The Band "WAR": Reminiscing

These guys are classic! Most folks recognize "Lowrider" but they're so much deeper than just that!... Any takers?

The first time I saw War was about 1970 (I think). Back then they were Eric Burdon & War (fronted by the old Animals singer). They came on before Alice Cooper at rhe Pasadena Rose Palace. The first time I'd seen either band. As I recall the headliner was Lee Micheals (the worlds LOUDEST Hammond organ...or at least until Kieth Emerson came along). War definately carved out a nitch for themselves though.

:music: I was slippin' into darkness... :music:

Dang! you must be reading my mind! My friend and I were talking about the song "Just be Thankful for What You've Got"by William DeVaughan. He thought it was a Massive Attack song because they'd covered it a few years ago. Then we got into this discussion of cool 70's lowrider bands like Malo & El Chicano & War. I even went to the record store today to pick up a copy of War's greatest hits and they were sold out so I had to order it. The cool thing is their sound is timeless. I know I've gone back to listen to some groups I was crazy about back-in-the-day and shuddered in horror. These guys make me turn up the volume and dance around the living room.

i also saw Eric/War on that 1970 tour...
used to drive 220 miles to Minneapolis
on weekends knowing there would be a show
somewhere...on this particular weekend the
best option was War with Lee Michaels...
totally blown away...thought at the time that Eric Burdon was the best "showman" that
I had seen to that point...did a lot of James Brown type "fall to the knees"..."can't go on" kinda schtick that was later
incorporated by the Boss...it still stands
out as a great show...Spill The Wine
was and remains a favorite tune.

War's song 'Summer' is a fantastic song - one of my favorites ....

' Ridin' round town with all the windows down
Eight track playin' all your favorite sounds'

It is one of those rare songs that portrays city life in the hot summer time, but not like the hectic , noisy, and sweaty 'Summer in the City.' Instead, the setting is soft, serene, and makes city living sound more like a peaceful tropical island.

Vern

SRJoey - The Rose Palace in Pasadena? I know of a Rose Palace there, but it is used to house the parade floats from construction thru decoration. It's a big warehouse-like place on S. Raymond. Could this be the same?

On 2004-12-11 22:48, floratina wrote:
SRJoey - The Rose Palace in Pasadena? I know of a Rose Palace there, but it is used to house the parade floats from construction thru decoration. It's a big warehouse-like place on S. Raymond. Could this be the same?

Better than Rose Hills Gardens,

I know it was in Pasadena and called the Rose Palace. That was 34 years ago and I wasn't driving so I couldn't say exactly where it was. I'm not too familiar with Pasadena. The only other time I went there back then was when my band played at a bar called "The Bag O' Nails". Up until then I thought Pasadena was nothing but quaint little suburban houses with well manicured lawns and little old ladies cruisin' Colorado Blvd in Dodge Chargers...I didn't know they had a skid row. That was back in what I'll call my "age of innocence".

Perkin's Palace, maybe? I used to go to punk rock shows there.

War & La Tierra still play around LA, every so often you'll see concert listings for them in the Weekly.

I also saw War with Eric Burdon at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach. Floratina......Concerts were put on at the warehouse where they did the floats. I have a bunch of handbills put away somewhere that were put in our lockers at high school (near Whittier). Here is one I mounted and was accessable.....note the address and ticket prices. In the 70s you could go to a concert on your allowance money. We went to tons of them at the Santa Monica Civic like Johnny Winter-J. Geils Band-Little Feat......expensive seats up front were 6.50.....floor and sides 5.50....and our favorite, the risers for a whopping 4.50 for 3 good bands!......Black Sabbath at the Whiskey A Go Go for 8.00......

Perkins Palace is closer to the 210 Freeway. KMET used to have free concerts there in the late 70s/early 80s. Just write in to the radio station. Upcoming bands like Red Rider, Icehouse, Mink DeVille, Fabulous Poodles, etc. I fixed their leaking fire sprinkler on the stage and got some free tickets (Blue Oyster Cult, George Thorogood)

Zeppelin's first U.S. tour with another loud keybord player.....Brian Auger

War is on tour and is playing in Agoura on January 14th 2005 at the Canyon Club.