This is my experience at the show. Following this paragraph is a setlist as well as a short interview given by the beloved Paul Kanter........
I had sent you a message and you said it would be alright to send you some of the highlights of the Jefferson Starship (not "Starship" like so many yuppies and factory workers thought they were going to see) show at The House of Blues in Chicago on Wed. 25 of 98. Let me tell you friend this show went beyond what I ever thought I would have ever seen. The opening band was called Jerrys Kids (go figure, a Grateful Dead coverband) that was actually quite impressive. They played, to be honest with you, better than the Dead had the last few times I had seen them in 94-95. But I was too excited to be concerned with the band because the Jefferson Starship (now labelled JS) was about to take off. Two friends as well as myself positioned ourselves strategically on the left portion of the stage because that's where Paul Kanter positions himself with the full band. I mean my friend we were right there leaning on the stage where JS would be performing in a few minutes. More and more people began to move up to stage area but we had permanently staked ourselves on our zone. No one could move us as we formed the Triad.
All of the sudden the sweet swell of the acoustic guitar began to sing as the curtains rolled back and there sat Paul Kanter, Jack Casady, Diana Mangano, and T. Lavitz on keyboards. Sure enough this was not the full band. It was the Acoustic Explorer and they had more than just taken off. They had entered into another realm and took willing participants with them. The opening song was Wooden Ships and the performance was more than satisfaction. It was beyond the scope of imagination. Yuppies left as they realized that there would be no "We Built This City" or "Set the Night to Music". Pot smoke filled the air and the atmosphere took on the characteristics of a Bay area coffee shop. I mean christ, Jack Cassady could kick my head in he was so close. And he did but with his music did he ever so delicately shave my head with his power. T. Lavitz was positioned furtherest to the left, then Jack, then Paul, and then Diana. We of course wanted to sit in front of Paul but we probably enjoyed sitting in front of Jack just the same. Jack held some conversation with my friend and I a few times. Later my friend Charlie had requested "Have You Seen the Stars Tonight" and Jack just laughed at us and said that that song had been in a Delta Airline crash and that it couldn't perform tonight. Maybe he thought we were on some hallucinogenic drug of sorts and he was playing with us??. Whatever the case it was a great time with Jack as he made fans feel the brute force of his massive bass power. Paul, who was no more than eight feet away from us, occasionally looked over at us which sent shock waves down to the bone. I mean this man is more than just a creative thinker, he is a philosopher who has sacrificed himself for the betterment of humanity by contributing his skills by pointing to the future of our world composition and bureaucracy. He KNOWS WHAT IS COMING DOWN THE ROAD. And he does it all with fashion and elegance. Throughout the show he would look at us while strumming powerfully and this elevated us to an abnormal degree of happiness. THE MOMENT WENT BEYOND HAPPINESS. We could also hear Paul and the rest of the band communicate so well that we heard things we probably shouldn't have heard. On one song Millenium Beyond (new tune I assume) Paul was talking to Jack and got so caught up in the moment of fine tuning the song that he forgot to come in on time with the vocals. But it was so perfect anyway that We also were caught up with him in his performance. Diana was ungodly attractive as well as an excellent singer. Her voice is more delicate than Grace's yet she retains such a matter of control over her voice that it is shocking. I am sure she will go places and she will enlighten the path where ever she goes. T. Lavitz was also an excellent performer but didn't get enough credit for his abilities. Everyone made solo efforts and were applauded loudly. When he soloed though no one really applauded except for me as I whistled at the top of my lungs for his performance. Well enough of that.... I will show you the setlist and interview I promised....
Setlist for the "Acoustic Explorer" featuring Paul Kanter, Jack Casady, Diana Mangano, and T.Lavitz. Performance at House of Blues, Chicago on the 25 of Feb. 1998.
Wooden Ships
Other Side of This Life
Lather
Sketches of China
Your Mind Has Left Your Body
Lawman
Millenium Beyond
Triad
White Boy (Trancaucasian Airmachine Blues)
Beyond the Border ????(Not quite sure on title)
Out of the Rain
All Fly Away
---Mystery song, not sure of title, will find out?
Metaphysics, Body (Again not sure of title)
A Papa John Song
Encore:
Poem by Paul Kanter
New Song by Paul Kanter (title not told)
And finally........
Volunteers
Yes my friend this concert was by far the most intense experience I have ever encountered. They performed material such as Sketches and Your Body that I thought I never would see performed. And they all did such a good job at living it. They were grateful to us all and after the vast majority of people left my friends and I had the opportunity of a life time of meeting Paul and Jack (Lavitz and Diana weren't out). I walked up to Paul Kanter as I saw him walk from behind the curtains and jump down to run towards the Bar of all things. A man ordered him a Vodka Tonic and Paul was very grateful. My friends got his autograph first. Conversation went like this.......
My friend pulled out his CD cover to Sunfighter and Paul signed it while laughing. He said that it was funny to see his daughter China all grown up now (27 years old) and he said that she has an acting job on the TV show HOME IMPROVEMENT. SHe is the niece of Tim Allen's nextdoor neighbor (better known as the man you can never see, or Wilson). She is doing very well with this job and Paul said that he is very happy that she has a job finally (he said this jokingly, not harshly). On the show I guess her mock parents are supposed to be diehard hippies oddly enough. The next discussion I had with Paul was about a possible new album release soon since there were several songs which were new pieces. He said that IN FACT THAT THERE IS ALREADY A NEW ALBUM OUT NOW. But it isn't out yet here in Indiana or Illinois go figure. So if it isn't out at all yet anywhere it will probably be out soon. But it is going to be unbelievable no matter what. Paul is returning to his deep, cynical self pushing the envelope of political criticism and leaving the Earth behind once again. The new songs are deep and intellectual. Throughout the show he talked so much more than any performer I had ever seen before. We talked about love, war, hate, drugs, power, Lewinskis and Iraqis. This is what he wants and you can feel it. He wants to change the flawed image of the Starship legacy and return to intellectualism. WOW And we saw it. Finally we got Jack's autograph. He was funny and he made fun of us on a joking manner by acting if we were his children or something (I am only 23, so I guess I am young). But he was tired and so were we so we let him go and that was it. The most perfect show ever in my history. There are so many more things I would like to tell you all. So write me back and I am sure I can find some more stuff to talk about because Paul and I talked for awhile but I was drinking with him so I forgot some stuff.