I Found a Picture of You...

The Pretenders and Chrissie! I can't remember when she turned my world askew cause I was all wrapped up in The Who and U2 in the early eighties and well into the nineties. Mind you I was obviously aware of The Pretenders; the music is incredible! A guitar sound that I always loved and lyrics that flowed in a style I find only with Pete Townshend. Really! And that voice and, ok, she looks dynamic! Them bangs, that sixties look, what could a poor Gooch do! So I listened to the early records, tapping my toes and singing along, but when the show hit the road, I was off Whoing or U2ing. But the Who kinda died as they got old and by the mid nineties, Bono had gotten flied and boring and my interest in them vanished. SHEESH! So better late than never, along with Pearl Jam, I put more of an effort into the Pretenders and catching the live act. I first saw them in July of '87 opening for U2, naturally, in Leeds, England. Didn't Chrissie have them red kicks on? I can't remember all the details, like none, after all I was U2ing, BUT, I will NEVER FORGET Hymn to Her. The whole English countryside was singing along and frankly, I wasn't familiar with the tune at the time. But I was mesmerized by that haunting vocal and that moment stands out alone from that day. One of my all-time fave PRETENDER songs. Like I can really choose though.

By the time '94 rolled around, I was ready to see the band. The long wait in between records and the addition of Andy and Adam along with Martin was a treat. So I saw a coupla 2,3 shows and met a buncha neat people in the process from Philly and LA. And it was my luck to be in California in the fall of '95 cause I was able to see them at The Bridge School Benefit and The Wiltern. Kinda disappointing though cause it being an acoustic evening with a string quartet, people had a tendency to sit! Not something I wanna do. Oh well. Then I was able to see a few Viva shows in '98, but as fate would have it, Pete Townshend cut that short with his mini summer tour. Oh well. I am not big on those opening for others tours and The-B52s were not my cup of tea. But in '99 I at least got to see a wondrous Pretender show at the Bowery Ballroom and in the process met THE Pretender fans supreme, Taunia and Lisa!!!!! only to be so disillusioned at those wretched Atlantic City shows. Oh well. HMMM Kinda sad ending here, eh? Too bad I missed the old Pretenders BUT HOW ABOUT THEM ARCHIVISTS!!!!! Incredible site authored by L and T so check it out!Pretenders Archives Well we will leave with this picture from The Nautica in Cleveland Aug. of '99. A happy bunch of pretenders!