Starship lights the sky over SPAC
by Steve Webb, The Knickerbocker News, June 25, 1981
Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Starship says the band has never gotten the hang of making records, preferring the immediate contact of a live performance. “I know we can do a great concert,” he said recently.
Now 13,357 other persons know it as well. Performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Starship set the standard so far for live rock shows this year. The band played just over two hours, and surprisingly eschewed standbys such as “Volunteers” and “Have You Seen the Saucers” for material from its last two albums.
Much as the chestnuts are fun to hear, this was a wise decision in view of other veteran bands — the Allman Brothers most recently — who end up performing a set in which all but a few songs have been played a half dozen times in area shows. The crowd was willing to listen to material it wasn’t totally familiar with, and in return the band frequently exceeded the recorded versions.
The show opened with a hot set by .38 Special, a Florida band featuring crack guitarists and a large, unified sound. (See interview below). Their hour set, long for an opening act, included the hits “Don’t Let Go” and “Rockin’ Into the Night,” in addition to a folk-styled instrumental called “Robin Hood” and a faithful version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.”
After an extended guitar solo by Craig Chaquico, the Starship began its set with the old Jefferson Airplane classic, “Somebody to Love.” It reintroduced singer Grace Slick, who just rejoined the band, but it also served as a showcase for vocalist Mickey Thomas. The former Elvin Bishop Group singer joined Starship in 1979 and had surprised audiences with his vocal resemblance to Ms. Slick. That resemblance made their duet here much like the singing she did with Marty Balin, when their voices were more compatible, on the Airplane’s “Bless Its Pointed Little Head.”
The show’s highlights included songs from “Modern Times,” a less-than-average Starship album, and “Freedom at Point Zero,” a transitional album that works much better. “Find Your Way Back” provided more fine duet work by Ms. Slick and Thomas, and Kantner was assisted by them and David Freiberg on a particularly effective “Girl with the Hungry Eyes.”
Thomas carried most of the lead-vocal chores, highlighted by the 1979 single “Jane” and the powerful 1978 tune “Light the Sky on Fire.” Ms. Slick spent more time in a harmony role, but supplied her patented icy stylings to “Fastback Freddie” and another chestnut, “White Rabbit.”
And one shouldn’t merely focus on the band’s vocal performance. “Marry” closed with an extended power-trio section by bassist Pete Sears, drummer Aynsley Dunbar and Chaquico. Each of these is a powerful player, as evidenced by the evening’s various solos.
Basically, the Starship was a very good band before Ms. Slick rejoined the group. Without dominating the band, she takes it to greatness. No one dominates this group, despite it being a unit where any of the seven members could credibly lead a band.
It’s heartwarming to know these guys aren’t over the hill, because this band and its Airplane predecessor mean a lot to what is creative about rock. But it was more than heartwarming — it was thrilling — to hear and see Wednesday’s show.
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