The simple truth is that we'd never heard of Bob Marley. That's how isolated we were both culturally and physically one freezing night my freshman year of college before time was invented in 1979. Mired in the depression of a transplanted Californian in upstate New York, I was desperate to escape from my demons and a school where apparently no one even dressed up for Halloween. I slouched myself down the hill to Reed Athletic Center to see whatever band, whatever shining star our radio music director, the late Andy Dean had managed to drag into Hamilton from New York. (In '78, we later learned, Andy had brought the Grateful Dead to Hamilton.)
Tickets were $10 from the girl at the cash box. No line. She looked at me sceptically. The show had started. It was was a gamble on a student budget. When she pushed the door, a cloud of marijuana and music drifting under the door turned into pure energy. My freshman gloom supernovaed.
The stage was jammed with musicians, costumes, singers, light, pot and --what was that Jamaican music? Even reggae sounded completely new. The room was only 2/3rd full - a mix of dreadlock fans who'd driven from New York and 1/2 with Colgate students who had wandered in from the gloom.
By the second song I was euphoric. I had inched as close to the stage as I dared (those rasta guys seemed huge), and as far away from Colgate as I'd ever been. A trip out of the grey and into the sun. You didn't need to light up a smoke to feel like a love parade. And those dancing Jamaican women...
When I finally made it back to my dorm room, a couple hall-mates wondered what had happened to me . We looked the band's name up in the paper - Bob Marley and the Wailers. "You'd never believe it!" I exclaimed. Some one said "Never heaerd of him."
All that had changed for me thanks to our student music director and Bob's willingness to take Survival on an improbably amazing road show. Rumor was that Andy lost his job for blowing the whole semester budget on one concert. Undoubtably a brilliant mood. Is it true the Doors had played Colgate in the 60's?
11 comments:
I was there! I remember the elation of singing Rastaman Vibration along with the crowd and seeing Bob up close! It was an unforgettable night!
Ellen Kalin, Class of '82
Stayed on the brink...we all jumped into Mr. Ott's 1974 8 cylinder big ass blue chevy...you could hold 8 people in this monster. Someone was passing around a glass vile with a dropper and a clear liquid, I opted for the fungus, and we headed out of Ithaca in the cold winter night, the smell of snow and fine green indica was in the air. All backroads for this roadtrip. By the time we arrived at Colgate, the memories become less sharp, but I remember everyone in costumes, flowing gowns and masks...everyone had their faces hidden, except Bob and the I-Threes...they were in costume, too...traditional colorful Reggae/Jamaican garb. We danced all night. As a previous post had mentioned, there was room to move, back and forth, toward the stage, to the back...a big square room, filled with the joy of the full Marley ensemble. After the concert, those who had indulged in the more potent liquids were unable to navigate nor drive. I got the keys, and headed to An International House on Pancakes, near Colgate, but I need a Colgate Alum to confirm that this even existed. They all sat in the booth staring at the lighting fixtures while I ordered a personal pitcher of beer to take the edge off of the fungus, and I grabbed the car keys, paid the bill, and said "follow me boys". Sam, Andy, Space, Eric and few assorted others (hank were you in my car???) made like good lil' soldiers and made their way to the chevy. My final memory is black night, car high beams, and constant snow flakes sparring with the high definition windshield as we made our way back to Tompkins County. My biggest regret is not having a brighter, clearer and more vivid memory of the most important concert I have ever attended, historically speaking. R.I.P. Mr. Marley...you would be surprised to see America today.
also...looking for actual photos from this night...I think it would trigger some memories...where are the photos???
I remember the trip from Ithaca up to Colgate - upstate backroads, big car, do you know how to get there, will we be there on time ...
The show was in a smallish gym, and the stage was somewhat elevated. It wasn't crowded at all. I had lots of room to move around and jam to the raggae beat. I got towards the front for a while, but ended up towards the rear - there was more room, and it was easier to do whatever it was I was doing: dancing would not exactly be the right word.
The I Threes dominated the stage, swaying gracefully. Bob seemed like the master of things, wise, in control, soulful. My only prior Bob Marley musical exposure had been 1000 listens to Babylon By Bus, so the show itself blew me away.
I remember the ride back. We stopped for pancakes, and to sober up. It snowed on the way back to Ithaca. When I returned to Ithaca, I called my friend John, who had the all night show on WVBR, and asked him to play some Bob Marley. I don't remember if he did.
I am so glad that I found this site - brings back all kinds of memories.
I was part of a contingent of Syracuse University students who made it to Hamilton for the concert. My memory, as with the other posters on this blog, is a little fuzzy, but I do remember a few things:
The announcer said just before the concert got started: "Ladies and gentlemen, put out your cigarettes and light your spliffs." The place literally blew up. If you were not smoking ganja, which, promise, I was not, you got high on "contact". There was lots of passing of spliffs from people to people who did not know each other - no, I did not partake as I was not into that kind of thing.
Bob came on and stated: "Greetings in the name of His Majesty, Emperor I Selassie I, Rastafari, everliving, everlasting, Selassie I the First." And the first song played was Rastaman Vibration.
There were a whole bunch of white kids, yes, it was Halloween, who had braids on.
I have to tell you that this was the best concert, and I have been to many, that I have ever been to. The music was incredible - Bob was one of the few artists that sounded as good live as in a studio.
Years later, I was in the Nike Store in downtown Seattle, buying tennis shoes for my daughter when a Bob Marley song came on. I proceeded to remind her that I had seen him live, and the young man who was helping us, a Pacific Islander, stopped dead in his tracks, looked at me, and told me that Bob was his favorite artist. He could not believe that he was in the presence of someone who had seen his hero live!
To this day, I brag to people that I had the chance to see Bob live. And today, the anniversary of his death, I salute all of you who shared the experience of seeing him live at Colgate on Halloween.
Jah Live!
A very memorable night. I was a freshman at Colgate and we had a game against Hartwick. It was freezing that day so we warmed up in the gym. While we were warming up, Marley and one of his percussionists came out and began to kick the ball around with 3-4 of us. The Captain of the team was not thrilled and told us to get serious. Two of us decided that it was our only chance to juggle the ball with Bob Freaking Marley so we defied the order to get back with the team and spent the next ten minutes in a tight circle with Bob and his drummer. The drummer had a huge joint in his mouth that he was smoking. Bob asked us how our season wsa and wished us luck. He said he loved the sport and wished he could play more. It was fantastic. We ended up either losing by one goal in overtime or tying Hartwick (a Div 1 National Champion in 1977) and had a great game. I got hurt 5 minutes before the game and was sitting on the bench with Bob Woodruff (the news anchor). There were about 1,000 people watching the game. Most from Hartwick, a few who were people waiting for the concert, and the usual 20 or so that was normally at our games. Bob tapped me on the shoulder in overtime to tell me to check out one of the crazy guys watching the game. It was a guy with long hair and a long beard all colored in Rastafarian colors. I did a double take when I realized it was my older brother who had come to the game from Buffalo and did not tell me in advance. He surprised me. Bob did not believe it was my brother until my brother came over and talked to us after the game. The concert was fantastic and we spent the night at Beta, of all places, where there must have been a party. My ankle was swollen to twice its side because I did not ice it after getting injured. I also had two other friends from my hometown show up to the concert by surprise.
All in all, great show, but I will never forget playing my favorite sport with Bob for 10 minutes.
Ted Aldrich, Colgate '79
I drove up from Elmira,NY with 3 friends party all the way up during and back from the concert. I had first heard his album Catch a Fire in 1974. I was and still hooked on his music and message.
Being Halloween just topped off the night.
I was so pleasantly surprised to see a website dedicated to this concert. It was my Freshman year and I had been in college for all of 60 days the night of the concert. I owned the Marley Live at the Rainbow record (LP's in those days) and had virtually worn it out. A good friend of mine from nearby Binghamton met me at the concert and it was everything we could have hoped for. I remember that everyone was dancing and that nearly everyone was on the gym floor and not in seats. Tiny venue that was completely filled with Marley and his band. I had not remembered that it was Halloween-- makes the lore even more interesting. I remember being stunned 6 months later to hear that Marley had died. What a joy to find this website 32 years later. Cheers to all! Dave Morse
Thank you for the interesting blog.
In the fall of 1979, I was the Music Director at WRCU-FM. Andy Dean was the Assistant Director. Andy was a great person and his death at a young age soon after graduation was a shame.
Andy played only a small role in getting Bob Marley to Colgate. There is no truth that he broke the concert budget.
I met Marley and his band before the show at the Cultural Center near Sigma Chi. He was very intense and serious and though he answered questions, he would rather be alone. I remember that a student asked for his autograph and he refused stating "I do not do that teeny booper stuff." Members of the band were far more accomodating and enjoyed meeting students and speaking about their religion and politics. There was some smoking going on but I did not see Marley smoke.
The show was well attended and Marley was in great form. It was an unforgettable experience.
We drove down from Rochester with a red-gould-an-green sign we made pasted to the inside of the back window: "Colgate by Car !". I foolishly stuck it under the windshield wiper before going into the show, only to find afterward that someone stole it from there. I'D GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE THAT SIGN BACK!
btw, we were among the first ones through the doors, and sat on the floor right at the stage until the show started, after which of course we stood from start to finish. First Marley show -- memory of a lifetime.
MJN
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