5 Capital Region Concerts From The 80’s – Were You There?

This weekend Q1057 celebrates the Classic Rock from the 80's with an 80's Rock Block Weekend! I started to think abut the shows I saw when I was in high school and which ones might have passed through the Capital Region at the same time. Were you at any of these concerts? Here are 5 Capital Region Rock concerts from the 1980's.

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U2 Setlist:

1. Gloria
2. Another Time, Another Place
3. I Threw A Brick Through A Window
4. An Cat Dubh
5. Into the Heart
6. Rejoice
7. The Cry
8. The Electric Co./Send In the Clowns
9. I Fall Down
10. October
11. Stories For Boys
12. I Will Follow
13. Twilight
14. Out of Control
15. Fire
16. 11 O'clock Tick Tock
17. The Ocean

7/20/82
Twisted Sister with Ratt - Palace Theater, Albany
Stay Hungry / Out of the Cellar Tours

I saw this tour just 2 hours from the Capital Region and I got there so early I was lucky enough to meet Twisted Sister. I couldn't believe it and all I had for them to sign was the Ticketron envelope my tickets came in and a ballpoint pen. Still have the envelope, signed by A.j. Pero and Jay Jay French, in a box somewhere.

If I remember correctly this tour also had Lita Ford as the opening act. I couldn't find setlists from that night but if my memory is correct these would have been some of the highlights from that show:

Ratt - Wanted Man, Lack of Communication, Round and Round
Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock and Roll, We're Not Gonna Take It, I Wanna Rock

6/14/83 and 6/15/83
Journey with Bryan Adams - SPAC
Frontiers / Cuts Like A Knife Tours

Just 4 months after "Frontiers" was released Journey was playing Saratoga Performing Arts Center on back to back nights. After this tour bassist Ross Valory left Journey for the next 10 years. This is also the tour where Journey started including "Faithfully" in the live set.

6/27/85
Grateful Dead - SPAC

According to the Daily Gazette, the Dead had a huge turnout of over 42,000 Deadheads. The band performed 2 sets featuring 22 songs with an encore.

Live For Live Music remembers, Three of the four Grateful Dead shows at SPAC took place within the “dirty eighties” period of March 1983 through July 1986, when shows could occasionally be spotty due to Jerry Garcia’s health issues. However, two of those first three SPAC shows from 1983 through 1985 were 80s-era classics and the third is well above-average for that time.

11/22/85
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - JB Scotts Theater, Albany
Soul to Soul Tour

This show took place a couple of years after SRV left David Bowie's band to pursue another direction with his career. Stevie played on Bowie's "Let's Dance" album. Less than 5 years later he had passed away. Here is the setlist from that night:

1. Scuttle Buttin'
2. Say What!
3. Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up on Love
4. Lookin' Out the Window
5. Love Struck Baby
6. Pride and Joy
7. Cold Shot
8. Couldn't Stand the Weather
9. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
10. Change It
11. Look At Little Sister
12. Life Without You
13. Hide Away/Rude Mood