1978
was the year after I graduated from college, but there were more
notable happenings back then. Grease, Animal House and Superman were at
the movies. The Bee Gees controlled the radio waves with music from
Saturday Night Fever. The President was Jimmy Carter (great year for
Jimmy's). Unfortunately the Yankees beat the Red Sox for the American
League Championship. We were hopeful that the Viet Nam War would stay
ended, and committed to taking care of our wounded heroes. We were also
nursing the heartache of losing sons, brothers, husbands, wives and
friends in that horrible war. We were trying to find happy things to do
and one August day we got very happy.

I'm pretty sure that the great summer concert of 1978 was sponsored by Somerfest.

You
remember Somerfest don't you? A crew of youth workers would show up
with a truck and block off a street. People would set up lawn chairs or
sit on their porches and listen to a concert. When my band showed up it
was a rock concert that could be heard for blocks. We played on my
aunt's street, the bass player's street, my street, the lead guitar
player's street and even in front of my grandmother's house. When we
played on my street, we used my house as the "dressing room" and
backstage area. Big Sal was in charge of setting up the stage and
blocking off the street. He is still my friend to this day.

So
this concert at Powder House Park was a mega concert. Three bands!
Bands that I mentioned in my April Fools article – only this show was
for real. The Tools (formerly Shadowfax), Dillinger and Zenophon were
the featured groups.

It was a perfect hot summer Saturday and
the crowds began to form early. The Tools set up at the bottom of the
park near the corner of Liberty and Broadway. Dillinger was set up on
the back of a flatbed truck a little way up the hill. Zenophon,
featuring David Stefanelli, was at the very top near the tower. We
started the concert with a brand new song that we had never played in
public before. It went on to be, along with "Love My Money," a 45 rpm
record that we released later that year. It actually was in the
jukeboxes at Harold's Luncheonette and The Embassy Lounge. The song
that began that day long music festival was called "Spark 'Em Up." As
soon as we played the last note of the last song of our set, Dillinger
blasted the first resounding riffs of their set. And to continue the
seamless afternoon of rock, Zenophon started just as Dillinger strummed
their last chord. I can still hear Stef's awesome voice echoing through
the trees and filling the park with righteous rock! 3 bands supplying
hours of continuous rock to a swarm of happy, well behaved rockers. It
was heaven! What a day! What a concert! What a memory (LOL). Lots of
Led (Zeppelin)!

So Bono, we love you man, but you ain't got
nothing on us! We played Powder House Park on a day that a lot of us
will never forget, long before you graced the Somerville Theater stage.
By the way, please come back soon, you rule.

Move it up 30 years
or so and the tradition continues. "Somerville Student Rocks" will be a
concert featuring local talented musicians on Thursday May 28th at the
Somerville High School Auditorium at 7 pm – and it's free! Interested
musicians, singers, song writers, bands, etc. in grades 6 through 12
should show up at auditions on Friday May 15th from 2:45 pm to 6 pm at
the Somerville High School Auditorium. No back tracks or karaoke please
– live – not Memorex! Somerville's new comedy troupe "Klass Klownz"
will open the show with some funny songs and bits.

Continuing
the long tradition of supplying fine entertainment for our great city,
the office of Mayor Joe Curtatone announced a meeting for local teens
interested in this years Sunsetters. We will be rehearsing 4 nights a
week in June and performing 4 nights a week for seven weeks during the
summer. Performances include the fireworks celebration on July 2nd,
Artbeat and the Mayor's Annual Senior Picnic. Those chosen will receive
a stipend of $500.00 for the summer. Interested teens willing to work
hard and be part of an elite group with a n historic reputation for
excellence should come to the Tab Building at 167 Holland St. Thursday
May 21st at 6:30 pm. Who knows, we may have the next Bono, or Cher
Bono, or a huge rock star who eats Bon Bons.

Somerville has
always produced a lot of talent, and this year because we have so much
going on, it promises to be a great summer with lots of excitement.

So
you see, it was nice to have a mega group like Bono and U2 come to
Somerville, but we are a very special city that is packed with our own
talent. The great rock concert of 1978 at Powder House Park was the
closest Somerville ever got to Woodstock. If you were there, you know
what I mean.