Like klonkin' to TOP?

greenboy · #1 03-21-2011, 10:40 AM

Then plonk the donk down at DoctorfunK - soul music - buncha great players and tunes done right from the rainy northwest where TOP has always been revered.

lbwdog · #2 03-22-2011, 09:02 AM

Oh Yeah!! One of my alltime favorites! I've been a BIG fan for thirty five years +, but never had the chance to see them live until three years ago when they played HOB New Orleans.

Standing room only, I suffered through the opening act's set with my back killing me. By the time TOP got to their third tune, I couldn't take it anymore, and went back to the hotel

........Man, was I disappointed!

BTW, a good friend was their sound tech for years, and told me Rocco had given him the red P Bass, and he would bring it to me to use as long as I wanted. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina hit shortly thereafter and we never hooked it up. ....I would have been honored!

JTE · #3 03-22-2011, 09:22 AM

I first saw TOP when I was in High School (and I graduated in '73). They were the second on the bill with Rare Earth as the headliners. I don't recall the opening act because they were snowed into Chicago (I'm in central Illinois, where I-55 crosses I-74) and couldn't make it. With three acts the concert was scheduled to start early so TOP started a little after 7:30. They played a killer set for about an hour, then the roadies took their time getting RE set up. Rare Earth came out, was pretty unremarkable (drummers seldom make great lead vocalists at the same time they're drumming), and quit after an hour. There's a blizzard outside and no one's leaving... so TOP's roadies came out, set up and they played another two hours or so.

Mesmerizing- I wish I'd been more aware at the time, 'cause I would have loved to have great stories to tell about how Rocco affected me, but I was pretty ignorant of great bass playing at the time....

My other TOP story is that a local store had a David Garibaldi seminar scheduled. We had a gig that night (important gig- a fund-raiser for a breast cancer organization) and I couldn't make it. Turned out it was a rhythm section seminar with Rocco AND Garibaldi talking about how they worked together. The guys at the store invited Rocco and Garibaldi out to our gig when the seminar was done, but they were traveling on right away... my brush with a brush with fame.

John