This show was supposed to be the bands debut at the highly coveted Stage One, co-owned by concert-promoting wunderkinds Harvey & Corky. The Stage-One was considered a premier rock venue in Western NY, comparable to Uncle Sam’s and After Dark or in present day, the House Of Blues and Hard Rock Café.  

Playing at the Stage 1 was a ‘big deal’.  Normally, a local band that wanted a shot at it had to “audition” at the Monday night showcase where bands (without pay) could play on stage and in turn be considered for a future paid gig, but that was not the case for us.  Our band was getting paid!  But, we didn’t get paid… we didn’t even play! Here’s what really happened…

On Saturday October 20, 1979 Parousia was scheduled to open for Rasputin (the premiere “Kiss” tribute band in Western NY) at one of THE top clubs in the Buffalo area. Things were looking up!

Stage 1 booked national recording artists from all over into Buffalo NY.  It was a very successful venue co-owned by concert promoters Harvey and Corky (Harvey Weinstein the movie mogul formerly with Miramax and recently disgraced under an avalanche of sexual allegations including rape).  Weinstein’s foray into the entertainment business began in 1972 while he was attending the Buffalo branch of the State University of New York, where he founded ‘Harvey & Corky Presents‘, a concert promotion company with his friend, Corky Burger.

The band Parousia was ready to launch big… if we were lucky, one of the members of the band would become Harvey Weinstein’s new bitch and then the band would exchange sexual indulgences for a headlining spot on a Saturday night at the Stage 1.   Hats-off to the trooper (Kim?) that takes one (or many) for the band… that’s one helluva team-player eh, corporate America?

Was there a chance our quirky little band might experience some minute level of self-actualization?? …eh, NO!  The booking manager hired to bring in the talent at the Stage 1 was strangely ‘temperamental’. He decided, for some undisclosed reason, that he didn’t want Rasputin performing there and cancelled the entire show, including Parousia, the opening act.

We kept calling and calling, trying to secure a new date, even after we said “Harvey could do anything he wanted to our bodies” we never received a response.  …Too bad, we really could have used the emotional boost from playing the coveted Stage-One.

In spite of this setback, the band forged on. After-all, Parousia was young, Parousia was good… it was only a mater a time before the chance of a lifetime would strike again, right?… right?

Parousia’s last couple of shows in Buffalo went well and the sets were tight, but we couldn’t stop thinking about the Stage1, it would have been a perfect venue to perform the “Good vs. Evil” show-set. Instead, Parousia weathered some of the darkest and depressing bars in town, like the Plant-6 on Niagara Street, Frank’s Casa Nova on Bailey and Kelly’s Inn on South Park Avenue.

 

 

…and ya’ know, who DID get to play at Stage One??  The POLICE!  Sheesh!  I know… some bands get all the breaks.  I wonder what did those guys did for Harvey to get that gig??  H-m-m-m, maybe there’s a deeper back-story as to why he’s called “Sting”?

Parousia’s next gig was one to look forward to, a lucrative college mixer in the social hall at D’Youville College, November 1^st, 1979.