In 1971, there was a classic oldies concert at hallowed Madison Square Garden. Rick Nelson was on the card, and when he started playing some country music, the crowd took exception to it, and began booing. There are accounts that state the booing was actually caused by some rowdy fans being removed from the venue, but Nelson took the affront pretty personal, and abruptly ended his set.
A year later, Nelson's "Garden Party", which references what happened that night, hit #6 on the Hot 100.
2 comments:
IIRC, the audience was looking forward to hearing Nelson sing his best known hits, like "Hello Mary Lou" and "Travelin' Man". When he chose to sing the new music he had been working on, the boos reportedly began. I remember an interview with his daughter Tracy who confirmed that her father never forgot those boos and took it very personally. I think it also fueled his drug binges later on, resulting in the plane crash that killed him in '85.
To be honest, I can understand Nelson wanting to move on to other music and growing creatively, but it's also important not to forget the music (or the original fans) that got him to MSG in the first place. Most singers/groups try to include their early work when they perform, but there have been a few concerts I'd been to in which the performer refused to sing "X song" because it was part of another lifetime for the performer. That to me is insulting since my buying "X Song" was what made you rich and famous in the first place! I want it played live!!
I get that vibe. However, I can't honestly said I've had the experience of seeing a performer bypass certain favorites.
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