Smiling sweetly, Linda soars

by Barbara Fischkin, The Knickerbocker News, August 15, 1977

Looking more like a senorita than a cowgirl, Linda Ronstadt sang the rock-country-western message that has become her trademark to 10,789 persons at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Sunday.

Ronstadt, who drew about 3,000 more persons than she did for her SPAC concert last year, whooped it up with a smattering of old and new tunes, leaving out—regrettably—the now nostalgic “Different Drum,” which brought her some fame in the 1960s.

Throughout the concert—which included renditions of “Love is a Rose,” “Desperado,” “You’re No Good,” “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” and “Ball and Chain,” among others—Ronstadt’s voice flicked from sweet to vicious while remaining distinctive and powerful.

Her band did equally well, and the singer generously allowed them their own moments to shine. “This is the man who turns my knees to jelly,” she said, introducing pianist Don Grolnick. Also playing were Rick Marotta on drums, Waddy Wachtel on guitar, Dan Dugmore on guitar and steel pedal, and Kenny Edwards on bass and banjo.

With a red flower tucked into her brown hair, Ronstadt came out in an off-the-shoulder, frilly print dress and precariously high heels, looking like a cross between vamp and sophisticate. Yet her songs, her crying powerhouse of a voice and her almost unbelieving smiles of appreciation for applause, still portrayed the woman who has been cheated and mistreated through a mass of unhappy love affairs.

All of which made the singer’s warm-up group, the Bernie Leadon/Michael Georgiades Band, look sadly bland in comparison. They did a blend of hard and soft rock music, influenced by other artists but synthesized poorly, and, thankfully, let the real star take over for the larger portion of the show.

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