Looking back, it's hard to believe I once opened solo for the great Steve Forbert at Staches. Not Little Brother's mind you, but the actual, let's-start-a-fistfight-in-the-bathroom, there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-fire-code Staches. Ya been there?

What's even harder to believe is that I got the gig. I mean, I certainly didn't ask for it. Hell, I had never even heard of Steve Forbert before Dan Dougan called and said, "Do you want to open for Steve Forbert? He is one of the best solo acts ever and even had a hit song once. That "Romeo" song. Give you some beer for pay. Are you old enough to drink yet?" I answered yes and yes. Somebody must have cancelled at the last minute and since I lived right around the corner Dan must have needed a quick fix. But rule #1 for a young musician: take the gig.

What's even harder to believe is that I am pretty sure I didn't completely embarrass myself. Certainly I was capable. To say I was "a little green" would be a major understatement. I cannot even imagine what songs I played. I had a bunch of originals but nothing I would dare to play opening for a craftsman such as Steve today. But like a wise man once said, "Youth Is Confusion." I seem to recall going over OK. People clapped 'n stuff. Bought me some drinks. Then, to top it off, Steve's guitar broke and he had to borrow mine for the show. Not quite as cool as Dave Davies borrowing the Watershed kick drum (with our logo on it), but still a thrill for a kid in the presence of a master.

Steve was touring behind Mission of the Crossroad Palms. It is still my favorite Steve Forbert record. (Ricki C. would disagree, of course. Click here for his Steve Forbert preview.*) In fact, I think I have gone on record stating that the opening track "It Sure Was Better Back Then" is one of my top ten favorite songs. Think about that…..TOP TEN FAVORITE SONGS EVER. BY ANYBODY. ON EARTH. And the dude is playing Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza Wednesday, July 22nd.

(*Ricki C. note: To be exact, Mission Of The Crossroad Palms is my third-favorite Steve Forbert record, after 1978's Alive On Arrival and 1980's Little Stevie Orbit, and all of 'em are great.)

A slide show with this fabulous tune from his "Mission Of The Crossroad Palms" album. 1995

And a full show from 1979

Steve Forbert - Full Concert Recorded Live: 7/6/1979 - Capitol Theatre (Passaic, NJ) More Steve Forbert at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com Subscribe to Music Vault: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF Setlist: 0:00:00 - Goin' Down To Laurel 0:04:45 - Romeo's Tune 0:08:36 - Grand Central Station 0:13:20 - Complications 0:20:05 - Smoky Windows 0:24:43 - Settle Down 0:28:51 - What Kinda Guy 0:32:11 - Baby 0:37:53 - Midsummer Night's Toast 0:40:53 - Big City Cat 0:44:50 - The Oil Song 0:52:12 - Say Goodbye To Little Jo 0:55:52 - You Cannot Win If You Do Not Play

Steve Forbert will play this coming Wednesday, July 22nd, at Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza, 5601 N. High St. in Worthington (436-2625). Advance tickets are $20, and are strongly advised.

Steve Forbert is a singer/songwriter whose first album – Alive On Arrival – was released in 1978 and, in my humble opinion, is one of the twenty best singer/songwriter efforts ever. (And yes, I am counting Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Richard Thompson, Dave Alvin & Steve Earle – among dozens of others – in that tally.) Forbert – who will turn 61 in December – scored a modest hit with “Romeo’s Tune” in 1980, which still turns up on oldies radio from time to time, affording him the opportunity to continue touring, but he’s hardly on the level of – to name one – The Who. He’s a hard-working guy without the benefit of C.S.I. franchise tunes or millions of dollars and English mansions under his belt, like Pete Townshend.

I seriously doubt that Steve Forbert tours have the luxury of legions of guitar techs & lighting designers, catered dinners in the Green Room and merch sales in the thousands every tour stop. (I see a lot of paunchy 60-year old guys & late middle-aged women with brand-spanking new Who and Rolling Stones 2015 Tour t-shirts lately in my rock & roll travels.) Hell, I just hope Forbert can afford a roadie to help with the driving. And I hope they’re stayin’ in Red Roof Inn’s rather than Motel 6’s.

I first heard Alive On Arrival sometime in 1979, whilst nursing a rock & roll broken heart and it was just what the sonic doc ordered. Forbert was actually coined a “New Dylan” by Rolling Stone at the time. It’s kind of unbelievable to me that lame-ass rock critics were still using that tired-ass line as late as 1978. “New Dylan” indeed; my term for those guys (and I never would have included Steve Forbert in their ilk) was “junior league Bruce Springsteens.” I once characterized both Tom Waits and Warren Zevon – who I later came to appreciate & love – as “junior-league Bruce Springsteens.”

So what is my point here? My point is that I have watched the fresh-faced kid crooning out “It Isn’t Gonna Be That Way” in the YouTube video below mature into the nearing-Social-Security-rocker detailed in the second, more recent vintage video. My point is that maybe just a few of the literally tens of thousands of aging rockers who attended The Rolling Stones at Ohio Stadium could make it over to Natalie’s to see Steve Forbert. My point is that maybe some iPhone 6/Facebook/Bonaroo kids who have never seen a guy who has been at it for 40 years captivate a room with just an acoustic guitar, a harmonica rack around his neck and a fistful of great, great rock & roll songs, might want to attend a show in the fine, fine, superfine listening room environs of Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza, rather than a football stadium, or a big-ass open field in Tennessee.

(By the way, it wouldn’t break my heart if a few people went to see – to name just two – Marshall Crenshaw at the Lancaster Festival July 31st or Ian Hunter when he opens for the J. Geils Band at the LC in September (much more on that later). (And I don’t think it would kill ya to go see Willie Phoenix sometime for some homemade rock & roll.)

Steve belts out "The Hit" (for probably the 5000th time or so).

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