some of my memories of the ritz might not be exact, for several reasons. one thing i do remember clearly though is my first concert there as it was my first concert experience. it was a show with mountain as the headliner and rhinoceros before them and maybe a local act opening. that i am not sure about.i really went to see rhinoceros. i loved their song appriot brandy. my friend who was more experienceda concert goertold me i would love mountain. mountain climbing was not yet released and i did not get to hear leslie west before the show, which actually was best i think. after rhinoceros i turned to my friend owen and said “how can they top that”? well, as they stated to clear the crowded stage of all the equipment and started to to expose the three sets of double stacked sunn amps on both sides of the stage (i only learned a few years ago the the sunns were pa amps and speakers that had pre-amps built in that really helped with the extreme volume sound of mountain at that time. they stumbled into them because they could not afford marshalls) i stared to think it was getting possible for mountain to be something i would like. then the tech people (roadies) started sticking drum heads that had a kick that i could only relate to the sound of a nitro funny car at englishtown i knew i was in for some thing special. i had also only smoked pot twice before and hadn’t really gotten high before and that night we had some pot, didn’t know how to roll it , so we ate it earlier. the pot was kicking in as they came on stage and then they let it rip. i am not sure what song they statrted withbut we jumed out of our seats and i think i nearly over the balcony’s edge. the song was probably “blood of the sun”. in all my subsequent mountain shows 99%opened with either “blood of the sun” or “never in my life” and that was on the yet to be released climbing album and would be likely worked in later. well i was hooked that night to them. i am not the most dedicated of concert goer, but do know what i like and don’t. i can’t read or play music but can tell a off night from a great one and how i feel about guitarist’s is “ that leslie west is the best and then there is eric clapton and then all the rest”. this is just my opinion. in the “all of the rest” is many great players and i know everyone has their own way of looking at tings. well, for now that’s it miketars
some of my memories of the ritz might not be exact, for several reasons. one thing i do remember clearly though is my first concert there as it was my first concert experience. it was a show with mountain as the headliner and rhinoceros before them and maybe a local act opening. that i am not sure about.i really went to see rhinoceros. i loved their song appriot brandy. my friend who was more experienceda concert goertold me i would love mountain. mountain climbing was not yet released and i did not get to hear leslie west before the show, which actually was best i think. after rhinoceros i turned to my friend owen and said “how can they top that”? well, as they stated to clear the crowded stage of all the equipment and started to to expose the three sets of double stacked sunn amps on both sides of the stage (i only learned a few years ago the the sunns were pa amps and speakers that had pre-amps built in that really helped with the extreme volume sound of mountain at that time. they stumbled into them because they could not afford marshalls) i stared to think it was getting possible for mountain to be something i would like. then the tech people (roadies) started sticking drum heads that had a kick that i could only relate to the sound of a nitro funny car at englishtown i knew i was in for some thing special. i had also only smoked pot twice before and hadn’t really gotten high before and that night we had some pot, didn’t know how to roll it , so we ate it earlier. the pot was kicking in as they came on stage and then they let it rip. i am not sure what song they statrted withbut we jumed out of our seats and i think i nearly over the balcony’s edge. the song was probably “blood of the sun”. in all my subsequent mountain shows 99%opened with either “blood of the sun” or “never in my life” and that was on the yet to be released climbing album and would be likely worked in later. well i was hooked that night to them. i am not the most dedicated of concert goer, but do know what i like and don’t. i can’t read or play music but can tell a off night from a great one and how i feel about guitarist’s is “ that leslie west is the best and then there is eric clapton and then all the rest”. this is just my opinion. in the “all of the rest” is many great players and i know everyone has their own way of looking at tings. well, for now that’s it miketars