Menu
Just last week, we began a new Facebook event series, aptly called “Video Thursdays”. The intent is to create a regular release of some of the more obscure performances and interviews scattered across YouTube that we’ve collected over time … as well as any new song videos … consolidating the content into our one, official OrleansOnline YouTube channel.
The first post lead to this oddity of a Still the One performance.
This week’s YouTube/Facebook post is a trio of performances as a trio (John, Larry and me/Lance) in 1996. Here’s the backstory.
1995 was mostly about taking a spot as the “acoustic hors d’oeuvre” for the Can’t Stop Rockin’ Tour. We spent the summer doing 15-20 minute sets as a trio, opening to Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon and Fleetwood Mac. Following that, we spent a lot of time in the studio, a cabin on John’s home property in Saugerties, NY, recording the Ride album (which I highly recommend as some of our best work ever!). Then what?
As 1995 turned into 1996, we found that the economics available to us just didn’t make it feasible to play out as a full 5-piece band, so we decided to continue to play as a trio, targeting smaller venues, mostly in the Northeast. In fact, that’s ALL we did for the entire year. And, as it turned out, we found it to be incredibly satisfying.
Those shows, with sold-out audiences of 150-250, had an element of intimacy that can’t be found on a big stage. Kind of like performing in your (very large) living room. And, because there were no drums and no electric guitars, the focus really fell on the songs, the singing, the playing and the personalities of the 3 of us on stage, interacting with the enthusiastic and appreciative crowds.
This montage of Please Be There, Spring Fever and Love Takes Time, done in this setting, gives a glimpse of what it was like to be there.
Thanks go to our friend “Boston Danny” Furlong for having had the foresight to capture these rare moments in time on videotape.
