Semi-obscure footage of a sound check from 1986 at a Shriner’s hall in Pittsburgh called the Syria Mosque.
Stevie’s yawning and picking his nose, so I imagine he’s been rousted out of bed at some ungodly hour like four in the afternoon so the roadies can figure out if everything is plugged in.
He looks a little like what would happen if John Wayne was accidentally assigned Liberace’s dressing room, but he sure could play. He died and they tore the Mosque down. The end.
(Thanks to my brother for sending that one along.Go say hi to him if you’re in LA. )
7 Responses
Gives new meaning to the much-used lyric,
Woke up this morning, blues all around my bed.
What? The Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh has been torn down?!
Well…. it's a start.
I saw him as a warm up act before a Don Henley and friends benefit (for some lame political effort). He stole the show. It was 1985.
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That sumbitch plays better than just about anyone I ever heard. My brother always said that about SRV, and I was all "yeah yeah". But it's true. It's actually kind of scary to see that kind of talent and how tight the band was – one lick – bam, they are on it.
Makes me glad I gave up playing music – I am not worthy.
That's a sound check?
I'll take two to go.
Check, please!
The music just pores through SRV. That was a huge loss.
Atlanta has a venue similar to the Syria Mosque, the Fabulous Fox Theatre – and it is fabulous. They tried to demolish it in the 70's to accomodate a large 70's ugly Southern Bell HQ building. A grass roots campaign sprung up and evolved into a preservation group that saved it. Saw Devo there in 1982 and David Gray with my wife a few months ago. It is a treasure. I'm sorry to hear of Pittsburgh's loss.