The Tubes Free Show

[TheLoony]

June 13 here in Las Vegas is a free show at the Fremont Street Experience. That's a closed road turned into a tourist nightmare, basically. But it's one hell of a nightmare and the shows down there aren't all that bad. I saw Deep Purple last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's a show with The Smithereens, The Tubes & The Motels. So I would assume that means they are second. The stage ain't large, not small either, sort of mid range size. So I would expect this won't be The Tubes with all the bells and whistles.

After reading about them all these years, I know they bring it musically. Theatrically, I wonder if anyone could tell me, possibly, what I might expect to see. I'd bet someone has seen them do scaled down gigs so I'm really curious what type of show they will pull out.

I'm a gonna go anyway. Hell, it's The Tubes and I should not miss this as it's the first time, ever, I've had the chance to see them. At least as far as I know.

As a hard rock/progger type of guy, would I even enjoy the Smithereens? Never heard them but I have them in the category of The Cure, rightly or wrongly, and I don't dig The Cure much at all. Seriously, THEY are the headliners? Ok, whatever. I've heard a few from The Tubes over the years and I even once owned a Motels album(damn, that was a long time ago) but I've never experienced The Smithereens. Just seems odd.

Right-o. I just watched the Suddenly Last Summer video. Only song I could remember from The Motels. Seriously, can we get all directors out of the music video business? What that was about I don't know but still a nice tune. I wonder if the singer is still a babe.

Yeah, I'm shallow.

[spellbound]

You may like the Smithereens. They don't prog, but they can rock. If I remember correctly, the Smithereens were the first '80s band I ever enjoyed hearing at the time. I had been content to listen to '60s and '70s music (hard rock, prog, psych and metal, mostly) through the '80s, but the Smithereens were better than most of their contemporaries. Heard them played at a party, and was intrigued enough to ask who it was we were listening to. Never saw them in concert, but saw them on TV once. Never saw the Tubes or Motels either, but they are both good bands. I can't guess what you'd see on a small-medium sized stage, but the music will be good. If it's a free concert, it's a no-brainer. I'd go.

Unlike you, I like the Cure, or came to like them after the '80s were over, but I never saw any similarity between the Cure and the Smithereens. The Cure were somewhat Goth, the Smithereens never were. I never got into music videos. I watched MTV one day in the early '80s when it was just starting out, and never had any desire to see it again. Maybe it was the hangover I was nursing that day, but I think it was the MTV. I'll never know, as they have since given up anything to do with music.

[Digital_Man]

I've seen the Tubes twice. This should be a great performance.

A bit of trivia here. Martha Davis of the Motels sang with The Tubes on the track "monkey time" from their Outside Inside album. I wonder if she will join them for that song on stage. Somehow I doubt it but you never know. Feel free to mention it if she does sit in with the Tubes for that song.

[SteveSly]

Saw The Tubes a few years ago at a similar type situation. A downtown general admission festival (Kalamazoo MI) with a similar type stage to what is on Freemont Street in Vegas. They put on a really good 90 minute show. Fee did a bunch of costume changes including Quay Lude at the end. They can’t afford to tour at the level where they can haul their own production anymore, so you are not going to get all the theatrics that they used to do, but they do the best with what they have. Musically they were great.

[TheLoony]

Spellbound, I just checked out a couple of clips. You're right, not really in the vein of The Cure but more like R.E.M. or Echo and The Bunnymen, as far as I know that style.

Years ago, a ex went to Cali for a vacation and was going to the race track to see the ponies and EATB were playing that night. As I'm a expert on music, I told the ex she would dig them, knowing her tastes(yet I'd never heard one note of EATB) and I was right. Turns out, they aren't all that bad. Not really my style but still not bad. I'm such a hoopy frood that I got it right.

So, you a gonna go? I see you live in beautiful Nevada so I'm assuming it's Vegas(where else would anyone want to live in this state?)

[TheLoony]

I've seen the Tubes twice. This should be a great performance.

A bit of trivia here. Martha Davis of the Motels sang with The Tubes on the track "monkey time" from their Outside Inside album. I wonder if she will join them for that song on stage. Somehow I doubt it but you never know. Feel free to mention it if she does sit in with the Tubes for that song.

No problem, I will be on the lookout for that.

[trurl]

Always liked this song a lot. Just good solid rock.

[TheLoony]

Saw The Tubes a few years ago at a similar type situation. A downtown general admission festival (Kalamazoo MI) with a similar type stage to what is on Freemont Street in Vegas. They put on a really good 90 minute show. Fee did a bunch of costume changes including Quay Lude at the end. They can’t afford to tour at the level where they can haul their own production anymore, so you are not going to get all the theatrics that they used to do, but they do the best with what they have. Musically they were great.

About what I expected but I figured I'd ask anyway. Knowing so little of the band's music and their history, at this point(I will be checking out their wiki page at the very least before the show) and most of what I read here has gone over my head as I'm unfamiliar with the music. So, this is a good place to start and maybe I should check out the tune Quay Lude, eh? I should get familiar with at least a couple of tunes beside She's a Beauty before the show happens.

Which is really coincidental as I was just looking up the history of the Quaalude a couple of weeks ago. Go figure that, eh?

Frak'n A. I never thought I'd get the chance to see The Tubes. I'm really looking forward to this. AND IT"S FREE!!!! WOOT!! Seriously, there are few bands I haven't seen that I really want to see and The Tubes are one just because of what I've read about them these last few years. Good artsy-fartsy bands are hard to come by these days where I live.

Bummer that I have to miss Extreme next week but that's the way things go. I've seen them but have never seen The Tubes so this will be a make-up for missing one of the few bands that play here I'd like to see.

[TheLoony]

Trurl, missed that one when I looked. I HAVE heard that one. Kinda cool, I admit. Listening to it now I can hear it rock live.

Yeah, I'll stay and check them out. Gonna be hard to stand for all that time but frak it, it's rock n roll. I'm not that old, yet.

[SteveSly]

About what I expected but I figured I'd ask anyway. Knowing so little of the band's music and their history, at this point(I will be checking out their wiki page at the very least before the show) and most of what I read here has gone over my head as I'm unfamiliar with the music. So, this is a good place to start and maybe I should check out the tune Quay Lude, eh? I should get familiar with at least a couple of tunes beside She's a Beauty before the show happens.

Which is really coincidental as I was just looking up the history of the Quaalude a couple of weeks ago. Go figure that, eh?

Frak'n A. I never thought I'd get the chance to see The Tubes. I'm really looking forward to this. AND IT"S FREE!!!! WOOT!! Seriously, there are few bands I haven't seen that I really want to see and The Tubes are one just because of what I've read about them these last few years. Good artsy-fartsy bands are hard to come by these days where I live.

Bummer that I have to miss Extreme next week but that's the way things go. I've seen them but have never seen The Tubes so this will be a make-up for missing one of the few bands that play here I'd like to see.

One of The Tubes most famous songs is “White Punks On Dope”. They usually do it as an encore. The main character in the song is Quay Lude who is a washed up androgynous rock star and Fee acts it out. For “She’s A Beauty” Fee dresses up in his carnival barker outfit playing the character from the video. At the show I saw they opened with “Out Of The Business” in which Fee plays a smarmy business character who turns into a rock n roller. It probably helps to be familiar with some of these songs ahead of time.

Too bad you are not seeing Extreme. I saw them a couple of months ago and they killed it. Great great show.

[SteveSly]

Here is a pretty good clip from a 2014 show with Fee playing Quay.

[SteveSly]

Here is a clip from a few years ago of the smarmy business suit character from "Out Of The Business" (into rock n roll). They often open the show with this one.

[TheLoony]

Steve, thanks.

OK, just watched the first few seconds of Winterland - 1975. Disco artsy-fartsy lounge rock(and I come from a town where lounges are plentiful) - so cool. Three minutes in and I'm laughing my ass off.

They are so serious you can't take them seriously. "A dream date with Paul Williams". Damn, that's funny.

[trurl]

Watch Mondo Bondage. A great tune and about as subversive as you could get onstage in those days

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Anybody have "Genius of America"? Apparently, Spooner is replaced by another guitarist who does a lot of the writing. I'll probably get it since I love all things Tubes and feel that they are a hugely underrated band.

[TheLoony]

I told my boss he's torturing me. Tomorrow night is Great White, Skid Row, the aforementioned Extreme and Twisted Sister. I can't go as I have to work and if I could get the one guy to fill in for me I'd pay for the show then lose money by not working. Just can't at this point in time.

The rub is that we get to deliver pizzas to all four bands. So I'll do one or two of the deliveries at least. Just so not cool.

Frikkin' universe, always playing games with me.

[spellbound]

So, you a gonna go? I see you live in beautiful Nevada so I'm assuming it's Vegas(where else would anyone want to live in this state?)

Las Vegas is about 400 miles away. Too far, even for a free concert. Nevada has many fine places to be. I haven't visited Las Vegas in about 35 years. Enjoy the show!

[SteveSly]

I told my boss he's torturing me. Tomorrow night is Great White, Skid Row, the aforementioned Extreme and Twisted Sister. I can't go as I have to work and if I could get the one guy to fill in for me I'd pay for the show then lose money by not working. Just can't at this point in time.

The rub is that we get to deliver pizzas to all four bands. So I'll do one or two of the deliveries at least. Just so not cool.

Frikkin' universe, always playing games with me.

Saw Great White last year too. I assume this is the official band and not the Jack Russell version. Anyway, they still put on a great show too. Sorry to rub it in.....

[TheLoony]

Yeah, they never ordered the pizzas. But I made up for it today by getting berated by Elvis for delivering his pie too late. Funny as hell IMO. I'm told to go to the back door and Elvis opens the door and gives me shit.

I haven't seen the Hangover flicks but that should have been written into them, somehow. Seriously, it was 109 today, the 31 of May. I'm sweating more than Dan LeBetard and all I want to do is go home after a long stretch of long days at work, and I'm getting berated by Elvis.



I guess he was all shook up that his pie was "late". Sometimes, what happens in Vegas is a joke. Literally.

[SteveSly]

Yeah, they never ordered the pizzas. But I made up for it today by getting berated by Elvis for delivering his pie too late. Funny as hell IMO. I'm told to go to the back door and Elvis opens the door and gives me shit.

I haven't seen the Hangover flicks but that should have been written into them, somehow. Seriously, it was 109 today, the 31 of May. I'm sweating more than Dan LeBetard and all I want to do is go home after a long stretch of long days at work, and I'm getting berated by Elvis.



I guess he was all shook up that his pie was "late". Sometimes, what happens in Vegas is a joke. Literally.

I have been to Vegas many times, but only once in the heat of the summer. Our Winters here in Michigan suck, but not sure that I could deal with 110 degrees every day either.

[Digital_Man]

I remember talking to Fee Waybill briefly and he got annoyed at me because I was unaware at that time(four or five years ago or so)that "Bill Spooner hasn't been with the band in 20 years." He left around 1990. Apparently I should have "googled it." I forgot that it's my responsibility as a fan to know all the details of all the band members.

[ronmac]

Saw them back in the day. Still the most memorable show I've ever seen.

[TheLoony]

I have been to Vegas many times, but only once in the heat of the summer. Our Winters here in Michigan suck, but not sure that I could deal with 110 degrees every day either.

I can barely deal with the heat these days but never could deal with the cold so it goes both ways. One winter in Colorado cured me from ever wanting to move from the desert.

I have most of the day off on Sat., get off at three, go home, cool off a little bit, shower and all that then go downtown. This ain't Rush or DP, in my comfort zone where I know every tune so it should be a neat experience.

[TheLoony]

Steve, it was somewhere between 93 and 98, depending on where in the valley you were, at 10 this eve.

That's not going to change for a long time and will eventually get hotter. The average for the next week will be around 103, eh, give or take. Luke warm.

Fun times indeed. No seats, hard concrete to stand on for hours, a large drunken crowd to boot, and it will be only slightly igneous.

Still, I did one winter in Colorado. Colder than a witches crotch and Michigan I'd wager is just as bad if not worse. I'll take the heat, if only to see chicks in bikinis for nine months out of the year. Oh, yeah, there's that freezing the balls off thing I can't deal with. I sweat a lot in the heat and that keeps me thin, which is plus, so I figure I can lose a few pounds at the show.

Anyway, there's always something wrong about every show. If only I cold park my La-Z-Boy there. It's free so I really won't complain. Not sure how long I'll last but I'll at least check The Tubes off the bucket list.

[SteveSly]

I remember the one time I was in Vegas in August we were downtown at somewhere around midnight and I looked up at the old temperature thing that used to be on top of Binions (don't know if it still there or not) and it read 102. I even took a picture of it.

Yes, I have seen some shows down on Freemont Street before, so I know what kind of crowd you will probably be dealing with. It will be interesting to hear what you think of the show.

Regarding heat vs cold. My wife and I actually love Vegas and have been there a lot, but it has been a couple of years now, in fact we like the southwest in general and have talked about possibly moving somewhere out there when we retire.

I have experienced extreme cold in Vegas though. We were out there one time in March for 3 days of racing out at the Las Vegas Speedway complex (2 nights of Sprint Car racing at the dirt track and NASCAR race on Sunday). For the two night races the temperature dropped and it was so cold we were all bundled up in our winter coats and long underwear, and froze our asses off. We felt like we were back in Michigan. Also was in Vegas once in January and it got really cold at night that time too. Still, no snow and generally during the day it was pleasant. Michigan can be brutal some winters. We live in the southwest of the state so it is not as bad as further north, but we are only about 40 miles from Lake Michigan so we get a lot of lake effect snow dumped on us.