Sept. 20, 1973 review: David Crosby at the Century Theater

 

Another Century Theater classic, promoted by the University at Buffalo’s UUAB (University Union Activities Board) Music Committee, which in the Fall 1973 semester probably included a certain Harvey Weinstein. Could this have been the start of Harvey’s relationship with the old broke-down movie palace? 

Sept. 20, 1973 review 

David Crosby Can Play,

But Songs Are Far Out 

          A blue-jeaned and mellowed-out night it is in the Century Theater – in the seats (full except the back of the balcony) and on the stage.

          David Crosby is in blue too. Jeans and a cowboy shirt with shoulders embroidered red. A little less hair in front. A little more out back. Haven’t had a good look at him since Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

          A good-natured, big groundhog of a guy, he’s the one you weren’t quite sure where he came from – oh, right, the Byrds – or which songs he wrote.

          So it was kind of a reacquaintance, running into an old freak friend Wednesday and getting it on again with songs and loose, rambling raps.

          “If he says ‘far out’ one more time, I’m going out there and punch him out,” says one back-stager bugged at Crosby’s comments concerning Alice Cooper. “It’ll be the first rock ‘n roll assassination.”

          His lightheaded philosophizing and his somewhat more-than-adequate guitar playing aside, Crosby’s fortune and appeal are wrapped in his lovable nature and a few fine songs, like a cocktail frank rolled up in bacon.

          There’s “Triad,” a song proposing a triangle. Crosby says he once thought it got him thrown out of the Byrds.

          And “Almost Cut My Hair,” which rises from counter-culture sophomoric to near-noble: “I thought I owed it to someone.”

          Or the beautiful “Guinnevere.” Or “Wooden Ships,” a song about two survivors of a future atomic war, where his occasional vocal bursts go a bit bombastic.

          He gives Joni Mitchell’s “For Free” and for an encore, the cosmic statement of “Long Time Gone.” He presses his hands together and bows out like Charlie Chan.

          Preceding him is John David Souther, an Amarillo Texan who used to play with the Eagles’ Glenn Frey.

          Solo also, Souther snaps strings and scores a hit with his sad, easygoing songs on the complications of love – like loving his best friend’s wife in “Like a Thief” – in a style that mixes country, folk and rock.

          Souther afterwards splits for Granny Goodness to see bassman Eric Ferguson (who toured Europe with him last fall), noting that he’s on the verge of putting together a band with Richie Furay, Chris Hillman, Al Perkins, Paul Harris and John Barbata. They’ll do an album and sure, he says, he’ll get them to Buffalo.

          First show of the fall for UB’s UUAB Music Committee, who should be commended for getting things started a tolerable 15 minutes late. Maybe this year they’ll abolish the Long Wait.

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IN THE PHOTO: David Crosby, pretty much the way he looked in the early 1970s.

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FOOTNOTE: Next time Buffalo would see David Crosby was August 1974 for one of the best Summerfest shows in Rich Stadium, reunited with Stills, Nash and Young after four years of pursuing their solo careers.

          J. D. Souther’s project became the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, which managed to release two albums before personality clashes tore it apart. Al Perkins and Paul Harris were on board, but not John Barbata.

          Setlist.fm recalls only six of the songs from Crosby’s show at the Century. All of them get mentioned in this review.