To a completely sold out standing room only crowd, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, an iconic band of the 70’s and a bona fide off-shoot of the Grateful Dead took the stage of the equally iconic Capital Theatre in Port Chester, NY.  The promised start time of 8:00 PM was tantalizingly drawn out to 8:17.  The crowd’s patience and dedication to the band was beginning to wane as the house lights dimmed; with a wave of Buddy Cage’s hand in salute to the crowd, all was forgotten.

The first song, “Where I Come From” had the well initiated singing the chorus and broadening their smiles with each successive stanza.  By the end of the first song, all would have sworn on their lives that the gig started early.

After a rousing welcome from the band greeting the fans with mentions of the Grateful Dead and days of past, the band busted into “I Don’t Know You” and if there was anyone unsure of what a great night this was going to be – all doubts were removed.

The tempo was brought down a hair with “Lonesome LA Cowboy” being offered up but the mood was already cemented and if possible, the crowd seemed to get just a little more animated.

To the uninitiated, the Capital Theatre opened in the 1926 as a Vaudeville Theatre that progressed to theater and subsequently film.  However, in the late 60’s the Capital Theatre became simply known as the Cap.  It would become an icon hosting the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna, Carlos Santana and a very long list of others.  Janis Joplin first sang “Mercedes Benz” at the Cap.  Bands were known to play 3 or 4 nights on their way to New York City, Boston, or Syracuse.  As theatre multi-night gigs gave way to larger single night arena events, the Cap closed its doors, at that time, forever.

Reopened by concert promoter Peter Shapiro in 2011 after a multi-million dollar renovation the Capital Theatre reopened it doors to the eagerly waiting multigenerational fans.  In the present configuration, the theatre seats 1800 people.  Care and attention to detail were painstakingly taken to return this Grande Dame to her former stature.  Added of course would be a fabulous lighting and sound system.

From the conclusion of “Lonesome LA Cowboy” came the simple introduction of the next song.  “I like to think of this as an occupational song” was all the expose we needed before “Henry” would play.

As “Henry” concluded, and before the applause fully concluded, it was announced that it was time “for a little trip to the Bayou” producing a crowd favorite, “Louisiana Lady”.

There were a couple of smells looming that suggested that not all of the “No Smoking” rules were being adhered to their fullest, but it too was  a reminder of days well remembered at this wonderful old venue.  With plenty of dancing in the aisles and the standing room only sections it was a wonderful party for all.

That each show a band plays is different and that each band sounds different in different arenas is the absolute truth.  Over the decades The New Riders of The Purple Sage, like many bands have evolved to their current sound.  Members have passed away, they have left and returned, and they have been added as new.  And, on that Saturday night, the band soared; never heard them sound better.  They were tight, animated, and greatly entertaining.  With only limited time the band agreed on “Dead Flowers” cover of the Rolling Stones classic.  The crowd sang along in perfect unison, the inserted jams shredded stirring the spirits of all to a standing ovation.  It was a very memorable show at an unforgettable venue.

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Bruce Swan is a regularly scheduled radio programmer on WPKN and host of “Music My Mother Would Not Like”.  His show can be heard on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Friday of the month from 1 PM to 4 PM ET on 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT; streamed and archived atwpkn.org/archive.   While leaning heavily on Folk Roots / Americana music, he would describe his tastes as “overall, eclectic”.

WPKN is an independent listener supported community radio station broadcasting  freeform style of  radio since 1963.