Yes, we were outrageous and sensational. Almost overnight the “Good vs. Evil” show-set was a hit and the word spread fast and upon our return to Melanie’s in Williamsville, NY we observed a surprising up-tick in attendance. The manager at the bar was pleased and afterwards he booked us back every Sunday until the end of summer! Whoa, we weren’t expecting him to make quite an offer but we were sure ready for it.
Buffalo Evening News ‘Gusto’ – Melanie’s 08.17.1980
About a week earlier we had new promotional photos taken at Forest Lawn Cemetery. The shots were taken by Marsha Falkowski. Our new manager Rick Falkowski, introduced us to her and when she saw us, she had an idea for a photo shoot. It turned out better than we had imagined. We finally had an image that fit our music.
Parousia – August 1980, hanging out at the Crypt.
The crowd drank and was a bit rowdy, (just how we liked it). The audience was ‘concert-like’ in its appreciation for our presentation of cover songs like “Hocus Pocus” by Focus, “Cross-Eyed Mary”, “Hymn 43” and “Locomotive Breath” by Jethro Tull, “Suffragette City” by David Bowie, “He’s a Whore” and “Surrender” by Cheap Trick, and “One Way or Another” and “I Know But I Don’t Know” by Blondie.
Among the best loved songs were “Second Coming/ Ballad of Dwight Fry” by Alice Cooper, “White Punks On Dope” by the Tubes and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by the WHO. People really got into those in a big way.
Parousia Band Flyer – Melanie’s 08.17.1980
We settled into a nice pattern at Melanie’s with our set-up and routine and tonight was the first night in a while where it felt like this universal ballet was in sync. We hit a sweet spot… Parousia had just played our first Friday and Saturday back to back weekend gig at the Plant-6 in Kenmore and now tonight, on Sunday, to a great crowd at Melanie’s. Things were moving in the right direction. It had been a busy summer and Parousia was already booked to do 20 shows until the end of the year.