After Last Night
Originally Published Date:
January 27, 2013
I grew up with stories of The A’s and how great a band they were. I had never really heard them, just heard of their reputation. For Christmas, my parents got me tickets to see The A’s: The Last Dance. This was a one-night-only reunion of one of the influential Philly new wave bands who sat on the same ranks of Robert Hazard and The Hero’s (“Escalator of Life”) and The Hooters (“All You Zombies”).
Lead singer, Richard Bush, has in recent years made his way back to the stage with his new band, The Peace Creeps, of which my uncle Roy and life-long friend Jeff Pancoast are members of.
Having gotten copies of The A’s albums within the last month, I just started listening to them and loved what I heard. Needless to say, I was a little excited to see the show.
So, my father and long-time friend Bert picked me up and we headed down. As we entered the club, Underground Arts, both of them pointed out similarities to The Cavern Club that The Beatles made famous so many years ago. But going down stairs that led to a small and almost secretive music venue reminded me of the Bowery Ballroom in NYC.
The atmosphere was a bit strange, but it quickly felt like home when meeting up with a lot of old friends who came out for this regionally historic event. As we entered the club, it was exciting to see Philadelphia radio staple Michael Tearson just inside the door. Rumors began to circulate that a certain radio DJ was to show up and I got excited. As we made our way up to the stage, we saw rock critic Ken Sharp.
About a half hour before the show started, I turned around and was in awe when I saw legendary Philadelphia radio DJ Pierre Robert standing right behind me. Then he spoke in that voice that I have heard all my life and it was just amazing. At first, I was hesitant to say anything to him and bother him. I figured he hears “it’s an honor to meet you” all the time and is probably so tired of hearing it. Then the fan in me took over and I said hi to him. I told him I was a big fan, recalling a radio interview he did many years ago with John Eddie and he loved it. Of all the people I have ever met in radio, I have to say he was by far the nicest, most down to earth. He doesn’t come off as a radio DJ, but a true music fan. That is a trait that I think is lost on so many modern-day DJ’s. As we were all anxiously awaiting the band to take the stage, it was Pierre Robert who shouted out the loudest “come on already”, proving that he is more of a music fan than just a radio DJ.
As The A’s took the stage the magic began. Everyone in the place was transported back to the band’s heyday when the music was rockin’, the club was packed and The A’s were on top of the world. Proving that even though they broke up in 1983, The A’s were STILL the band to see! As I watched them rockin’ out, I developed a new-found respect for such a celebrated band that I knew so little about. After about an hour, they took a short break but came back to the stage with all the drive of the best-known rock stars. The highlights for me throughout the night were “Words”, “The Heart Of America” “Bopalina” “Electricity” (dedicated to all the absent fans), “I Pretend She’s You”, “A Woman’s Got The Power”, “C.I.A. and my personal favorite and show closer “After Last Night”.
The five-song encore included a very brief rendition of “Daydream Believer”, but once the band concluded that they really didn’t rehearse that it, led into “Sunny Afternoon” before covering the Rolling Stones, reminding the fans that “this could be The Last Time, I don’t know”.
They were all gracious enough to hang out, sign autographs and meet with fans. After a show like this, it just concretes my love of The A’s. “After Last Night” it’s safe to say I’m a fan of The A’s. All in all, it was one of those nights that don’t come along too often, where all the stars are aligned perfectly making memories that will be talked about for years to come.
Until next time,
Thanks for reading!
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©2011 ©2022 Grazie Santangelo. All Rights Reserved
