Music at Schmidt Fieldhouse

[Final4]

Back in the early 70's Schmidt was a very active concert venue. Some of the acts I saw at Schmidt (and I'm sure I have forgotten quite a few):

Chicago
Beach Boys
Arlo Guthrie
Santana
Pure Prairie League
Spirit
Jo Jo Gunn
BB King
Buddy Miles
Todd Rundgren
Dave Mason
Black Oak Arkansas
Guess Who

And a shoutout to a guy named Spoolie who was largely responsible for contributing to the list of acts I saw but can't remember.

[Masterofreality]

Ha!! A Spoolie mention!!
For the young whippersnappers, Spoolie was the campus “Supply Entrepreneur” who would procure and supply any substance you wanted. I won’t say if any of those were illegal, but leave that to your imagination. Per my lovely wife, he had a branch supply location at Edgecliff. No knowledge as to whether his rickety car could make it over to The Mount. There was also questions as to whether he was an actual student. He always seemed to be around and no one could vouch that he was ever in any of their classes.

Chicago was off the hook. It was the only place they played in Cincy on that early tour and I think the first place they played in the city. Sold out plus. People opening the side doors at the top of Schmidt to let their friends in, who then climbed up and sat in the steel girders in the roof. One of the most memorable shows I’ve ever been to.

Other shows tho:
Quicksilver Messenger Service played a “pop up” free concert at Schmidt in mid week the winter of 1970. One day, posters just appeared around campus announcing a show that night. Probably 1,500 people showed up to just stand on the Schmidt floor. Awesome.
Also Sly & the Famiy Stone, the Turtles, Jimi Hendrix, an east coast band named Orpheus, Sam & Dave, Jazz great Herbie Mann, Blues Legend John Lee Hooker, Bob the Bear Hite & Canned Heat, and The Fifth Dimension all played Schmidt when I was there. The Student Activities Committee was fantastic back then.

[xudash]

Freshman year: Aerosmith. That evening was bundled with way too much tequila.

Damn, MOR. I would’ve loved to seen Quicksilver Messenger Service live. FRESH AIR

[Masterofreality]

Freshman year: Aerosmith. That evening was bundled with way too much tequila.

Damn, MOR. I would’ve loved to seen Quicksilver Messenger Service live. FRESH AIR

Pretty amazing Dash. It just popped up one day and came out of nowhere, but that was when record companies had tons of money and were putting on free shows and giving away free records (in this case Capitol records) to get bands exposed...and it worked!

[paulxu]

Hendrix concert in '68 was incredible.
And that was a year before Woodstock.

[XUBob]

Only show I saw at Schmidt—-1974. J.Giles (before they turned pop) opening act Spooky Tooth.

[Muskie]

I saw the "Why Store" at Schmidt Fieldhouse sometime in 1998 or 1999.

[Masterofreality]

Only show I saw at Schmidt—-1974. J.Giles (before they turned pop) opening act Spooky Tooth.

Amazing that Spooky Tooth was the Opening Act! They were damn good.

They had an incredible lineup that included Gary Wright (Dream Weaver), Mick Jones who went on to form Foreigner, and Luther Grosvenor, who left, went to Stealers Wheel then was an original Member of Mott the Hoople and became known as Ariel Bender along with Ian Hunter (the "Cleveland Rocks" guy). I saw Mott last year here in The Land on their limited US tour where they only played 6 cities- Cleveland being one of them. Hunter and Grosvenor are both in their late 70's but rocked the iish out of Masonic Auditorium. Fantastic stuff.

[bobbiemcgee]

Seem to remember Jay and the Americans a couple of times. Saw the Beatles @ Crosley in '66?

[paulxu]

Seem to remember Jay and the Americans a couple of times. Saw the Beatles @ Crosley in '66?

That's true.
They were also at the Gardens in '64, which mspaulxu saw in person.

[sirthought]

I saw the "Why Store" at Schmidt Fieldhouse sometime in 1998 or 1999.

My deepest sympathies. :)

[sirthought]

Back in the early 70's Schmidt was a very active concert venue. Some of the acts I saw at Schmidt (and I'm sure I have forgotten quite a few):

Chicago
Beach Boys
Arlo Guthrie
Santana
Pure Prairie League
Spirit
Jo Jo Gunn
BB King
Buddy Miles
Todd Rundgren
Dave Mason
Black Oak Arkansas
Guess Who

And a shoutout to a guy named Spoolie who was largely responsible for contributing to the list of acts I saw but can't remember.

That is pretty impressive to know that little Xavier's Schmidt was a venue to these iconic bands. A fertile time period for music for sure.

These days, booking someone with just a mild YouTube hit will cost you more than most universities will want to spend on the guarantee. I bet Chicago takes home about $100K for their Riverbend concerts these days.

[Final4]

Amazing that Spooky Tooth was the Opening Act! They were damn good.

They had an incredible lineup that included Gary Wright (Dream Weaver), Mick Jones who went on to form Foreigner, and Luther Grosvenor, who left, went to Stealers Wheel then was an original Member of Mott the Hoople and became known as Ariel Bender along with Ian Hunter (the "Cleveland Rocks" guy). I saw Mott last year here in The Land on their limited US tour where they only played 6 cities- Cleveland being one of them. Hunter and Grosvenor are both in their late 70's but rocked the iish out of Masonic Auditorium. Fantastic stuff.

While it wasn't at Schmidt I also saw Mott the Hoople, with opening act Aerosmith, at Music Hall during this period (early 70's). Can you believe........Mott the Hoople at Music Hall?! And BTW Grosvenor was not an original member. He replaced Mick Ralphs who interesting was responsible for the Ariel (aerial) Bender nickname.

[X-man]

Hendrix concert in '68 was incredible.
And that was a year before Woodstock.

Was '68 the year that Hendrix was opening for The Monkees?

[Masterofreality]

While it wasn't at Schmidt I also saw Mott the Hoople, with opening act Aerosmith, at Music Hall during this period (early 70's). Can you believe........Mott the Hoople at Music Hall?! And BTW Grosvenor was not an original member. He replaced Mick Ralphs who interesting was responsible for the Ariel (aerial) Bender nickname.

Yup. Actually true about Grosvenor. I had forgotten about Ralphs, but I didn’t remember that Luther replaced him.

[paulxu]

Was '68 the year that Hendrix was opening for The Monkees?

That was '67 for a few of their concert venues. Didn't last long.

[X-man]

That was '67 for a few of their concert venues. Didn't last long.

A friend of mine confessed that she was one of the people screaming "Davey, Davey", during Hendrix's warm-up set. Oddly enough, she's not embarrassed about it.

I grew up in New England and New York, and was in college and grad school in the 60's and 70's. While I did not experience the Schmidt concerts here, obviously, I am impressed with some of the bands. I am particularly jealous about the Quicksilver Messenger Service gig. I did have a chance to see a lot of acts at both college venues where I attended school including Janis Joplin (twice), Bob Dylan (as he transitioned to electric with The Band), Phil Ochs, Sly Stone, Judy Collins, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave (they played my senior lunch at a restaurant, of all things), Ravi Shankar, Pentangle, Ray Charles, Bonnie and Delaney, John Mayall, Bonnie Raitt (with Little Feat), Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Bruce Springsteen (who was the warmup act for Sha-Na-Na), and I'm sure a lot of others that I am forgetting.

In the Hamptons, on LI where I worked summers to pay for college, I saw (and danced to) the Young Rascals at the Barge in Westhampton Beach before they were big, and Bo Diddley at a club in the Springs where you brought your own booze. I also saw Peter, Paul, and Mary at Carnegie Hall, sitting across the aisle from Paul Simon and his date. Ah, those were the days, and I'm glad that I still remember it all so well.

[Mrs. Garrett]

Wow. The only concert I remember during my time at X (93-97) was Candelbox and Sponge. Seeing the list from the 60's and 70's is making me really jealous.

I wasn't going to go to the concert, but one of my roommates who had a ticket couldn't go because he was going to a wedding. I wound up convincing him that I shouldn't have to pay for the ticket because it wasn't going to be used otherwise. Somehow he bought it and I went to a concert where I knew 2 or 3 songs total.

[xudash]

A friend of mine confessed that she was one of the people screaming "Davey, Davey", during Hendrix's warm-up set. Oddly enough, she's not embarrassed about it.

I grew up in New England and New York, and was in college and grad school in the 60's and 70's. While I did not experience the Schmidt concerts here, obviously, I am impressed with some of the bands. I am particularly jealous about the Quicksilver Messenger Service gig. I did have a chance to see a lot of acts at both college venues where I attended school including Janis Joplin (twice), Bob Dylan (as he transitioned to electric with The Band), Phil Ochs, Sly Stone, Judy Collins, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave (they played my senior lunch at a restaurant, of all things), Ravi Shankar, Pentangle, Ray Charles, Bonnie and Delaney, John Mayall, Bonnie Raitt (with Little Feat), Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Bruce Springsteen (who was the warmup act for Sha-Na-Na), and I'm sure a lot of others that I am forgetting.

In the Hamptons, on LI where I worked summers to pay for college, I saw (and danced to) the Young Rascals at the Barge in Westhampton Beach before they were big, and Bo Diddley at a club in the Springs where you brought your own booze. I also saw Peter, Paul, and Mary at Carnegie Hall, sitting across the aisle from Paul Simon and his date. Ah, those were the days, and I'm glad that I still remember it all so well.

Yelling "Davey, Davey" to Jimmy Hendrix at a Monkees Concert is possibly the funniest thing I've read so far this year. Good one!

[X-man]

Yelling "Davey, Davey" to Jimmy Hendrix at a Monkees Concert is possibly the funniest thing I've read so far this year. Good one!

I'm guessing that is a major reason why Hendrix and Monkees didn't last very long touring together.

[Mel Cooley XU'81]

Yup. Actually true about Grosvenor. I had forgotten about Ralphs, but I didn’t remember that Luther replaced him.

Spectacular that this thread nearly got hijacked by the Mott the Hoople fan club.

I was '77-'81. Mott was realistically over. But Ian Hunter had it in gear with Mick Ronson. His albums were in Heavy Rotation on 2E Husman.

There was no on campus music to speak of at X during those years. Michael Stanley Band played one night in the Olde Student Center and that was fine.

Also the singer-songwriter guy who sang "Please Come to Boston" played the cafeteria one night. I wasn't interested.

[X-man]

Ha!! A Spoolie mention!!
For the young whippersnappers, Spoolie was the campus “Supply Entrepreneur” who would procure and supply any substance you wanted. I won’t say if any of those were illegal, but leave that to your imagination. Per my lovely wife, he had a branch supply location at Edgecliff. No knowledge as to whether his rickety car could make it over to The Mount. There was also questions as to whether he was an actual student. He always seemed to be around and no one could vouch that he was ever in any of their classes.

Chicago was off the hook. It was the only place they played in Cincy on that early tour and I think the first place they played in the city. Sold out plus. People opening the side doors at the top of Schmidt to let their friends in, who then climbed up and sat in the steel girders in the roof. One of the most memorable shows I’ve ever been to.

Other shows tho:
Quicksilver Messenger Service played a “pop up” free concert at Schmidt in mid week the winter of 1970. One day, posters just appeared around campus announcing a show that night. Probably 1,500 people showed up to just stand on the Schmidt floor. Awesome.
Also Sly & the Famiy Stone, the Turtles, Jimi Hendrix, an east coast band named Orpheus, Sam & Dave, Jazz great Herbie Mann, Blues Legend John Lee Hooker, Bob the Bear Hite & Canned Heat, and The Fifth Dimension all played Schmidt when I was there. The Student Activities Committee was fantastic back then.

Our guy in Vermont was "Fast Eddie". When I went to a Ravi Shankar concert, I had only two tickets but lots more people interested in going. My solution, no doubt influenced by some of Fast Eddie's magic stuff, was to take a person in with me, come back out by myself with both tickets, and repeat with someone else. After doing that three or four times, the ticket guy said that if I tried that again, I wasn't going to be allowed back in. I appreciated his heads-up.

[paulxu]

Hard to imagine now, how popular groups in the 60's were so readily available to college campuses then.
Before the advent of so much social media, and major media/promotional activity. Before big arena tours, etc.
Groups were doing anything to get exposure and airtime (AM) for their records.
First mixer I went to in the Armory had the Spencer Davis group. Saw Count Basie and Little Anthony at a school dance downtown (can't remember exactly where; hotel or music hall).
Lots of concerts with groups that wouldn't happen today.

[X-man]

Hard to imagine now, how popular groups in the 60's were so readily available to college campuses then.
Before the advent of so much social media, and major media/promotional activity. Before big arena tours, etc.
Groups were doing anything to get exposure and airtime (AM) for their records.
First mixer I went to in the Armory had the Spencer Davis group. Saw Count Basie and Little Anthony at a school dance downtown (can't remember exactly where; hotel or music hall).
Lots of concerts with groups that wouldn't happen today.

I'm jealous.

[X-man]

After moving to DC from grad school, I started going to the Library of Congress free Julliard Quartet performances. I would get in line at a music store downtown, to pick up my tickets. One time, mid-70's, another line was forming around the corner and a block away. It turns out that the Stones were doing a surprise performance at the Ford Theater, and it was announced on the radio. I didn't know about it, and so missed out. Had I known, I would have been among the first in line for the small venue Stones concert. Still pissed about it because (1) the Stones are my all-time favorite R&R band, and (2) a friend of mine went, and said it was incredible. It began with Mick doing Jumping Jack Flash, and just was fabulous. My friend paid about $100 on the secondary market for his ticket, something I didn't feel I could afford.

[Masterofreality]

Hard to imagine now, how popular groups in the 60's were so readily available to college campuses then.
Before the advent of so much social media, and major media/promotional activity. Before big arena tours, etc.
Groups were doing anything to get exposure and airtime (AM) for their records.
First mixer I went to in the Armory had the Spencer Davis group. Saw Count Basie and Little Anthony at a school dance downtown (can't remember exactly where; hotel or music hall).
Lots of concerts with groups that wouldn't happen today.

Here's another great, but true story.

The James Gang- the birthplace of the fantastic Joe Walsh- were a bunch of guys who met and formed a band up here in NE Ohio at Kent State where they were all students. They were needing gigs to refine their chops so they would take almost anything, including High School mixers. The place on the west side of Cleveland that was willing to host them, as was the case in many other places like Nashville where I went to High School, was a Catholic school with a decent sized gym. The High Schools wouldn't host them for fear of their basketball courts being messed up, so it fell to the Grade Schools. Anyway my lovely wife would go to these mixers (I have no desire to know what went on during or after them with strange and dirty boys) and the School that would always host them was St. James in Lakewood. It was also the old iconic gym where every kid wanted to play their CYO ball- the MECCA, so to speak. So my lovely told me many years ago that the James Gang was a staple of these mixers in 1966 and early 1967. They originally called themselves The Stumps, but after a few gigs at St. James, started calling themselves the James Gang (after the St. James Gym) and went on to fame shortly after that. A lot of the guys in the original band that left had success in other groups like The Outsiders, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Count Five.

[xudash]

Spectacular that this thread nearly got hijacked by the Mott the Hoople fan club.

I was '77-'81. Mott was realistically over. But Ian Hunter had it in gear with Mick Ronson. His albums were in Heavy Rotation on 2E Husman.

There was no on campus music to speak of at X during those years. Michael Stanley Band played one night in the Olde Student Center and that was fine.

Also the singer-songwriter guy who sang "Please Come to Boston" played the cafeteria one night. I wasn't interested.

Damn, Mel - - I had to look it up, because I haven't heard that song since probably roaming the hallowed campus grounds.

David Loggins:

Please come to Boston for the Springtime
I'm stayin' here with some friends and they've got lots of room
You can sell your paintings on the sidewalk
By a café where I hope to be workin' soon
Please come to Boston
She said "No - would you come home to me?"

And she said, "Hey ramblin' boy now won't cha settle down?"
"Boston ain't your kinda town"
"There ain't no gold and there ain't nobody like me"
"I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee"

Please come to Denver with the snowfall
We'll move up into the mountains so far that we can't be found
And throw "I love you" echoes down the canyon
And then lie awake at night till they come back around
Please come to Denver
She said "No - boy, would you come home to me?"

And she said, "Hey ramblin' boy why don't cha settle down?"
"Denver ain't your kinda town"
"There ain't no gold and there ain't nobody like me"
"'Cause I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee"

Now this drifter's world goes 'round and 'round
And I doubt that it's ever gonna stop
But of all the dreams I've lost or found
And all that I ain't got
I still need to lean to
Somebody I can sing to

Please come to LA to live forever
California life alone is just too hard to build
I live in a house that looks out over the ocean
And there's some stars that fell from the sky
Livin' up on the hill
Please come to LA
She just said "No - boy, won't you come home to me?"

And she said, "Hey ramblin' boy why don't cha settle down?"
"LA can't be your kinda town"
"There ain't no gold and there ain't nobody like me"
"No, no, I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee"
"I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee"

Music is the most wonderful thing. You can forget poems. You can space out on financial equations. You can bobble accounting ratios and forget key phrases or lines from even the most revered written works. But someone can point out a song from the freakin 70's and you can HEAR it in your mind being sung by the artist.

This has been and hopefully will continue to be a great thread.

[xudash]

Here's another great, but true story.

The James Gang- the birthplace of the fantastic Joe Walsh- were a bunch of guys who met and formed a band up here in NE Ohio at Kent State where they were all students. They were needing gigs to refine their chops so they would take almost anything, including High School mixers. The place on the west side of Cleveland that was willing to host them, as was the case in many other places like Nashville where I went to High School, was a Catholic school with a decent sized gym. The High Schools wouldn't host them for fear of their basketball courts being messed up, so it fell to the Grade Schools. Anyway my lovely wife would go to these mixers (I have no desire to know what went on during or after them with strange and dirty boys) and the School that would always host them was St. James in Lakewood. It was also the old iconic gym where every kid wanted to play their CYO ball- the MECCA, so to speak. So my lovely told me many years ago that the James Gang was a staple of these mixers in 1966 and early 1967. They originally called themselves The Stumps, but after a few gigs at St. James, started calling themselves the James Gang (after the St. James Gym) and went on to fame shortly after that. A lot of the guys in the original band that left had success in other groups like The Outsiders, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Count Five.

Public reps where private reps were held down by the Man.

[bobbiemcgee]

My wife still talks about the Jersey Boyz @ the Mount circa '66.

[paulxu]

Here's a video of the Outsiders and Time Won't Let Me from 1965.

Scroll down through the comments, some from a guy who was apparently playing bass on the video.
Also, they talk about some of the members, and mention one who went on to the James Gang that MOR referenced.
At the beginning,and part way through, somebody throws some clothes up in the background. Have NO idea what that is all about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaj1wVNvSqk

[Final4]

Here's another great, but true story.

The James Gang- the birthplace of the fantastic Joe Walsh- were a bunch of guys who met and formed a band up here in NE Ohio at Kent State where they were all students. They were needing gigs to refine their chops so they would take almost anything, including High School mixers. The place on the west side of Cleveland that was willing to host them, as was the case in many other places like Nashville where I went to High School, was a Catholic school with a decent sized gym. The High Schools wouldn't host them for fear of their basketball courts being messed up, so it fell to the Grade Schools. Anyway my lovely wife would go to these mixers (I have no desire to know what went on during or after them with strange and dirty boys) and the School that would always host them was St. James in Lakewood. It was also the old iconic gym where every kid wanted to play their CYO ball- the MECCA, so to speak. So my lovely told me many years ago that the James Gang was a staple of these mixers in 1966 and early 1967. They originally called themselves The Stumps, but after a few gigs at St. James, started calling themselves the James Gang (after the St. James Gym) and went on to fame shortly after that. A lot of the guys in the original band that left had success in other groups like The Outsiders, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Count Five.

WOW what a great story about James Gang and the origination of the name. Here's another interesting story. When we saw Pure Prairie League at Schmidt I believe they opened for Spirit and Dave Mason (a 3 act card that night). At the time the band, PPL, was living only about a block away from Schmidt in one of the large mansions up Dana Ave.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/11/22/pure-prairies-fuller-weighs-bit-cincy-lore/94079502/

[sirthought]

WOW what a great story about James Gang and the origination of the name. Here's another interesting story. When we saw Pure Prairie League at Schmidt I believe they opened for Spirit and Dave Mason (a 3 act card that night). At the time the band, PPL, was living only about a block away from Schmidt in one of the large mansions up Dana Ave.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/11/22/pure-prairies-fuller-weighs-bit-cincy-lore/94079502/

I used to work with a woman who said when she was in her twenties she lived in a big house at the bottom of Straight Street (closer to UC) with a few members of Pure Prairie League and that Craig Fuller was courting her to marry. She didn't want to marry him then for some reason (I forget if she said), although she really liked him and he would look her up whenever he stopped by in the area. Not positive, but I think I heard that house belonged to Stan Herzman who went on to manage artists like The Raisins and Adrian Belew, as well as be a franchisee with UNOs.


I'm not sure if he still does, but Dave Mason was living in NKY for several years, marrying someone I think from Ft. Thomas.

[Masterofreality]

I used to work with a woman who said when she was in her twenties she lived in a big house at the bottom of Straight Street (closer to UC) with a few members of Pure Prairie League and that Craig Fuller was courting her to marry. She didn't want to marry him then for some reason (I forget if she said), although she really liked him and he would look her up whenever he stopped by in the area. Not positive, but I think I heard that house belonged to Stan Herzman who went on to manage artists like The Raisins and Adrian Belew, as well as be a franchisee with UNOs.


I'm not sure if he still does, but Dave Mason was living in NKY for several years, marrying someone I think from Ft. Thomas.

And, as almost everybody knows, Peter Frampton lived in Indian Hill for many years.