Here are four tracks recorded live at Uncle Sam’s, a very large night club with a big stage featuring national and local acts. I remember my sister Wendy telling me about seeing bands like the early Alice Cooper and MC5 tearing up the stage in the 60’s and early 70’s, and myself seeing many a band there in the later 70’s and into the 80’s, like Gang of Four, Plasmatics and Talking Heads.
Uncle Sams Live Broadcast Buffalo Backstage Ad Thurs. 09.03.81
So you can imagine how excited I was to find out we would be playing on that same stage, opening for a national recording act, with our performance being broadcast live over the radio on WGRQ, aka 97 Rock, probably the most popular rock radio station at the time (not to take anything away from WPHD, WBNY, WBFO, WUWU, WUFO et al).
Uncle Sams Live Broadcast Gusto Ad Thurs. 09.03.81
The club was packed, which is saying a lot because it was so big, and the crowd was really into the show and responsive. I would have to say I remember this one as being one of our better, more memorable gigs. Did I mention the nice big stage? Even after giving up some space for the headliner’s equipment, we still had lots more room to work with than our usual small clubs allow us. And the fact that our performance was being broadcast, but the headliner’s was not, made us feel all the more appreciated.
Parousia Finances Uncle Sam’s 9-3-1981
Parousia was paid only $75.00 to perform live on the radio at Uncle Sam’s. No worries, the band certainly didn’t do this gig for the money because it isn’t often you get one of your songs included on a compilation LP and get to perform on stage at one of the top music clubs in Buffalo AND broadcast live over the radio-waves on one of the most popular FM Rock music stations in town, WGRQ, 97 Rock!
Sound engineer Gregg Filippone showed up to help monitor the sound board for $10.00. Head roadie Dave Styn was paid $10.00 and regular roadies Steve Styn, Keith Huels, Tom (Tim) Miller were paid $5.00 each to assist in carrying stuff to and fro. All in all expense totaled $65.00 and ended up $10.00 in the black. A great night all the way around indeed!
Uncle Sams Live Broadcast V.I.P Invitation Thurs. 09.03.81
Buffalo Backstage Oct. Review of Uncle Sams Live Show Broadcast 09.03.1981
Buffalo Backstage Cover Art Oct. 1981
Mary Grady and Scott Smith win the 97 Rock / Uncle Sam’s promotion during Parousia’s Live Broadcast.
I don’t remember all that much about LA (formerly Love Affair), other than that they put on a good show featuring well written songs, but here’s a little info Gerry dug up for us:
Love Affair from Cleveland, Ohio – 1980
Uncle Sam’s Wants You! … to Party with Parousia Sept 3 1981
Uncle Sam’s Walden Ave Buffalo NY
Lucifer’s Lament
Hello my friends
I’m not your friend you say
You tell yourself you’re good
You don’t do things my way
But I’m inside you
You let me in one day
You welcomed me with open arms
And now I’m here to stay
So you despise me
I know that that’s a lie
Just to delude yourself
That you won’t see hell when you die
So don’t deny me
I give you what you please
You really don’t care that soon
You’re begging on your knees…
(Ten Minutes To Live)
Ten minutes to live
Death at his heels
He can feel the gap growing tighter
Flight, exhausting speed
Is he really real?
He can feel his head getting lighter
But he’s only one step away…
If he would only turn and face what’s coming his way
Feel his body fail
Throw him in the jail
Let his body waste away forever
Because he will not stay
He must now decay
Teach him to fight what is better
But he’s only one step away…
If he would only turn and face what’s coming his way
(Lucifer’s Lament – Reprise)
Hello my friends
There’s not much I can say
In darkness you have seen me
And in darkness you will stay
You’ll never understand
My callous heart yearns truth
I’m not the evil one
Corrupted in your youth
I really couldn’t wait to play this very memorable gig at Uncle Sams. Imagine, us, little ‘ole Parousia doing a live broadcast over the radio (97 Rock) at such a popular and big venue that could literally hold thousands of patrons. Well, earlier on that eventful night of Thurs. 09/03/81 I stopped over my parents house to tell them the good news about our band “kinda’ making the big time”. My mother was completely skeptical that we were playing that night, so I had to put on my best salesman suit to convince her we WERE actually playing that night. I told her I was going to tune her stereo (a popular listening device of the 70s and 80s) to 97 Rock, and all she had to do was to push the power button on at about 5 minutes to around 9PM (I believe that was the time we were slated to play), and I would say hello to her over the radio. After much deliberation and downright arguing/fighting I finally convinced her to do so. Thus, after our band arrived at the Uncle Sam’s gig, and was set up ready to start playing I announced in a loud, boisterous, vociferous, and quite frankly, freakin’ annoying voice: “Hey mom, this is your son talking to you, I hope your doing great and finally believe me now that I’m on the radio tonight, and oh, one other thing, LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL MOM, LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL! Needless to say I almost gave her a heart attack after my statement to her, and she never doubted me again. OK OK, so I’m stretching it with that never doubted me again thing. Hey what do you want, she was a heard headed Italian mother. Need I say more. What a show pilgrims! Keep on rockin’!
Peace out,
Barrymannia
Great story, Barry. Yeah, your mom was one tough cookie, I’m sure she thought this whole music thing was a big scam, but she humored us and let us keep going, which is pretty cool considering she would probably rather you forget about this nonsense and get a real job. 😉
Yes Garth; my mom was ONE TOUGH COOKIE; and actually still is; even with her Alzheimer’s disease. She is very feisty; “set in her ways”; and definitely has a mind of her own on all issues; even dealing with her own health.
No doubt she probably wanted me to “get a real job”. I’m glad though that she did “cut me some slack” playing in the band. I know she did this because of how much I loved to do so; and that’s why I have great respect for her. Once a great mother; always a great mother! -‘Nuff said!
Take care my friend,
Barry da’ dimwitted
What I remember about the show was that i was in an extremely good mood that night. I put my flute between the legs of the 97 Rock DJ (making him look like he had a very long silver penis) while he was standing on stage speaking live on the air. The audience got quite a kick out of that!
Also, Love Affair was the band who threw their wireless guitars high in the air, crisscrossing in an arc to roadies offstage.
Uncle Sam’s was a much bigger venue than we were used to, I believe accommodating up to 3000 patrons. Normally, we played to like, 10 people!
Ha, yes i remember the flute/penis trick. I think the DJ was either Bruce Barber or Carl Russo… Which ever one it was, he didn’t dig it very much.
I remember that the drummer for Love Affair had his own rotating platform that he used during his drum solo. That band had some pretty neat gimmicks and one hell of a light show. All of which, as i understand it, were self financed.
MISS OGYNY by Parousia
Out in the night they lurk everywhere.
Half of the race, I don’t really care.
supposed emotions fill them full
I really do think it’s all a bunch of bull.
I meet her on the street.
Miss Ogyny
She sucks me ‘till I’m dry.
Miss Ogyny
Flashing all that meat.
Miss Ogyny
Aw, she makes me want to cry.
Miss Ogyny
Well they take all you got in the wink of one eye
And they’ll wave it in your face to make you rise.
They’ll feed you to exhaustion and you think you got it made
Then they’ll trot away and leave you frustrated, frustrated, frustrated…
I meet her on the street.
Miss Ogyny
She sucks me ‘till I’m dry.
Miss Ogyny
Flashing all that meat.
Aw, she makes you want to cry
Miss Ogyny
I don’t know why they’re out there
The flirts who walk the street.
Oh God its Miss Ogyny.
Its show, it’s fake
I want some but I just can’t take oh God it’s Miss Ogyny.
I’m talking ‘bout you yeah, Miss Ogyny.
I see you sitting right there with your legs in the air
And flashing all that meat and you think it’s so cool
Oh I hate, hate, hate, hate,
hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate,
oh I hate you, I hate you.
Miss Ogyny
We were really not too keen on playing “Miss Ogyny” since Kim was gone and that ship had sailed long ago. The reason I knew it so well is because I always did it in practice – Kim rarely attended by that time. I even wrote my own parody of the song:
Stumbling down the street
Massage my knee
It really f**kin hurts
Massage my knee
REVELATION by Parousia
Baked hair and lavish grin.
Pink face and a cup of tin.
Carrying on, where have you been?
Making the world some-what nicer.
Tired music and tired bones.
The hollow ring of the Public phones.
And “what to do” between the grunts and moans,
Making the world some-what nicer.
REVELATION — take me away!
REVELATION — take me away!
Tender hearts and easy money.
It takes some time to realize.
After thirty million tries.
The game is not that funny.
Tired music and tired bones.
The hollow ring of the Public phones.
And “what to do” between the grunts and moans,
Making the world some-what nicer.
REVELATION — take me away!
REVELATION — take me away
great band
Tuesday Night Ladies Night! You didn’t want to know anything about the “Ladies drinks”.
I won those front row ticket’s that nite
Lucifers Lament was always one of my favorites.
sounds great !
(RE: “Won’t Get Fooled Again”) Wow! Great rendition!!!! Thanks for sharing!
(RE: “Won’t Get Fooled Again”) Great job on that one!