Stevie Ray Vaughn's Last Show - Alpine Valley − 26 August, 1990
I was at this show. As a matter of fact, I think this was the first concert I shelled out cash for reasonably good seats. Alpine Valley is one of those huge outdoor venues, and I usually bought the general admission tickets that place you way up on the grass, hundreds of yards from the stage.
I'd have to dig up my ticket, but I seem to recall we were in the 15th row or so in the pavilion.
It was a guitar fan's line-up--SRV, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray were on the bill. I remember being pretty blown away with Robert Cray's set, as a matter of fact. Arguably one of the best of the night. He had a very natural guitar tone and did some amazing things.
I had seen Stevie Ray Vaughn several times before--one of the better shows was when he was co-headlining a tour with Jeff Beck.
Sometime after the concert, Stevie Ray's helicopter crashed, killing him. We didn't find out about it until we heard it on the radio the next morning, on the drive back to college. Given the time when it apparently happened, and the absolute gridlock traffic jam resulting from the thousands of attendees leaving the venue at once, I sometimes wonder if we were still in the parking lot when it happened.
I'd have to dig up my ticket, but I seem to recall we were in the 15th row or so in the pavilion.
It was a guitar fan's line-up--SRV, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray were on the bill. I remember being pretty blown away with Robert Cray's set, as a matter of fact. Arguably one of the best of the night. He had a very natural guitar tone and did some amazing things.
I had seen Stevie Ray Vaughn several times before--one of the better shows was when he was co-headlining a tour with Jeff Beck.
Sometime after the concert, Stevie Ray's helicopter crashed, killing him. We didn't find out about it until we heard it on the radio the next morning, on the drive back to college. Given the time when it apparently happened, and the absolute gridlock traffic jam resulting from the thousands of attendees leaving the venue at once, I sometimes wonder if we were still in the parking lot when it happened.
Comments:
kmakice (January 27, 2007. 09:44pm)
I was there, too. It started an ugly trend of seeing the final performances of a few performers, including bluesman Floyd Daniels who celebrated his 80-somethingth birthday that evening.
Stevie Ray Vaughn was on fire that night, with everyone in awe during that last jam with all the greats. A few of us had tickets up in the grass and spent the afternoon and evening rocking to the great music. I had been a huge Robert Cray fan since Smokin' Gun a year or two before that concert, so I was elated that he was joining Vaughn, Clapton and others. I drove back to Greencastle, Indiana overnight and didn't find out about the crash until someone woke me about 10a.
kga245 (February 1, 2007. 12:53am)
I know a guy who would give his left nut to have been at this show. Every time we watch an OSU game together we end up throwing a few beers back. Then out come the guitars. Then out comes the SRV bootleg videos. I didn't really have an appreciation until I combined the three. :-)