Remembering Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Live Performance in Washington, D.C. in 1983

Stevie Ray Vaughan

This one’s a good one from YouTube and it’s a little more contemporary, but given the artist in the video, I find this significant and musically historical.

Stevie Ray Vaughan himself, was live in the nation’s capital on December 27th, 1983. The venue was a place called the Wax Museum at 4th and E St. NW. Side note … he made his D.C. debut at the legendary Bayou on K St. in Georgetown. I’ll find some good posts on that place since it witnessed some pretty big acts (before they were big).

Were you at this show … or know someone that was? Add a comment below and tell us about it.

Here’s the setlist from that night:

Set 1
Testify – (The Isley Brothers cover)
Shake ‘N’ Bake
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
Mary Had a Little Lamb – (Buddy Guy cover)
Texas Flood
Boot Hill
Love Struck Baby
Tin Pan Alley
Rude Mood
Testify
Lenny
Hide Away – (Freddie King cover)
Pride And Joy

Set 2
Hardcore Electric Texas Blues
Shake ‘N’ Bake
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
The Things (That) I Used to Do – (Guitar Slim cover)
Boot Hill Play Video
Mary Had a Little Lamb Play Video – (Buddy Guy cover)
Tell Me – (Howlin’ Wolf cover)
Tin Pan Alley
Little Wing / Third Stone From the Sun Play Video – (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)

Encore:
How Long? – (with Bob Margolin)
Honey Bee – (with Bob Margolin)
Close To You – (with Bob Margolin)
Instrumental – (with Bob Margolin)

Stevie Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) … we lost you too soon.

Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan

The Washington Hilton: Where Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger Played in 1967

The Doors play the Washington Hilton - 1967

The Washington Hilton was a happenin’ place to see live music apparently, with Hendrix also playing there in ’68. Thanksgiving was the following Thursday, so I imagine a large number of kids were home from college, and what better way to take a break than watch Morrison, Manzarek, Densmore and Krieger?

The Doors International Ballroom ticket
Ticket stub for the Doors – November 25th, 1967

Read more

Jimi Hendrix at the Washington Hilton: A Look Back at the Guitar God’s 1968 Performance in D.C.

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Washington Hilton 1968

Wow, this one is gold. Jimi Hendrix played the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Ave. NW — the same one where Hinkley shot Reagan in 1981. That’s right, the guitar god himself played to 4,000 fans in the hotel’s international ballroom on March 10th, 1968, accompanied by his bandmates, Noel Redding (drums) and Mitch Mitchell (bass). This one might be cooler than the Beatles playing D.C. in 1964, but I don’t want to spark a giant musical debate. They’re both awesome finds.

Check out the photo below of Jimi tearing up the stage.

Hendrix playing the Washington Hilton
Hendrix playing the Washington Hilton

Read more