UPDATE! 12.29.73 John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Toledo Sports Arena

Note to bands who wish to keep performing with their original lineup: Stay the hell out of private aircraft and Toledo.














John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra's December, 29th gig at the Toledo Sports Arena  was the fusion groups last performance with the original line up. For some reason, Elliott Sears -- the bands road manager and FOH engineer -- has repeatedly refereed to this historic Toledo date taking place on the 30th of December, not the 29th as advertised.
Does anyone know if the gig was rescheduled?

This just in (01/11/12), direct from the aforementioned Elliot Sears, Mahavishnu Orchestra road manager and sound engineer:

December 29, 1973 at the Toledo Sports Arena was the Mahavishnu Orchestra's second to last concert.  The following night, December 30, 1973 was the bands last performance which was held at the Masonic Auditorium in Detroit

The following link is a list of the original Mahavishnu Orchestra's concerts taken from my itineraries and verified other sources.  Although far from complete it is for the most part accurate.  There are 2 listing that came from outside sources but I question their validity especially April 9, 1972 at Philharmonic Hall in New York.

The MO gig list can be found at the link below.

http://label.abstractlogix.com/?page_id=79

KISS, Toledo Sports Arena 12.16.79: Kitty-Kats Last Stand

>
Peter Criss' last concert with the kabuki-faced rockers until the 1996 reunion tour, captured on the video above during the group's 1979 Dynasty tour. One viewing and it's clear the entire band is suffering from a case of road-borne malaise. Peter's "official" departure date was May, 18th, 1980. A week later, Criss married Debra Lynn Svensk (aka Debra Jensen) in Los Angeles.

As Toledo's preeminent temple of arena rock worship for decades, the Sports Arena had seen it all by the time it was demolished in 2007. If the walls could talk, they'd probably say things like: "Hey burnout, quit urinating on me," and "Styx again?" or most likely, "It's a free clinic, your parents will never even know."

Let's take a look at some of the video's highlights:
0:11 Rent a Cop: "Sure the security gig doesn't pay much, but I'm making buku cash selling oregano to these suburban dopes."
0:36 Tallow-necked and mustachioed security guard performing the East-Side Heimlich on a 12-year old in the name of crowd control. 
0:42 Maumee High School Panther Band Jacket-REPRESENT!
0:44 Ace and Paul's lethargic windmilling ala Townshend; they know they're onstage, right?
0:52 "Cool" older kids filtering just before showtime: "Kiss suck, but it'll be a party."
1:18: "They like to get in, they ask us to get in, but we just can't let them in."

Amazing photograph from the same concert 
by Toledo's own John Rockwood. tumbler

"Plenty of Tickets Available at the Door!"-Toledo Blade.

Found Toledo #1: Toledo Steel Products

Toledo Steel Products Neon Clock.
"Makers of Fine Automotive and Aircraft Parts."
Spotted while cruising the vendor aisles at the Fall Carlisle Swap Meet.
Asking price $650.00

From the comments:

Fill me in on the fencing dude? Was that some sort of logo for the city or for Toledo Steel Products? Was fencing big in Toledo? -- Dave Martin

Toke! said...

@ Dave Martin: Yes Dave, before skateboarding and punk rock, the streets of Toledo were littered with roaming bands of disenfranchised youth, often engaging in impromptu fencing duels to settle turf disputes. The penalties for appearing in public without a mesh face-guard were swift and severe. But once Barry mail-ordered that Germs record, the fencing scene just died.

Actually, it was just a continuation on a theme started centuries ago in out sister city, Toledo, Spain.

From Wikipedia: Toledo steel, known historically as unusually hard, is from Toledo, Spain, which has been a traditional sword-making, steel-working center since about 500 BC, and came to the attention of Rome when used by Hannibal in the Punic Wars. Soon, it became a standard source of weaponry for Roman Legions. Toledo steel was famed for its very high quality alloy, whereas Damascene steel, a competitor from the Middle Ages on, was famed for a specific metal-working technique.

11.2.74 Lou Reed / Hall and Oates, University of Toledo Fieldhouse

Toledo Can't Dance

Lou Reed brought N.Y.C cool to the University of Toledo Fieldhouse on this November day in support of his most recent album, Sally Can't Dance. Blue-Eyed Pennsylvania Dutch Philly Soulsters Hall & Oates tagged along in the warm-up slot.

Of his fourth and most successful L.P. to date, Reed remarked:

"It seems like the less I'm involved with a record, the bigger a hit it becomes. If I weren't on the record at all next time around, it might go to Number One."

Although Hall and Oates had not yet struck gold singing about rich bitches, smiling Sara and private eyes, their third and current LP, Abandoned Luncheonette, did contain the literal composition, "She's Gone," which would go on to chart at #7 in 1976, only after being re-released by Atlantic on the strength of successful cover versions released by both Lou Rawls and Tavares.

Fine print running along the bottom of the poster rather desperately proclaims:  "This will be a very exciting show...and at a bargain price!"

UPDATE:
First hand account of the gig from Boogie Records/Culture Clash proprietor and wise elder statesman of all things Toledo-rock, Pat O'Connor:

Plantland was a great concert promotion company headed by Ron ? a TU (sic) law student. He put a nice array of progressive shows, well for Toledo and the times.

I did see this show which I remember could have easily fit in the Student Union room. Not a lot of people but avid rabid fans. It was rather a schmultz feat as Lou was i his "super asshole I love when you hate me" phase. Gone were those hot as lightning Dick Wagner riffs from R n R Animal. In in with blonde hair product.

Glad I saw it. I didn't realize we'd all respect him, not only for his past endeavors, but also as a lobe artist, at the time. I can only hope we look back and say, "Man the album he did with Metallica was sooo great"

Respect your elders: Get into the Culture Clash and BUY SOMETHING!

4020 Secor Road
Toledo, Ohio 43623
(419) 536-5683

10.31.71 Pink Floyd, University Of Toledo Fieldhouse

Kicking around on a piece of ground
in my hometown.

Here.

Has The Cream Set Out Too Long?

Click image for larger view

We're Strong for Toledo.

Check It: JUPMODE

Nice work people:
The Miracle Vitamins: http://www.themiraclevitamins.com
The ‘Leles: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Leles/128746847185246
Steven Mullan: StevenMullan.com
Mighthaveben the Band: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mighthaveben-the-band/191104720917730?ref=ts
Bozarts Art and Music Gallery: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bozarts-llc/111207106675
Audio by Little Elephant Recording: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Elephant-Recording/115528228470642
Video by 3BYONE Media: http://www.3byone.com

"It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."

I'll talk ta' Bob.

Hello Dave.

This is Dave.

He played football with Mayor Bell at The University of Toledo back in the day. Now he makes BBQ. Really, really good BBQ. This is Brisket. So tender you don't need teeth.

Check out his self-contained mobile BBQ-rig; it's even got on-board hot water and a Coke cooler. Here's the back side, complete with separate wash sinks to keep those pesky health inspectors happy:

Here's some of his trophies and sauce. That's one of his many auxiliary BBQ's in the background:

Here's a front view of the whole operation, including the chicken grills on the right. Note the guys just hanging out batting the fat. Experts will tell that's how you find a good BBQ place; look for a bunch of old guys -non employees, preferably fat- just hanging around, doing nothing. Everyone needs heroes.

I would have gladly paid twice the price:

It was hot and humid the day I visited, 95 in the shade easy. But that only added to the experience.You can find Dave on St. Route 703 (AKA Celina Road) in St. Marys Ohio.
Here's the link to Google maps, if you can't find it on your own with this, you just don't like good BBQ.

Tell him HAL sent ya'.

Three Nights, Six Bands, Seven Bucks.

I Got Your Toledo Rock Party Weekend Right Here:

Friday:  The Bob Seger System & Electric Sideshow.
Saturday: MC5 & Orphic
Sunday: The Rationals and Orphic

State Theater, 2476 Collingwood Blvd. Toledo, Ohio

Pass the word.

Happy 4th of July, Bitches!

click on image for full-size display

For your information, it's real. And it's spectacular.

World's Greatest Literary Achievement?

Silent Flaccidity

A pair of Franco-Italian relics from Citroen's hydro-pneumatic empire sit quietly awaiting their fate.

Citroen bought Maserati in 1968, hanging on to their Gallic independence until filing for bankruptcy in 1974.

Optimistic 1960's space-age elegance still apparent despite years of neglect.

I've been lucky enough to witness fully operational Citroen SM's in the wild, first in in N.Y.C. and then S.F., where the quirky and sophisticated SM seemed somewhat at home. Stumbling across these derelict  examples here in Toledo, I experienced the the same feelings of confused elation I imagine UFO-conspiracy kooks feel when they happen upon the remote scrap-pile of a residential bathroom remodel gone bad they're just sure is a UFO crash site.












The hydro-pneumatic suspension system that permits the SM to navigate crater-strewn streets and highways with such aplomb and neutrality also provides for the vehicle's variable ride-height capabilities, the bodywork often settling merely inches off the ground while at rest.

A total of 12,920 SM's were produced from 1970-'75, including 2,400 exported to North America in 1972-'73.



Where: Dorr St. near Holland Sylvania.
Best Case Scenario: These are simply parts cars, and a fully-functional Citroen SM is at this very moment plying the streets of Toledo, swallowing Fiat 500-sized potholes with indifference and wowing kiddies and jaded bystanders alike with impromptu curbside displays of automotive-suspension calisthenics. 

Worst Case Scenario: After completing an arduous restoration of concours quality, the formerly carefree enthusiast becomes a demanding pecksniff and begins to unravel with the sad realization that his meticulous grande routière will never experience the intoxicating effervescence of  genuine French air and hydraulic fluid simultaneously escaping from numerous locations along the vehicle's undercarriage while circling Avenue des Champs-Elysees during la vendage. Crushed by this glaring inadequacy, narcotics become the owners only form of relief, eventually abandoning the vehicles here during an opiate-fueled stupor.