Yesterday: September 21. “Do you remember/The 21st night of September?” Earth Wind and Fire, “September.”
Today: September 22. First day of autumn. “Wake up Maggie, I think I got somethin’ to say to you/It’s late September, and I really should be back at school.” Rod Stewart, “Maggie May.”
Tomorrow: September 23. Hot Stove Happy Hour. “There’s a party going on right here…We gon’ celebrate and have a good time.” Kool & the Gang, “Celebration.”
I promise this is the last reminder for the Hot Stove Happy Hour.
Tomorrow! Wednesday, September 23, at JJ’s (4-7). Cash Bar.
I have had some questions about bringing friends. Yes! +1, +2, etc. welcome!
To those who have RSVP’d, looking forward to seeing you. Those who have not, no problem, we have plenty of room. So, please join us.
When you arrive, please find the nametag table and prepare your own nametag.
Now, to continue with the current theme of “Baseball, Politics and Rock ‘n’ Roll (1976)”…
Baseball in 1976: Hot Stove #314 celebrated the 1976 Royals who 50 years ago played in their first postseason. In the ALCS, they were defeated by the Yankees, three games to two.
In the World Series, the Yankees were swept by the Cincinnati Reds who were famously nicknamed the Big Red Machine. From 1970 to 1979, they won six division titles, four pennants and two World Series. All Reds fans, young and old, can name the “Great Eight” position players: Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete Rose, David Concepcion, George Foster, Cesar Geronimo and Ken Griffey Sr.
In some other Royals news from 1976…
June 21: Sports Illustrated lauded George Brett’s “HOT BAT AT THE HOT CORNER.” The bat stayed hot, and George won the batting title with a .333 average, edging out teammate Hal McRae’s .332.
Another Brett story from that season occurred on August 17. With the score tied and two out in the bottom of the 10th, George singled, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher. He then made a pure steal of home (not as the back end of a double steal). A pure steal of home is relatively rare, and it’s exceedingly rare for it to result in a walk-off victory. For a detailed look of how it happened, see Vahe Gregorian’s article in the Kansas City Star here. Below is the 1976 Star article with photos of the play (I could find no video).
George: “If I hadn’t made it, I never would have heard the end of it. Now they’ll never hear the end of it.”
June 27: The Royals held their inaugural Halter Top Day.
Moving on from bare backs to bare legs…
August 22: The Royals were in Chicago for a doubleheader. The opposition White Sox, in a first in MLB history, wore shorts. White Sox owner Bill Veeck, always the promoter, loved stunts like this to draw fans, and he also thought it was a cool, comfortable alternative in hot weather. The look featured Bermuda shorts paired with high socks. Here’s what that looked like:
Click here for a 1-minute video from the first game that day, including Ralph Garr (above right) robbing George Brett of a hit. Coincidentally, Garr will be in Kansas City this weekend for his induction into the “Hall of Game,” an honor bestowed by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for former MLB greats who competed with the same passion, determination, skill and flair exhibited by the heroes of the Negro Leagues.
Alas, Veeck’s experiment with short pants ended after three games. In addition to the players’ concern over sliding with bare legs, the ridicule from fans and other teams was hard to take.
Politics in 1976: In Hot Stove #314, I talked about my work as an advance staffer on the Carter/Mondale campaign in 1976.
I’ll now give equal time to the Republican ticket which was determined by a close vote at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, the host city for the 1976 Republican National Convention (August 16-19). As shown on this non-scale map cartoon, the Ronald Reagan contingent was housed at the Alameda Plaza Hotel, and the Gerald Ford team was at the Crown Center Hotel.
Neither candidate secured a majority of delegates prior to the convention. On the first ballot, Ford beat Reagan, 1,187 to 1,070. Bob Dole was then selected as VP. It is the last major national convention where the nomination was undecided before the delegates cast their ballots.
Personal Trivia: After Kemper Arena was set up for the convention, but before the delegates arrived, I got to tour the facility with a group headed by City Councilman Joe Serviss. That was my only time on the floor of a Republican convention. My only time at a Democratic convention was in Chicago in 1996. I was not a delegate but did briefly get on the floor. That’s me in the center foreground looking back at Rita taking the photo.
Lonnie’s Jukebox (1) – 1976 Concerts at Kemper Arena. The Republicans weren’t the only people at Kemper in 1976. Here are a few of the acts that were on the Kemper stage that year.
Wings – May 29: I am starting with this one because it has a fun backstory. My late friend Jim Fitzpatrick was at the Wings concert and wrote about it 35 years later in his legendary blog, JimmyCSays. I’m quoting his entire piece.
By Jim Fitzpatrick
My God, do I remember that night!
It was May 29, 1976 (I had to look it up) — a warm, beautiful evening. I was covering the Jackson County Courthouse for The Star, and the country assessor sold me his tickets…The county manager fixed me up with the sister of a friend…I was set.
I picked up the young lady, and we had some drinks and, as I recall, smoked a couple of joints. Our seats were down low, close to floor level, about halfway back from the stage, which was softly lighted in shades of blue, red and yellow.
From the first chords, the music was incredible. Just about the time McCartney and his wife Linda and the band got cranked up, though, my date told me she was feeling bad and was going to the restroom.
McCartney poured on, great song after great song — “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Jet,” “Let Me Roll It,” “Lady Madonna,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “Blue Bird,” “Listen to What the Man Said,” “Hi, Hi, Hi,” and the incomparable “Band on the Run.”
After a few songs, I was torn between the music and thoughts about my date, suffering in the restroom. I walked up to the concourse and found her outside the restroom, looking pale and weak, and I asked her what she wanted to do. Selflessly, she told me to go back and watch the concert, assuring me she would be OK.
Well, I don’t know whether this was the right thing to do, but…I followed orders. I went back and watched the rest of the greatest concert I’ve ever seen. I whooped and hollered and swooned and felt like I’d been transported to a magical world.
I don’t remember much about the aftermath of the concert. I hooked up with my date and took her home…Pretty sure I didn’t get kissed. And, of course, that was the only date I ever had with her.
She was a nice kid; her name was Kathy. I’m sure she was a good catch for some guy.
If for no other reason than that concert, I will never forget Kemper Arena. I sloshed through the muddy grounds of the place many times, going to lousy Kansas City Kings basketball games, circuses and other stupid events, but the event I’ll always remember was Wings Over America!
Seven months after Jim’s night at Kemper Arena, Wings released its live album from the tour. Wings Over America includes 28 songs from the tour, and four cuts were from the KC concert: “Baby I’m Amazed,” “Long and Winding Road,” “Listen to What the Man Said” and “Letting Go.” So, when you listen to the first two selections below, remember Jim Fitzpatrick was in the audience and, in his words, “whooped, hollered and swooned.”
“Long and Winding Road” by Wings (live in KC). One of the last songs recorded by the Beatles before their breakup.
“Maybe I’m Amazed” by Wings (live in KC). Originally released in 1970 on Paul McCartney’s debut solo album.
“Band on the Run” by Wings (live in Denver). The one Jim Fitzpatrick described as “incomparable.”
The Eagles – November 24: Rita and I were at Kemper with my son Brian (then 14) and daughter Stacey (then 12) who were attending their first big concert. With help from a friend, KC rock impresario Stan Plesser, we scored tickets at center stage, 6th row. We did not know it at the time, but this was a multiple platinum record year for the Eagles.
The year got underway on February 17 when the Eagles released Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975). Then from March to October of 1976, with new bandmate Joe Walsh, they recorded the tracks for their next album, Hotel California. It was released on December 8. These are two of the top ten selling albums of all-time (each over 40 million).
“Take It Easy” by the Eagles.
Olivia Newton John – March 3: Below, the front and back cover of the program to the concert.
“Have You Never Been Mellow” by Oliva Newton John.
Elvis Presley – April 21: A full house sold out within 24 hours. The Kansas City Star’s entertainment editor Jess Ritter was prepared to see an overweight Elvis past his prime but found him to still be a charismatic artist. “It was an evening of top entertainment. So far Elvis Presley has defied the fates that strike down so many pop culture heroes and heroines.” Elvis returned to Kemper in June of 1977. He died two months later. Below, Elvis at his 1976 Kemper concert.
“Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley.
Lonnie’s Jukebox (2) – 1976 Concerts at Other KC Venues: Kansas City was alive with rock ‘n’ roll in the 1970s, and a number of venues had steady schedules. Below, a small sampling.
Royals Stadium (June 18) Fleetwood Mac: “Go Your Own Way”
Uptown Theater (July 20) Loggins & Messina: “Your Mama Don’t Dance”
Arrowhead (July 23) The Beach Boys: “Rock and Roll Music”
Starlight Theater (July 26 to August 1) Isaac Hayes and Dionne Warwick (touring as a duo, leading to their live album A Man and a Woman): “By the Time I Get to Phoenix/I Say a Little Player”
Worlds of Fun (August 15) Three Dog Night: “Joy to the World”
Memorial Hall (November 10) Jackson Browne: “Doctor My Eyes”
Municipal Auditorium (December 12) Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: “Night Moves”
Municipal Auditorium (December 17) Linda Ronstadt: “You’re No Good”
Walk-Off Concert Photo: Do you remember the 21st of September that started this post? Rita reminded me this was also Leonard Cohen’s birthday (RIP, 2016). And that takes me to one of our favorite concerts of all time. Leonard Cohen at Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 6, 2013. It was our first trip after Rita finished chemo. Durning her breast cancer journey, her mantra came from Leonard’s lyrics in “Anthem”:
“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering/There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
When Leonard sang this song at the concert, we looked at each other, and both had tears in our eyes. And then smiles – many more bells to ring. Here is Rita on the night of the concert. Full report in Hot Stove #29.
Below, Rita’s album signed by Leonard.
And the perfect song to end this post: “Closing Time” by Leonard Cohen.
