodstock for an encore.

 

Quite a bevy of guitars, too: two Gretsch White Falcon SS model's; a Martin D-45 SS model, another D-45 sans pickguard but with his signature inliad in ablaone along the fretboard, two other D-45's, an old butterscotch Tele and two old sunburst Strats (I read that they're from the '50's). He switched acoustics just about every song as he moved among different tunings.

 

There was one particularly cool moment where he was about to play a song just after his tech had handed him one of the D-45's: people were yelling for different songs, and one guy called out "Wooden Ships!". Stills gave him a wry look and said, "Do you see Crosby up here anywhere.". Then, apparently changing his mind about what he'd intended to play, he gave the low E tuner a couple turns and launched into Wooden Ships after all. When he was finished, he joked, "Well, it wasn't the cleanest I've ever done it, but it WAS brave..."

 

Great show.

[Sweb]

Still at is is he? Always liked that guy. Last time I saw him he was a much younger man - Arie Crown in Chicago 1974(?) - while it was still the 4 of them. Good show.

Edit: meant to say that it was his song Helplessly Hoping that launched me into fingerstyle. Still play it too.

[knockwood]

One of my favorite players ever, that guy.

[6942]

I saw him at Meriweather Post Pavillian, in 1974. Put on a very good show also.
30 years older & 30 pounds heavier, I'm glad to hear, he's still rockin' away!!

[rhythmdoctor]

Meh, Neil is better;)

Joking, well, I do like Neil better, but I would go check out Stills too especially at a place like that where it's small and you can get close. Sounds like a great time, glad you enjoyed it.

[thirdstone]

I've seen him a few times. I think he's an amazing singer/songwriter/guitarist.
Each time I've seen him, he has never missed an opportunity to bitch about something onstage. The sound, the monitors, whatever. I guess he's perfectionist.
One of the coolest collections of guitars too.

[DonK]

Originally posted by 6942 I saw him at Meriweather Post Pavillian, in 1974. Put on a very good show also. 30 years older & 30 pounds heavier, I'm glad to hear, he's still rockin' away!!

 

 

I saw him at Merriwether Post Pavillion in the early '70's myself. Joe Walsh opened for him. Stills played with his band Mannassas, and Walsh joined him for a few songs, including Rocky Mountiain Way (which Stills covered on the first Mannassas album). Is that the same show you remember? If it is, do you remember some guy hassling Stills during his acoustic set, at which point Stills stood up and said to the guy, "why don't you go and listen to some Jethro Tull?"

[DonK]

Originally posted by Sweb Still at is is he? Always liked that guy. Last time I saw him he was a much younger man - Arie Crown in Chicago 1974(?) - while it was still the 4 of them. Good show. Edit: meant to say that it was his song Helplessly Hoping that launched me into fingerstyle. Still play it too.

 

 

Stills opened last night with Helplessly Hoping. Like you, I play that one all the time and that and 4+20 are what made me want to play fingerstyle.

[Preacher Will]

We (my wife and I) saw Stills in Charlottesville long about '76 or '77. It was the worst concert I've ever attended. He was so drunk/high that he couldn't hit a note, slurred the words of every song, and quite literally almost fell off of his stool. Swore I'd never go to another Stills concert.

[6942]

Donk:

Sorry, just don't remember his opening act?
Saw ALOT of nice concerts there, in the early 70's:

Loggins & Messina / Jim Croche
Santana / Tower Of Power / Jo Jo Gunne
Edgar Winter / Foghat

Never had good seats there.
Now Constitution Hall, always got great seats (2nd, 3rd, 4th row).

Only saw one concert, at the Birchmere: Jesse Winchester (late 70's).

[DonK]

Originally posted by 6942 Donk: Sorry, just don't remember his opening act? Saw ALOT of nice concerts there, in the early 70's: Loggins & Messina / Jim Croche Santana / Tower Of Power / Jo Jo Gunne Edgar Winter / Foghat Never had good seats there. Now Constitution Hall, always got great seats (2nd, 3rd, 4th row). Only saw one concert, at the Birchmere: Jesse Winchester (late 70's).

 

 

I only went to Merriwether a few times because I lived in Northern Va. at the time, which made it a bit of a hike.

 

Went to DAR Constitution plenty of times. I remember seeing Stills there (he brought out Young as a surprise guest, and the Turtles opened for him). I also saw Joe Walsh, Jesse Colin Young, and the Eagles there, among others.

 

The Birchmere's on its 3rd location. The current one is much larger than the one you visited in the '70's (which was tiny), but it's still just a small club.

[SusanV]

Hey, glad you got to see him. Sounds like a good show. Last time I saw him, I think in about '94 or so, at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. Great, small theater venue. Some friends of mine were opening for him, and took me with them to the closed soundcheck/rehearsal that afternoon. He did an real nice set, including playing an electric my friend had built (that guy and his guitars is a whole other story...), which made our day. We got to hang out with him onstage and talk.... he was about half ripped though. You could smell the JD or whatever clear across the stage. That night he did a solid show though, and everyone went home happy. Fun experience.

[DonK]

Originally posted by SusanV Hey, glad you got to see him. Sounds like a good show. Last time I saw him, I think in about '94 or so, at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. Great, small theater venue. Some friends of mine were opening for him, and took me with them to the closed soundcheck/rehearsal that afternoon. He did an real nice set, including playing an electric my friend had built (that guy and his guitars is a whole other story...), which made our day. We got to hang out with him onstage and talk.... he was about half ripped though. You could smell the JD or whatever clear across the stage. That night he did a solid show though, and everyone went home happy. Fun experience.

I can appreciate that he was about half-ripped; he had a reputation for that, and when I saw him the early '70's he was swilling Schlitz on stage the whole time at a couple of shows. I only saw him drinking tea at this show though (unless the teabag hanging out of the cup was just camouflage).

[SusanV]

Originally posted by DonK I can appreciate that he was about half-ripped; he had a reputation for that, and when I saw him the early '70's he was swilling Schlitz on stage the whole time at a couple of shows.

OMGosh.... Schlitz?????? yuck.

I only saw him drinking tea at this show though (unless the teabag hanging out of the cup was just camouflage).

I hope he's drinking more tea and less booze. Don't want him to check-out anytime soon.

[DonK]

Originally posted by SusanV OMGosh.... Schlitz?????? yuck.

Heh, heh...that's why I said "swilling"; remember that stuff...disgusting!

[Preacher Will]

Originally posted by DonK I only went to Merriwether a few times because I lived in Northern Va. at the time, which made it a bit of a hike. Went to DAR Constitution plenty of times. I remember seeing Stills there (he brought out Young as a surprise guest, and the Turtles opened for him). I also saw Joe Walsh, Jesse Colin Young, and the Eagles there, among others. The Birchmere's on its 3rd location. The current one is much larger than the one you visited in the '70's (which was tiny), but it's still just a small club.

 

 

Don,

 

We may have been at a few concerts together back in the

'70s! I remember the DAR Constitution Hall gigs for Jesse Colin Young and the Eagles myself . . .

 

Haven't been to the Birchmere though since the early '80s when I was living in Alexandria.

[bigby]

Originally posted by 6942 Donk: Sorry, just don't remember his opening act? Saw ALOT of nice concerts there, in the early 70's: Loggins & Messina / Jim Croche Santana / Tower Of Power / Jo Jo Gunne Edgar Winter / Foghat Never had good seats there. Now Constitution Hall, always got great seats (2nd, 3rd, 4th row). Only saw one concert, at the Birchmere: Jesse Winchester (late 70's).

My uncle is Jimmy Messina and I've been lucky enough to meet Stephen and Neil in person; but due to my huge admiration for Neil, I was only able to stumble out a "hello" and an embarrassing "I think yer awesome" line. I was 16 or 17 at the time and I have begged Jimmy to let me know if there's ever an opportunity to speak with Neil again and redeem myself now that I'm older and wiser....but I'm sure if the opportunity ever presented itself, the bumbling fool in me would come right out again.

[Queequeg]

He had a big problem in the mid-80s. He couldn't finish a CSN show in Kansas City he was so blitzed.
the last time I saw him (in the 90s) he seemed a lot healthier.
He has one heck of a CFM collection, plus one of the very few original Gretsch White Falcon, which has to worth a lot more than my house.
I'm in the mood to hear a little "Black Queen" right about now...

[DonK]

Originally posted by Queequeg He had a big problem in the mid-80s. He couldn't finish a CSN show in Kansas City he was so blitzed. the last time I saw him (in the 90s) he seemed a lot healthier. He has one heck of a CFM collection, plus one of the very few original Gretsch White Falcon, which has to worth a lot more than my house. I'm in the mood to hear a little "Black Queen" right about now...

 

 

Yeah, he has two of the 91 pre-war D-45's made (of which only something like 70 have been accounted for). He's also got two of the 91 D-45SS's. Those things originally listed for $17,500; now you can't find one because they almost never come on the market. Right now Martin has a 000-45SS model of which only 91 have been or will be made. It's based on the guitar featured on the front of his first solo album where he's sitting in the snow with the fake giraffe. List is $12,500. If I had money to throw around I'd grab one just as an investment, since they're sure to go up like crazy.