30 years ago in Memphis

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Chico Harris

Babyface
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Mar 14, 2012
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30 years ago this week was the first time I can remember going to see the opener over the headliner: U2 opened for the J. Geils Band in Auditorium North Hall in Memphis.
U2 were thunderous and melodically great. J. Geils, while I did like hearing "Must Have Got Lost," were in their Centerfold period.
I'm glad I got semi-early U2 in a small setting, but hate I missed what happened later:
All of the band told a Memphis cabbie to take them to a "cowboy" bar. The guy took them north to hardscrabble Frayser, to the legendary blue collar roughhouse called Miller's Cave. A place a lot of people would call a redneck bar.
It was Adam Clayton's 22nd birthday, and the band arrived after midnight. The Miller Brothers were playing and by all accounts, U2 had a great time there, probably most likely when they got on stage and drunkenly performed "Southern Man" and "Out Of Control."
U2
"Southern Man" live in Belfast, 1987:
U2 - Southern Man (live 1987) - YouTube
"Out Of Control" (live in 1982)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOaC-KNeXXs
 
When I watch some of these old vids, like the "Southern Man" version above, with Bono shouting "soul", I realize that even the current Bono really is not that much different from his 26/27 year old self. It's just that back then, it was "fresh". :lol:
 
I had no idea that U2 had ever opened for J Geils, maybe I heard that once and forgot. You just can't escape that darn Peter Wolf.

I love Memphis, went there for the first time ever a few years ago. Got to see Sun Studios and all the U2 stuff there.
 
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