Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Who are you...

Today in rock history, eleven people died at a 1979 Who concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. The fans were trampled when they were trying to reach unreserved seating. An episode of WKRP in Cincinnati later discussed the incident on American television. It was The Who’s first tour after Keith Moon’s death three months earlier. While I don’t remember this tragedy at the time, I do remember the sensitive treatment of the incident on the “WKRP” show “In Concert” that aired on 2-11-80. It may have helped; there’s since been a national ban on “festival” seating. “WKRP” was always one of my favorite shows (let’s hear it for Bailey Quarters, who in my mind, was way hotter than Jennifer Marlowe); I’d pay big bucks (well, maybe $29.95) for a DVD of the first season! Since I’m notoriously cheap, I’m still looking for it to show up at a thrift store. Well, I’m getting off track here – is this blog supposed to be about the Who or “WKRP”, or a little of both? Well, here is some vintage Who from that tour. And for you "WKRP" fans, here's the famous "Turkey Drop" video (thanks to crystalcheats for the video). Thanks to www.garylessard.com and www.wikipedia.org for the info. Keep on rockin’, and please, no running!



1 comment:

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

Excellent find, CharlieMac -- Young Man Blues being one of my very favorite songs by anyone, anywhere. (You'd think i'd outgrow it, but ...)

I had a foreshadowing of the Cincinnati tragedy (the Who concert, not the turkey bombings) a year earlier (July 1, 1978, to be exact) after waiting outside the doors of the Cleveland Collesium for the Stones. I was near the front of the line when the doors opened & then instantly elevated off my feet as the crowd surged forward, pushed from behind. We were all pinned shoulder to shoulder so you couldn't even raise your arms, & as I say, my feet rarely touched the floor. All ended well but it was an unfriendly feeling for awhile there, & the memory of it instantly flashed for me in '79 when i first heard the news about the Cincinnati deaths.

And on that note! ...