OH YES IT IS!
Enough residents of Santa Monica, fed up with seeing an endless parade of unneeded tall, monstrously-sized buildings ruining the look of our once-beautiful city forever, fed up with standing by helplessly as our history and culture and everything that made us special were thrown in the trash bins by politicians and developers and City staff who couldn’t care less (most don’t even live here) – finally got upset enough and expressed that anger, that the School Board had to back down and withdraw their offer to take over the iconic venue. So, HALLELUJAH!
So what if that news ruined the column I had already labored so many hours over? Well worth it! And it is still a useful list, I think. Of all the concerts ever at the SMCA. But try as I might, it is incomplete. And does not mention the many big names in the film industry who were there when we hosted the Academy Awards from 1961-68. It’s a daunting list to peruse, so I boldfaced the shows I felt were significant.
1959: Dave Brubeck Quartet
1962: Pete Seeger
1963: Frank Sinatra
1964: James Brown, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Supremes, Lesley Gore, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Jan & Dean (2)
1965: Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, Skip James, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Chambers Brothers … Bob Dylan (6)
1967: The Yardbirds, Iron Butterfly , Moby Grape, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band … Spirit, Linda Ronstadt , Strawberry Alarm Clock … Grateful Dead, Robert Hunter … Buffalo Springfield , Blue Cheer, Sonny Terry/Brownie McGhee
1968: Cream, Steppenwolf, the electric prunes, Penny Nichols … The Turtles, Eric Burdon & the Animals … Buffalo Springfield , Blue Cheer , Brownie McGhee
1969: Creedence Clearwater Revival , Sir Douglas Quintet … Jethro Tull
1970: Grateful Dead, Cold Blood … Neil Young … Creedence Clearwater Revival , Sir Douglas Quintet … Pink Floyd … Trafffic … Van Morrison, John Lee Hooker … Mountain, Zephyr… Frank Zappa /The Mothers Of Invention, The Persuasions … Johnny Winter , Savoy Brown … The Kinks … Elton John, Odetta … Derek & the Dominos
1971: The Bee Gees, The Staple Singers … Mountain … John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat … Procol Harum , Fanny , Spencer Davis Group … Allman Brothers Band … Pete Seeger
1972: Traffic … King Crimson , Fairport Convention , The Blues Project … The J. Geils Band, Edgar Winter … Humble Pie, Sweathog … Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band , Little Feat … Procol Harum, Eagles (2) … Dave Mason, Cold Blood, J.D. Souther … The Doors … mahavishnu orchestra … The Kinks … Ella Fitzgerald, Tommy Flanagan, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson … The J. Geils Band, Peter Frampton … David Bowie (2) … mahavishnu orchestra, The Section
1973: Steve Miller Band, Paul Butterfield’s Better Days, Jesse Davis … Stevie Wonder … The J. Geils Band … T. Rex , Albert Hammond … Little Feat, Focus … Steely Dan … Steely Dan, The Allman Brothers Band
1974: Poco, Peter Frampton, Maggie Bell … Genesis … Aerosmith, Mott the Hoople … Jefferson Starship … Mott the Hoople, Aerosmith … Todd Rundgren/Utopia … ELO, Elvin Bishop … Bruce Springsteen … Frank Zappa, Tom Waits (2) … Robin Trower. Golden Earring, Spooky Tooth … Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth … Black Sabbath … Rory Gallagher, Status Quo … Frank Zappa … Golden Earring … The Kinks … mahavishnu orchestra … Dickey Betts, J.J. Cale … Donovan … Waylon Jennings, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen … Marshall Tucker Band, Little Feat
1975: Queen, Mahogany Rush … Leslie West, John Mayal … Spirit … Procol Harum … Strawbs, Pablo Cruise … Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits … Harry Chapin … Rainbow … Fleetwood Mac
1976: Queen (4) … Thin Lizzy, Journey … Steve Miller Band … Hall & Oates … Boston … Patti Smith … Country Joe & The Fish, Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Robert Hunter … Lou Reed … Sparks , Flo & Eddie , Van Halen … Bob Seeger & Silver Bullet Band, Jackie Lomax
1977: Bay City Rollers… Kansas … The Kinks … Billy Joel … Cheap Trick, The Runaways … Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nektar … Black Sabbath … Todd Rundgren … David Bowie , Iggy Pop , Blondie … Larry Coryell, Alphonse Mouzon, Earl Klugh … Jimmy Buffett … Iggy Pop … Be Bop Deluxe , Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (2) … Rush, UFO (2)
1978: Ramones, The Runaways … Aerosmith (2) … Elvis Costello, Mink deVille, Nick Lowe … Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (2) … Eric Clapton (2)
1979: Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson … Tim Curry … Judas Priest … The Clash, Bo Diddley, The Dils … Jethro Tull … Bob Dylan (4) … The Babys, The Beat
1980: The Clash , Lee Dorsey , Mikey Dread … Gary Numan … The Jam … The Eagles (3) … The Pretenders … Devo … Frank Zappa … Iggy Pop, Gang of Four … Frank Zappa
1981: The Boomtown Rats , The Blasters … The Tubes … The Pretenders … Oingo Boingo … U2, Suburban Lawns … Frank Zappa
1982: Ray Charles … Mike Oldfield … Sparks, Gun Club … Country Joe & The Fish, Jackson Brown, Graham Nash, Odetta, Kate Wolf, Holly Near, Wavy Gravy, Robert Hunter … Joan Jett & The Blackhearts … “Weird Al” Yankovic, Missing Persons … Prince … Mötley Crüe, The Miss Nude Heavy Metal Contest (cancelled)
1983: Black Flag, Misfits … Dio … Dio … Motley Crue (2) … Ratt, Steeler … Night Ranger, Rough Cut
1984: Saxon … The Clash, Los Lobos … Siouxsie & The Banshees
1985: The Damned, 45 Grave … The Cult … Prince
1986: The Jesus & Mary Chain, Butthole Surfers … Loudness … Megadeth … Blue Oyster Cult … mahavishnu orchestra
1987: Megadeth, Overkill, Necros … Alice Cooper … Anthrax, Metal Church, Testament
1988: Guns N’ Roses, Great White, Armored Saint
1989: Buzzcocks, Bad Religion, The Nymphs
1990: Joe Satriani (2) … Soundgarden, Danzig (2)
1992: The Beach Boys
1993: The Offspring, Bad Religion, big drill car … Sonic Youth, Screaming Trees … Rage Against the Machine, House of Pain … Dinosaur Jr., Redd Kross … Cypress Hill, House of Pain
1994: Dinosaur Jr. … Phish, Dave Matthews Band … Korn, House of Pain, Biohazard … Suicidal Tendencies … Bad Religion
1995: Melvins, White Zombie (2)
1997: Marilyn Manson
1998: Jackson Browne … Emmylou Harris, Little Feat, Jackson Browne (2) … Portishead … Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, David Lindley
1999: Queens of the Stone Age, Bad Religion
2000: Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, The Byrds, Warren Zevon, Graham Nash, David Crosby, David Lindley, Randy Meisner, Chris Hillman
2007: Rilo Kiley, The Bird and The Bee
2008: Bob Dylan … Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez … My Bloody Valentine
2011: Black Flag, Social Distortion, Adolescents, Bad Religion, Youth Brigade, TSOL, The Vandals, The Dickies, Descendents … Bad Religion, Youth Brigade, TSOL.
Charles Andrews has lived in Santa Monica for 37 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or rebuke to him at therealmrmusic@gmail.com