Randy Meisner and the Silverados were at the Park West Theater in Chicago on March 4, 1981. This concert was less than a week after the Silverados’ appearance on the Fridays TV show which aired Feb. 27, 1981 (Season 2, Episode 20). Since Randy’s birthday is March 8, this Park West show was just four days prior to him turning age 35. Randy and the Silverados were at the Agora Ballroom in Columbus, Ohio on Randy’s birthday.
John McEuen (of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) was the special guest at Park West.
There are a couple of after-show photos of Randy below.
Photos by Paul Natkin
Randy Meisner at Park West Theater in Chicago
Randy Meisner at Park West Theater in Chicago
Silverados February and March 1981 Partial Schedule
Itinerary from Randy’s and Therese’s friend, Colleen Stewart, who was on tour with the Silverados. Colleen said everyone on the tour called Trudy by the nickname “Truly”.
Park West is a concert venue located in Chicago, Illinois. The theater opened in 1916 as a vaudeville and movie theater by the Ascher Brothers. Currently, it can house up to 1,000 guests in a general admission setting.
322 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
“Our bus burned up in Chicago…the whole inside was destroyed, but they did get us another.”
Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, OH) – Mar. 9, 1981
Review of the Columbus Agora Ballroom show of March 8 (four days after Park West), with Sterling Smith mentioning the bus fire which caused them to stay a little longer in Chicago.
Blake Burkett is the man in the back in the first photo. According to Blake Burkett, on a Randy Meisner Facebook fan page a few years ago, Randy’s new bus caught on fire in front of Park West, so Randy stayed a few days at Blake’s house. Randy’s singer, Therese Heston, is the second lady from the right, and I don’t know who the others are. Blake said Randy called the hat he is wearing in the photo his Inspector Clouseau hat. He also mentioned Randy is pretty good on drums and that he sat at Blake’s piano and played and sang “Take It To the Limit” while staying at his home. Because the photos are dark and scratched up it’s hard to see, but in the first photo there is an Eagles poster hanging on the wall to the right.
Can you imagine Randy staying at your home and singing Take It To the Limit? It must’ve sounded so beautiful.
Oh, I bet it did. What a nice “gift” to Blake for letting him stay at his house while his bus was being repaired.
This is such a good article. I’ve seen very little about the Silverado’s so I really enjoyed this.
Articles and info about the Silverados are definitely harder to come by than those about the Eagles.