batmon said
ickwick33 said:batmon said:Ill agree on the "crowd participation" part. Another thing for me is the acoustics. It sounds like a medium to small place so shit is intimate.
Yep. From all the photos I've seen of the Bitter End, the back wall was solid exposed brick. And from the sound quality, I'd guess the floors were straight wood. I can only surmise what the audience was like. Probably a mix of young black concertgoers and white hippies. All chanting "stone junkie, stone, stone junkie..."
As I said in an earlier thread, Curtis attempted the crowd-participation bit a year later on a "Stone Junkie" remake that appeared on Newport In New York '72, a various-artists live LP on Cobblestone. It didn't quite come off that time, but that wasn't Curtis' fault, necessarily. There's a world of difference between an intimate folk-rock/comedy joint vs. a large outdoor venue.
Which spot do u think is larger, The Bitter End or the place he appeared in Superfly?
Which seemed like a lounge/bar/restaurant in Harlem - Scatter's
Having never been to the Bitter End, I'm guessing that it was roughly the same size as the lounge where Curtis gigged in that movie.
Just big enough that it's not a sardine can, but just small enough that you could almost reach out and touch the stage.
New York Strutters: does anyone know if the Bitter End is still in the same spot as when Curtis and Donny recorded there? I know they closed and reopened a few times...
ickwick33 said:batmon said:Ill agree on the "crowd participation" part. Another thing for me is the acoustics. It sounds like a medium to small place so shit is intimate.Yep. From all the photos I've seen of the Bitter End, the back wall was solid exposed brick. And from the sound quality, I'd guess the floors were straight wood. I can only surmise what the audience was like. Probably a mix of young black concertgoers and white hippies. All chanting "stone junkie, stone, stone junkie..."
As I said in an earlier thread, Curtis attempted the crowd-participation bit a year later on a "Stone Junkie" remake that appeared on Newport In New York '72, a various-artists live LP on Cobblestone. It didn't quite come off that time, but that wasn't Curtis' fault, necessarily. There's a world of difference between an intimate folk-rock/comedy joint vs. a large outdoor venue.
Which spot do u think is larger, The Bitter End or the place he appeared in Superfly?
Which seemed like a lounge/bar/restaurant in Harlem - Scatter's
Having never been to the Bitter End, I'm guessing that it was roughly the same size as the lounge where Curtis gigged in that movie.
Just big enough that it's not a sardine can, but just small enough that you could almost reach out and touch the stage.
New York Strutters: does anyone know if the Bitter End is still in the same spot as when Curtis and Donny recorded there? I know they closed and reopened a few times...
The strange thing is, I'm not a great fan of live albums in general. I'm an audiophile and persnickety as far as musical playing goes, but "Curtis Live" is special and an exception. It's deviation from the original and looseness are the LP's main charms (e.g., the banter with the crowd on "Stone Junkie"), and I appreciate the inclusion of the album on the Soul Strut 100. I agree with Tripdubs that it should be higher on the list, but oh well.
