Oct. 7, 1976 review: Jackson Browne at the Century Theater

 


Oddly, this review doesn’t mention the opening act – Orleans. Perhaps that part got chopped off, not an unusual fate for my reviews in those days.

Oct. 7, 1976

Late Show by Browne

Well Worth the Wait

           There were excellent reasons for going to the Jackson Browne late show Wednesday night, but none of them especially practical for anyone who had to be up and about before noon.

          Consider that Browne was paying his annual benediction to the Century Theater, which he helped Harvey & Corky Productions reopen to rock ‘n roll two years ago this month.

          Then remember that the anomie-stricken singer-songwriter only has to go as far as Rochester for his next performance tonight. He could sleep late.

          Those who were prepared to stay far into the night were not disappointed. Browne exited to standing, somewhat bleary applause at 2:20 a.m.

* * *

“NO, WE’RE not in any hurry,” he advised shouters during one of his band’s pauses to tune up. “If this show isn’t moving fast enough, run around the aisles a bit.”

          What was less likely was the appearance at this birthday party of Buffalo’s celebrated superstar-in-hiding, Gregg Allman.

          Leather-jacketed Allman stepped out from backstage with long yellow hair swinging under a handkerchief bandana to do a piano and guitar duet on Browne’s “These Days,” a song Allman has recorded.

          After cheers for the slips and slides of their loosely-tied harmonies, Browne yielded the stage to his guest, who wound through a slow, bluesy “Homecoming Traffic” from his 1974 tour album.

* * *

BROWNE, WHOSE wife died since his last visit here, looked haggard under his short lank brown hair and his set got under way with a tone of weariness and fatalism. But his underlying vitality and the music chosen mostly from his latest album, “Late for the Sky,” soon invigorated the mood.

          He avoided old favorites like the Eagles’ hit “Take It Easy” in favor of newer ones like “Fountain of Sorrow” and an unreleased song for his three-year-old son. He finished in a blaze of uptempo numbers, Allman popping out on one of them to play organ.

* * * * *

IN THE PHOTO: Jackson Browne in October 1976.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Jackson Browne’s star was still rising in 1976, despite the loss of his wife Phyllis Major to a massive overdose of sleeping pills in March. His new album, “The Pretender,” was more successful than its predecessor and the best was yet to come with the release of “Running on Empty” the following year. 

Setlist.fm has an incomplete record of what Jackson Browne played that night:

Farther On

I Thought I Was a Child

For Everyman

These Days

Walking Slow

The Road and the Sky

Fountain of Sorrow 

There’s a much better listing from the following night’s show in the Dome Arena in Rochester:

The Fuse

Farther On

For Everyman

Fountain of Sorrow

I Thought I Was a Child

Late for the Sky

The Only Child

Before the Deluge

The Pretender

The Road and the Sky

Sit Down Servant

Take It Easy

(encore)

Walking Slow 

His band for this tour included David Lindley on guitars and violin, John Mauceri on drums, Bryan Garofolo on bass, mark Jordan on piano and guitar, David Mason on organ and David Landau on guitars.

 

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