What better way could Parousia earn money on a hot summer night, if not rocking-out at a cool little club on the Olcott beach harbor?

This time around, “certain members” of the band and entourage did the smart thing and kept their alcoholic drinks INSIDE the bar and away from the cops outside, cruising up and down the boardwalk like hungry sharks ready to bite.

Tonight’s gig at the Eagle’s Roost was muchly looked forward to. It was the band’s first gig after being slammed in the media when the press published a harshly worded complaint about Parousia’s outdoor ‘fourth-of-July’ concert in Riverside Park. The bloke who wrote the complaint called Barry “dim-witted!” (assuring Barry’s eternal nick-name as ‘The Dim-Witted Guitar Player’). By the time tonight’s show rolled around, the band was still having a good laugh over that one! Check out some cool pics and more stories from the Riverside Park concert right here: https://parousiabuff.com/shows/riverside-park-july-3-1981

Tonight’s show at the Eagles Roost was Parousia’s second attempt at performing a new “modified” show set. Unfortunately, it wasn’t coming together and didn’t have the same impact as the original set that earned the band some notoriety. Following this attempt, the band decided to put aside the show-set notion and focus on learning new and challenging “progressive” songs to add to the repertoire, like “Long Distance Runaround” and “Perpetual Change” by Yes; “Squonk” and “Abacab” by Genesis.

Tonight, the band was paid $250.00 to play our third gig at the Eagle’s Roost, Friday July 17, 1981. Plus, we took in another $65.00 as an overdue debt from the band’s May 14^th gig at the Old Harmony Bar when the band was shorted and paid $175.00 only (after providing three-sets of rock music!) It took about two months for ‘bull-dog’ Barry to hound another $65.00 out of’’em… but of course, actions have consequences and that was the last time Parousia played the Old Harmony Bar.

The expense for tonight’s show at the Eagles Roost included light-man, Mike Carroll, paid $50.00, (he normally gets $40.00 but he kept on and on about the long drive to Olcott and the extra expense for gas). Dave Styn, ‘head-roadie’ /sound-guy was paid $40.00, plus three ‘roadies’, Steve Styn (Dave’s younger brother), ‘Steven’, (Mike’s questionable friend) and Keith Huels (Garth’s brother). Barry (the not-so dimwitted when it come to his own money) was paid $10.00 gas expense because he drove a bunch of us to and from the gig. (The rest of us got nuthin’ as usual). The truck rental cost $48.00 for the day and the booking agent Buffalo Backstage (Rick) took their 15%, $38.00.

Expense for the evening totaled $216.00, leaving the band with a “massive” $65.00 profit and that money went directly into rent for the band’s rehearsal studio at the Music Mall. At least the beauty of performing near the lake on a summer night helped each of us tolerate the money we weren’t earning.