Original Release Date: 1986

As this concert was approaching, I scoured the Internet looking for clues to Linda Ronstadt’s song list.  This was supposed to be a new tour.  As many fans know, Ronstadt’s catalog includes a wide range of musical styles including Country, Folk, Rock, Opera, Big Band and Mexican.  Several fan sites and chat boards boasted that this would be her return to her rock hits of the seventies.  

Sadly, this was not the case.  Instead, Ronstadt mirrored her performance of the "American Song Book" tour that I attended in 2004.  The song list and delivery was nearly identical to the one I saw two years ago.  With anticipation of hearing her “Seventies Rock Hits,” I was disappointed when I counted only four of them; Just One Look, Ooh Baby Baby, Poor Poor Pitiful Me and Blue Bayou. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I loved the concert!  Hearing Ronstadt sing Happy Birthday in a crowded restaurant would be a treat.  Let’s put it this way.  When I bought her It’s So Easy single in 1977, I played it about a 100 times over until the grooves finally wore out.  So hearing Ronstadt sing the same song set two years later wasn’t exactly an ear bender. 

After a short break following the opening act by Richie Fury, we were waiting for Ronstadt's grand entrance.   I was in good company once again with my friends Geri, John and Mark.  Surprisingly, none of us witnessed Ronstadt’s arrival.  There was no formal introduction.  She just seemed to appear out of nowhere standing in front of the microphone. 

During Ronstadt’s initial greeting, she told us exactly what we were in for.  She would divide the concert in two parts.  The first half of the concert would include her big band numbers, which are all included in the trilogy collection ‘Round Midnight’ featured above.  She referred to these as songs as coming from the first half of the century.  The second half would include songs of the later part of century with focus on rock n’ roll. 

Unfortunately, this tour did not include an orchestra as it did in 2004.  Although the instruments at this concert lacked the "big sound" on the big band numbers, Ronstadt's voice did not.  She belted out the lyrics as though she wanted to be heard around the world... maybe she was! 

Ronstadt’s first number, “What’s New,” started off with a few bumps.  Some of the lyrics seemed to cut out.  She may have forgot the words or was experiencing technical difficulties.  We spotted a little teleprompter in her right hand.  Either way, she laughed it off and made a few witty comments about it.  She said something like “how professional THAT was.”  As a matter of fact, Ronstadt was very chatty through the entire concert and exercised her wit on several occasions. 

Ronstadt gave a comical introduction to Straighten Up And Fly Right.  She explained how she previously dedicated this song to the guys at Enron.  However, since one of them is now six feet under, she was passing the torch over to President Bush.  The crowd responded with roaring cheers.  During the next number, a plane flew over the open-air venue and competed with Ronstadt’s colossal volume.  Although I think she could drown out a 747, she looked above and shrugged her shoulders with this timely comment; “It must be the Secret Service.” 

Overall, the concert was very enjoyable.  I had a great close seat and cherished her chattiness.  For most of her numbers, she gave us the song’s history and/or story behind it.  Below is the song list from this wonderful night to remember. 

THANK YOU LINDA RONSTADT!  

Part 1

• What's New?

• Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

• Someone To Watch Over Me

• Straighten Up and Fly Right (Dedicated to George Bush)

• Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry

• Get Out Of Town

• Little Girl Blue

• Lush Life

Part 2

• It's Too Soon To Know (video clip)

• Just One Look (video clip)

• Ooh Baby, Baby

• Adios

• Feels Like Home

• Somewhere Out There

• Poor, Poor Pitiful Me (video clip)

Encore

• Quiereme Mucho

• Blue Bayou (Last Verse in Spanish)

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