Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

A bunch of stuff is going on (especially in Northern California) concerning the 40th anniversary of the so-called Summer of Love, including a 2007 version of the Monterey Pop Festival:

http://www.montereyinternationalpopfestival.com/

And of course, with everything there has to be some controversy:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070612/music_nm/usa_music_montereypop_dc_3;_ylt=AkJrqoLRGwl7thtnWwGl.94E1vAI

The San Francisco Chronicle has been doing a series on the SoL.
Here is an article about Grace Slick:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/20/MNSOLSLICK20.DTL

One thing that I like is that at least they're trying to keep the original vibe going unlike another very famous festival that had II and III tacked onto it's name and then had absolutely nothing to do with the original festival.

Forty years...man, it doesn't seem possible...

One of my strongest memories of the summer of '67 is of being in Amsterdam...but wait, it's not what you think: I was 11 years old, travelling with my family on a vacation from the army post in Germany, and sporting a military haircut that matched my dad's.

I do remember the strong impression made on me by the large numbers of wild-looking young persons laid out in various states of unconsciousness on the sidewalks, though I had no real understanding of what the cause might be.

"Dad, what's wrong with that guy?"

"Just step over 'im..."

I'm going to see this show (well, its on-tour equivalent) on June 30th in Torrington CT. Anyone know if Paul Kantner signs pickguards like Mcguinn? What kind of show does Jefferson Starship play now?

From meeting Paul Kantner, I think he is very approachable at the right time. He enjoyed talking with us during the evening at the MOMM during the RIC 75th.

Check out the new "Grace"!! Worth it just for her!

Isaac,

There are two basic kind of Starship shows these days. Those with Marty Balin and those without. Marty has had family issues lately and very seldom shows up with JS these days. Though he does do some solo shows.

The shows with Marty have a lot of his songs of course. The shows w/o Marty are more Kantner oriented.

NOTE: If anyone is expecting an 80s Starship-type shows (a la “We Built This City”) forget it!

The current band lineup is:

Paul Kantner (rhythm guitar, vocals)
David Freiberg [Quicksilver Messenger Service] (vocals)
Diana Mangano (vocals)
Slick Aguilar (lead guitar)
Chris Smith (keyboards)
Prairie Prince (drums)

There is no bass player (though I have offered).

Besides Balin, the band sometimes will also feature guest musicians such as Darby Gould (vocals), Tim Gorman (keyboards), former Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten and Frieberg’s wife (Linda Imperial) on vocals.

The setlist will include a lot of Airplane material: Somebody To Love, White Rabbit, The Other Side of This Life, Fat Angel, Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil, Crown of Creation, Volunteers, She Has Funny Cars, DCBA-25, War Movie, When The Earth Moves Again, Law Man, etc.

Possibilities include a couple of songs from side two of Blows Against The Empire. Freiberg does nice versions of Jane, Harp Tree Lament (Quicksilver) and Pride of Man (Hamilton Camp).

Linda might sing solo a couple of blues numbers and Diana may do a couple of non JA/JS songs.

Kantner, like McGuinn, is an old folkie and still sometimes performs old folk songs or Weavers songs.

There is also an “instrumental portion” of the show where Slick takes center stage.

As far as autographs go, the band sells what are called Circle of Gold (COG) tickets. The COG tickets cost a little more of course and allow patrons to come early and attend a little of the sound check. Plus, after the show, Paul will come out and sign autographs. (Some other band member might step out too.) You might not know that Paul signed my Rickenbacker 360/12 a couple of years ago (See below):





Sorry the post is so long. This might have been more than you asked for. But ya know, once I get started on anything Airplane related it’s hard for me to stop.

Kantner’s guitar tech (Michael) is a member of this forum but I don’t think he checks it too often.

JS is going to be in Virginia four times in July (!) but I will not get to see them once on this tour because I am busy that entire week.

The band’s website is www.jeffersonstarshipsf.com

I hope that helps a little bit. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Here is the latest tour info from the band's manager:

http://www.mysterydisk.com/adeckrb25/robboard.cgi?action=display&num=1680

So, what happened to Jorma and Jack? I know you said its Jeff Starship, but since they are playing all of those JA songs I thought mebbe those two might come along to perform... Are they on the outs with some members of the band now?

Gene, oh boy what a question.

Short answer - yes.

Jorma (first) and Jack are both most definitely on the outs with Kantner. (Some of it is financial and some of it is kind of personal and ugly and some of it told to me in confidence which I cannot discuss. Sorry.)

Jorma has just released another solo CD (Stars in my Crown):

http://www.amazon.com/Stars-My-Crown-Jorma-Kaukonen/dp/B000MM1F3M/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-9913309-5291305?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1182883083&sr=1-1

He continues to tour as a solo artist and with Jack and Barry Mitterhoff as Hot Tuna.
And from March to November Jorma teaches fingerstyle workshops at his Ranch in Ohio ( www.FurPeaceRanch.com )

Believe it or not, though, Kantner has suggested a JA reunion concert to help raise money for the Airplane’s first female singer (Signe Anderson) who is very sick and in financial straights.
If anyone is interested in helping, let me know and I can point you in the right direction.

For what it’s worth, Jorma and his wife have repeatedly helped Signe in the past.

There is no bass player

Err, Bobby Vega would be pretty surprised to hear that! Now, he doesn't do every show, mind you, but hits a high percentage of them.

I was going to say, how do they play without a bass player? Bobby Vega has quite the resume.
Jack Casady is one of my all time favorite bass players.

RE: JH:

Err, Bobby Vega would be pretty surprised to hear that! Now, he doesn't do every show, mind you, but hits a high percentage of them.

I don’t know Mr. Vega and have never met him, John. But I doubt he would be surprised.

I have attended several JS shows and Bobby Vega did not appear at any of them. I also own many traded shows and Vega (to my knowledge) does not appear on any of them either.

But don’t take my word for it. Here is Kantner’s own manager’s (Michael) response to me on the question:

Since JACK departed in 2000, the band has NOT (his emphasis) used a bass player with
the exception of a few shows between 2000-2003 when TOM LILLY played
bass. The band's April, 2003 Italian tour was hurt by the unpopular U.S.
Invasion of Iraq wherein the Italians cancelled some shows because of
anti-American sentiment. TOM was so freaked, he quit.

As for BOBBY, he subbed for JACK in the 90s when the former was with
TUNA. He is terrific especially in QUICKSILVER..

As far as the question of how do they play without a bass player, here are Michael’s thoughts:

Because JACK was so unique and stylized, we thought it better to change
instrumentation rather thab [sic] fill the sound palette with generic bass.
PRAIRIE is a bass (kick drum) heavy player, KANTNER always played
bass lines on the A and D strings of his 12-string and SLICK had evolved a
larger variety of tones that encompassed JERRY and JORMA (especially
with the addition of his Line 6 guitar).

In 2000! Keyboardist CHRIS SMITH broke his right hand but we are LOYAL
and encouraged him to play left-handed wherein he naturally played the
bass parts on his Korg Triton, so a "new" JS sound was born.


I apologize for the slightly long post.
I bow to JH in all things Rickenbacker related.
However, when it comes to Jefferson related issues, not.
But I thank John for always keeping me on my “JA toes” so to speak.

Whatever you say, Mark. I've seen JS exactly twice within the last 1 year period, watched Bobby play with them, and visited with him backstage both times.

There's no question that he's an "optional component" for their shows, depending how big a band is appropriate and there's a number of other folks in this same category, such as Linda Imperial.

Michael Gaimon: don't get me started. Anyway, he does indeed play with Quicksilver most of the time. And it is true, Chris Smith (who I know as well) does generally fill in the bottom end when Bobby's not around.

Mark Horowitz wrote "JS is going to be in Virginia four times in July (!) but I will not get to see them once on this tour because I am busy that entire week....."

I actually listened to them on the 4th of July setting on the stoop of my front porch, they were about 1/2 mile from my house...I thought it would have been nice to go over and say 'hey' and thanks for being a part of the RIC 75th, but didn't want to fight the fireworks crowd.

Here's a pic of them dong the show at Sherando Park, looks like Marty was with them..