‘The Band’ Success at SPAC Concert

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, July 21, 1970

The Band appeared in concert last night at Saratoga Performing Arts Center to some 7,000 young people, who were true fans in the best sense of the word.

At the sound of but the first few notes of a song, the applause was instantaneous recognition and approval with equally sustained applause at the end.

The five young men appeared for the entire two-hour show with one intermission, unlike many groups who entertain at special SPAC one-nighters and surround themselves with other acts to fill out the show.

They had the vast SPAC amphitheatre stage about half filled with acoustical, electronic equipment and a variety of instruments, ranging from piano, organ, chord organ to guitars, accordion and tenor sax. All their songs were vocal and most apparently from their hit records, although none save one, “Time to Kill” was individually introduced. And judging from the immediate recognition of much of the audience, no introductions were necessary.

Enough can not be said about the audience of young people. Again they proved conclusively that SPAC means as much to them as it does to the patrons of the ballet and orchestra and they treat the magnificent theatre, grounds and fellow listeners with courtesy, politeness and decorum beyond reproach.

The rain came as the program started and the young people moved quickly into the nearly empty theatre, taking places with a minimum of noise and settling right down to listen attentively and enjoy the concert.

About the only slight problem occurred when those who could not find seats in the theatre, sat on the aisle floors. Because of the required fire laws on the state grounds, they were asked to move and clear the aisles, which they did quietly and without incident.

Perhaps the greatest shock for over 25s at a concert of this nature—and it is a typical one at all such concerts of the rock groups—is the tremendous loudness, caused largely by the banks of amplifiers. But, strangely enough, after the first song or two, the “decibel crash” is not so bad.

As one member of the New York City Ballet (and there were several in the audience last night including star dancers
Peter Martins and Carol Sumner) observed after the performance, “What’s so different from the noise of this group
than in the thunderous ending of “The Firebird” ballet or the “181?2Overture” and who can argue that point?

Thanks to the excellent acoustics and general architecture of SPAC, there will never be a problem from an audible standpoint surely.

At the close of the concert, the audience gave a sustained standing ovation with shouts of “more” and The Band finally returned to the stage for one encore, before the house lights came up to end the evening.

Tonight the New York City Ballet resumes its repertory schedule with “Swan Lake” and “Dances At a Gathering.”