The Velvet Underground’s John Cale comes to Fryfogle’s and plays an intense, riveting solo set in June 1983.  

It was particularly extraordinary for me that I finally got to see him at this point in time, not only because I was way deep in Velvets-mania in the early 80s — with all the original Velvets albums finally being widely and easily available, arriving alongside “Edie: An American Biography” — but also because I ended up sitting cross-legged on the stage about two feet in front of Cale as he performed.  Indeed, this was the best seat I have ever had at a live show!

And I thought I’d had it good during the previous fall when I got to park my elbows on centre stage during a Joe Jackson show (EP 19).

Tune in for a disciplined bladder, a set list of my dreams, and being able to see the pores on John Cale’s face. 

Go to mylifeinconcert.com to read the original 2011 blog entry. 

Next on Stage --> It’s the third and final Police Picnic on August 5, 1983, once again at CNE stadium as well as the 4th and final consecutive summer of attending a huge, open air festival.

 While the first fest ran overlong but otherwise smoothly, the 1982 edition was the worst concert experience of my lifetime, even if the music was good.

 As also was the case with 1982, this 1983 excursion came complete with a drug misadventure …. wait, scratch that last bit. What’s the opposite of “misadventure”?

 For this episode, not only will Special Guests aka Phil Robinson be re-joining me to look back on the day, his pal from back in the day, Noelle, also joins us in this episode. The two of them went to festival along with a group of people and reconnect live for the first time since the 80s, and help each other piece together their experiences from that day.

 So, it’s a first for the podcast, with a 3-way interview and reminiscence.

 Please return next time dear listeners for a euphoric day of great music, accidently taking narcotics, being trapped in a revolving door, smashed porcelain smokers on Queen Street West, and a goodbye to the tea-drinking Police, who were in Synchronicity with the world at that moment.

 Go to mylifeinconcert.com to read the original 2011 blog entry, (EP 27, no.19) Police Picnic ’83 featuring The Police, Peter Tosh, James Brown, King Sunny Adé, Blue Peter, and The Fixx: Walking on the Moon, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Friday August 5, 1983.