FUV Five Favorite Concerts: Dennis Elsas
Dennis Elsas was present at some legendary rock gigs—like Springsteen at the Bottom Line in '75 and the Concert For Bangladesh.
We're shining a spotlight on live concerts and performances. The FUV on-air staffers compiled individual lists of five memorable and marvelous shows that have stayed with them over the years.
Dennis Elsas's Five Favorite Concerts:
The Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden (August 1 ,1971)
George Harrison and friends—including Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell and Ravi Shankar—with the first major rock concert organized to raise money and awareness for a social cause. Though questions linger as to how successful the charity results were, it was still an amazing afternoon and evening (two separate shows) of musical collaboration.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Bottom Line (August 15, 1975)
One of ten intimate shows that Bruce and his band (still up and coming at the time) played from Aug13-17 with two shows a night. WNEW-FM, my radio home back then, broadcast the show live and the excitement generated on the air and in the club that night became a part of rock and radio history.
U2 live at Fordham University (March 6, 2009)
Staged for ABC TV's "Good Morning America" and heard live on 90.7FM, it was held just outside our WFUV studios on the steps of Keating Hall. A beautiful morning in a perfect setting capturing the enthusiasm and passion shared by the band and their fans.
Paul McCartney's surprise appearance at Billy Joel's "Last Play at Shea" (July 18, 2008)
The final concert ever held at Shea Stadium in Queens, home of the NY Mets. The Beatles had played the first show ever at Shea in 1965 and Paul's last minute arrival—by plane from London with a police escort from Kennedy airport—to close out the show with "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Let it Be'' was absolutely thrilling.
The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts at Madison Square Garden (October 29 and 30, 2009)
Crosby, Stills and Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, B.B. King, Simon and Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and too many more to mention. A night designed to impress fans and artists alike that, despite the size and scope of the event, sounded great and felt just right.
