One of the most overlooked, underrated eclectic early American progressive rock/jam band pioneers, Gypsy, is playing their last run of live shows the next 2 weekends. Led by original member, lead singer, writer and Hammond organist James "Owl" Walsh, this fantastic band is playing 3--yes--3 shows at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL this weekend, a Friday night, Sat afternoon matinee show believe it or not, and a final St.Louis area show on Sat night in their biggest area of popular support.
This band has been championed and supported by the iconic StL FM station KSHE for 47 years since that magnificent debut double LP came out, with the classic FM staples of Gypsy Queen pts I and II, Dead and Gone, Tomorrow is the Last to Be Heard etc., which accounts for their massive cult popularity in this area, even thought the band originated out of the Minneapolis area. The Wildey is a beautiful intimate restored old movie theater (think the Chicago area's Arcada Theater, but half as big), and although these shows virtually all sold out almost immediately, there might be a few scattered seats remaining for some of them. Gypsy is then playing their last live concert ever the following Saturday in Minneapolis(just one show). Walsh is in his late 60s, and although his great vocal pipes are still going strong, I think he's decided that the traveling is too much at this point.
This band includes a 4 horn brass section, 2 percussionists and many long time members who have been with Walsh since the 70s, and they are a great live band that retain that signature harmony sound with Walsh's organ. Its a shame they have never gotten the national popularity they deserved, right from the get go. Their first 2 albums are absolute treasures and are highly sought. I thought this last run of live shows deserved a shout out as they close their touring career, the last time these treasured classics will be played live. I've been fortunate to see them live many times over the years, and I will be there for this last run of shows.
Anyone who is a Gypsy fan should seek out a couple of great DVDs they have released in the last few years. One is a complete live concert DVD filmed at the Wildey Theater a few years ago, and the other is one of the best documentary films about a band I have ever seen, called Rock and Roll Nomads, which traces them from their start as a Minneapolis early 60s garage rock band as The Underbeats to their move to LA as the house band at the Whiskey as Gypsy in the late 60s and into the 70s. Their story is fascinating yet frustrating and sad, marked by the tragic suicide of their primary lead singer and writer Enrico Rosenbaum in the late 70s. The doc even details how the band got caught up in the police investigation of the Tate-LaBianca Manson murders because they were renting a house right behind the LaBiancas at the time in LA. The band has a website and a facebook page where these DVDs are available.
As great bands like this disappear from the music landscape, its important that they be remembered because music like this isn't being made anymore. Those first 2 Gypsy albums sound as fresh and dynamic today as they did in the early 70s--I have been playing them for over 40 years and never tire of them. Simply a great band.
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