Rockin' Rochester: 1970's

1970

"Life" b/w "For Me" The Crystal Revelation Fine FI-2709 (February 1970) ("Life" is available on "Project Blue #5 (Can't You Stop It Now!)" Destination X LP 1999)

"Come On, People" b/w "Free Again "The Rustix -Rare Earth 5014

"It isn't easy" b/w "My Someone" Blades Of Grass Fine FI-57027 (May 1970)

The Rochester Lancers defeat Washington to win the North American Soccer League title.

September 14th:Led Zepplin plays the War Memorial.

October 9th: The Small Faces  (with Ron Wood & Rod Stewart) play 2 shows at "The Club".

November 11th: The Small Faces again play "The Club".

1971

Thursday, January 21st:Captain Beefheart plays two shows at RIT's Ingle Auditorium.

"Come On, People" LP The Rustix -Rare Earth

"My Peace Of Heaven" The Rustix -Rare Earth 5034

"We All End Up In Boxes" b/w "Down, Down" The Rustix -Rare Earth 5037

The Rochester Red Wings defeat Denver to win the Junior World Series.

September 11th:Led Zepplin plays the War Memorial.

Rochester's Steve Gadd moves to NYC become one of the most respected session drummers in popular music. 

1972

January 5th: WHEC-AM (1460)(news & MOR music) changes format  to Top 40 and call letters to WAXC-AM. The "Greaseman" is the evening DJ.

1973

March 5th: Alice Cooper play the Auditorium Theatre.

September 22nd: The Slade play SUNY Geneseo.

October 16th: The New York Dolls play the War Memorial.

Lydia Lunch (nee Koch) leaves Rochester for NYC. Punk rock is in her future. 

The Penny Arcade opens  up at 4785 Lake Avenue.

1974

WDKX-FM (103.9) signs on the air as Rochester's first full-time Soul and R&B format station.

June 1st: The Slade play the War Memorial.

June 17th: David Bowie plays the War Memorial on his "Diamond Dogs" tour.

"Stick Around" b/w "Cruisin'" Black Sheep Chrysalis 2038 (Pre-Foriegner Lou Gramm)

"Black Sheep" Black Sheep Capitol LP ST-11369 (Pre-Foriegner Lou Gramm)

"A Little Or A Lot" b/w "Broken Promises" Black Sheep Capitol 4012 (Pre-Foriegner Lou Gramm)

November 14th: Frank Zappa  plays the War Memorial.

1975

February: Rochester drummer Joe English joins Paul McCartney & Wings and plays on the #1 LP's "Venus And Mars" "Speed Of Sound" and "Wings Over America" as well as the #2 LP "Londontown".  He also is on the #1 singles "Silly Love Songs", "With A Little Luck" and the international mega-hit "Mull Of Kintyre". Joe stays through November 1977.

"Unkle Roger" joins WCMF-FM (96.5)

February 11th: The Faces open their North American Tour at the War Memorial.

April 28th: Aerosmith's 'Toys In The Attic' tour comes to the War Memorial.

"Encouraging Words" Black Sheep Capitol LP ST-11447 (Pre-Foriegner Lou Gramm)

October 5th: Kiss play at the Dome Arena.

November 17th: Bob Dylan's 'Rolling Thunder Revue' play two shows at the War Memorial (Mick Ronson & Roger McGuinn on guitar)

1976

February 11th: The Slade play the War Memorial. BTO headlines the show.

March 20th: David Bowie plays the War Memorial as part of his "Station To Station" tour.

March 21st: Iggy Pop & David Bowie are involved in a drug bust in their room  at the Flagship Americana Hotel in Rochester.

Monday July 26th: Elvis Presley plays the War Memorial.

1977

February: "Scorgie's" opens up at 150 Andrews Street; it becomes the hub of Rochester's New Music scene.

Wednesday May 25th: Elvis Presley plays the War Memorial.

November 3rd: Captain Beefheart plays two shows at the Red Creek Inn on Jefferson Road.

December 6th: The Kinks play the University of Rochester Pallestra.

"Hey mister" b/w "Red swirls" Distorted Levels (Pre-Chesterfield Prevost-The name of the group says it all)

1978

April 6th: The Sweet plays the Auditorium Theatre. Starz opens the show.

April 20th: The Ramones play the Penny Arcade.

May 3rd: The Real Kids play live on WCMF-FM. The performance is released on the 1993 Norton Records CD "Grown Up Wrong".

May 4th: The Real Kids play the Penny Arcade. Somes songs from this performance are also included on the "Grown Up Wrong" CD.

SPRING: WMJQ-FM (92.5)changes format from light rock to Album Oriented Rock.

1979

March 24th: Elvis Costello & the Attractions play the Auditorium Theatre. The Rubinoos open the show.

April 28th: McGuinn, Clark & Hillmen play the Triangle Theatre. Hot Face opens the show.

May30th: Eric Clapton plays the War Memorial. Muddy Waters opens the show!  

July 7th: The Ramones play the Triangle Theatre. New Math opens the show.

WAXC-AM (1460) changes format from Top 40 to Religious.

WSAY-AM (1370) changes format from progressive-free form rock  to Country.

Thursday September 13th: Joe Jackson plays the Triangle Theatre. The Records open the show.

"Die Trying" b/w "Angela" New Math -Reliable 45 (Founding fathers of the New Music scene in Rochester)

FAMOUS ALUMNI:

Lou Gramm (Gramattico) Black Sheep, Foriegner 

Wendy O. Williams (Webster,NY native) and the Plasmatics who have been making a name for themselves in NYC, begin getting press coverage in 1979.

Radio:

WBBF-AM (950) Top 40

WSAY-AM (1360) Progressive rock, free form

WAXC-AM (1460) Top 40

WRUR-FM (88.5) Variety; Punk & New Wave in the late '70's.

WITR-FM (89.7) is @10 watts and can only be heard on campus and in the immediate vicinity of RIT.

WCMF-FM (96.5) Album rock, free form

WVOR-FM (100.5) Contemporary, lots of oldies, and Dan Guilfoyle's "The Glory That Was Grease" Sunday night radio show, playing the well known and the obscure from the 1950's & 1960's.