Ian Hunter, City Winery, NYC, 25 June 2016

Before the show, separately, I ran into Dennis and Paul at the Starbucks diagonal from the City Winery. I said hello to Dennis and he said hey back and I hope you enjoy the show. I asked Paul if he recognizes this guy: it was pics from a recent upstate New York gig, he recognized the pics from the Pleasantville show. He responded "nice action shots." I told him they were from when he played "All American Alien Boys." He noted, right, when he moved upstage.

They started with the work song tape but opened with "I'm the Teacher" and did not play "Rest In Peace." "Trudi's Song" was added to the set. The harmonica was brought out for two songs, "I Wish I Was Your Mother" and "23A Swan Hill." All American Alien Boys was back in the set. Ian closed with see you in October. He has been explaining on stage that they're playing all the old songs until the new album comes out hopefully in September. 

Setlist for June 25th:

1. (I'm the) Teacher 
2. Central Park n' West 
3. When I'm President 
4. Now Is the Time 
5. Wash Us Away 
6. The Truth, the Whole Truth, Nuthin’ but the Truth 
7. Honaloochie Boogie 
8. All American Alien Boy 
9. Just Another Night 
10. Black Tears 
11. Cleveland Rocks 
12. Trudi’s Song 
13. Shrunken Heads 
14. I Wish I Was Your Mother 
15. 23A, Swan Hill 
16. Bastard 
17. Sweet Jane 

18. Encore:
19. Roll Away the Stone 
20. Life 
21. All the Young Dudes/Goodnight Irene

OBTS

'Cleveland Rocks'

https://youtu.be/QbNY_WeWBSs

'Just Another Night'
https://youtu.be/7OsDsNPs_tA
'Sweet Jane'
https://youtu.be/nABVIngPtZQ
'All the Young Dudes/Goodnight Irene'
https://youtu.be/K3gmAJn9CV8

After the gig I had Ian sign Phonograph Record Magazine, February, 1973 (with Mott The Hoople on the cover), that the Licorice Pizza music store chain carried. Ian said I remember signing the handbill at the Sellersville, PA gig last week. I reminded Ian that this was the period between guitarist Mick Ralphs leaving the band and when Luther Grosvenor, guitar, joined Mott The Hoople. They had only played a live TV appearance at the Aquarius Theater in LA and then their first gig at the Hollywood Palladium in September 1973. Ian does not recall the gig but he remembered that they only played the Palladium once which is correct. This was the first time that I had seen the band and my first rock concert. Ian said that Luther could be dodgy but when he joined the band he lifted their morale. Luther's contribution made sense since the band had already lost not only Ralphs but Verden Allen on keyboards as well. To supplement the 1973 American tour Mick Bolton and Morgan Fisher had been added on keyboards. In any case, Luther offered a great deal on stage. I agree Luther was a wild man; he added a great deal to their stage presence.

Ian said I was talking about way back and the early days. Ian reminisced about when Keith Moon rang him up to go out and he had 24 bottles of champagne. Ian didn't know what happened to the bottles. Ian said he was new to famous rockers ringing him up so he just went along. Keith took him to Frank Zappa's house where they listened to two-inch tapes and Frank asked Ian what he thought. Ian simply said it was great so he had him listen to more tapes but Ian had no idea what the music was about. Dweezil, Frank's son was there and they had cats, one staring at Ian oddly. Ian said that he was talking to Jakob, Dylan's son, and the same tape listening experience happened to him. Zappa liked people to come over and listen to his music which no one understood. 

I had walked with Ian and his entourage over to his hotel diagonal from the City Winery so I thanked him for signing and said good night.