Little Feat – In Concert from Ebbets Field, Denver Colorado – Late Show – July 19, 1973 –
I can’t believe this concert is 43 years old.
Perennial, desert-island favorites Little Feat played this weekend, in concert from Ebbets Field in Denver – recorded on July 19th, 1973. For fans, it’s the late show – if you’re new to Little Feat, they had the hands-down reputation of being one of the best American live bands of the 70s, and they were always a pleasure to see live in concert.
Not that their studio albums weren’t great – they were. But like many bands at the time, seeing them live and hearing them in the confines of a recording studio were two different things. And Little Feat were a great band to catch live. Guided by the musical genius of Lowell George, Little Feat were an institution beginning in 1969 when George had left Frank Zappa’s The Mothers Of Invention and teamed up with Bill Payne, along with Mothers alumnus Roy Estrada and Fraternity Of Man drummer Ritchie Hayward. The band underwent a number of personnel and direction changes in the coming years; breaking up in 1978 and with Lowell George going solo before sadly succumbing to a heart attack in 1979.
Although Little Feat had reunited in 1987, it was the early period that stuck in most fans minds – and this concert from 1973 is a reminder of just how admired they were – prompting even Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page to declare in a 1975 Rolling Stone interview that Little Feat were his favorite American band.
Live at Ebbet’s Field. July 19th, 1973
Lowell George: Vocals and Guitar
Bill Payne: Keyboards
Paul Barrere: Guitar
Sam Clayton: Percussionist
Richie Hayward: Drums
Kenny Gradney: Bass
Hit the play button and find out why.
If someone recorded these shows in 1973 off of FM radio, they definitely had a top-notch tuner and reel-to-reel tape recorder. But I’m wondering if these weren’t “pre-FM tapes” because the quality is superb and the noise levels quite low. In addition, the tuning, stage comments, and repeated songs are all included. The link listed below is to a description of the venue and the recordings, and suggests these really were professional recordings at the venue. The crowd noise, comments (including banter with the band) and ambience add character to the show.
The performances are, as I am discovering as I explore the many shows on Internet Archive, typically outstanding for mid-70’s Little Feat. Most of the songs are from Little Feat’s typical stage shows for the time, but “Snakes on Everything” adds an interesting (and not overlong) jam and “Texas Rose Cafe” is another song I don’t see popping up on other recordings.
I am increasingly sorry I was unable to catch this band live in 70’s, especially but in part due to the airplay from the fantastic WHFS, whose DJ Cerph introduces the band on the “Waiting for Columbus” live CD recorded at George Washington Univ’s Lisner Auditorium. Both Cerph and Lisner are still going strong today in DC. For the songs repeated on the two discs (perhaps the come from two distinct sets) it is interesting to hear the variatons.
Doing a little exploring, I found this link, http://stillisstillmoving.com/?p=325, which says that “Ebbets Field” was really a small club in an office building. And they professionally recorded a lot of shows, some of which have apparently been released piecemeal on CD.
The Fat Angel Sings 