The GREATEST live rock album of all time?

[Miles Archer]

116. I saw the "Bongo" AND "Roxy" bands...

...yep, Beefheart was the "opening act" for the "Bongo" show, but didn't share a single moment of stage time with Frank. Beefheart announced that John "Drumbo" French was going to do his "solo," and he walked center stage and did a little silent soft shoe / tap dance while the audience booed him.



At one point Frank tied his hair back into a pony tail and told the audience "I have to do this, because the next song is SERIOUS MUSIC," and then proceeded to SCREAM and HOWL on "Black Napkins."

The "Roxy" show was at the Circle Star Theater in San Carolos. It's been plowed under and is some kind of high-rise now, but it featured a small, revolving, circular stage. I had third row seats, which meant I was probably no more than 20 feet away from the band. At one point I was sitting there in awe and looked right at George Duke and he caught eye contact wiith me and bugged out his eyes at me. I laughed out loud. It was all of that tight interplay that can be heard on the "Roxy & Elsewhere" album. At the beginning of the show, the announcer said "The opening act tonight was PERSONALLY SELECTED by Frank, and he would like you to sit back and enjoy him."

It was a solo Tom Waits, who had just released his first album.