A week’s absence means.a lot of memorials to note, including Tony Bennett, who died 10 days ago at 96; Sinéad O’Connor, who passed at 56; and Randy Meisner, who died July 26 at 77. But there was also ultimate fan Robert “Beatle Bob” Matonis, who died in St. Louis at 70. And even during the broadcast, another sad passing to note: Paul Reubens, Pee Wee Herman himself, gone at 70.
There were some birthdays, too, from R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry (turning 65) to Gary Lewis (78), Lobo (80) and Fatboy Slim (60).
And we marked the 50th anniversary over the weekend of the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, N.Y., still the largest crowd for a festival (600,000) with the fewest number of bands (three: Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and The Band). How good was the music? Only a handful of cuts from the show have been officially released; we played a few of them.
Here’s a link to the whole show; the setlist follows: