Steve Miller Band 6/15/13

Steve Miller Band

Despite hearing a lot of Steve Miller Band around my household while growing up, I passed up my opportunity to see them in the Tri-Cities back in the 90’s and instead bought two tickets for my parents as a gift. Due to being spoiled with the explosion of music in the 90’s I would not truly come to appreciate the greatness of Steve Miller Band until one time I watched the sun come up as I was coming down off of LSD listening to the Greatest Hits 1974-78 album.

Fast-forward to the part of Steve Miller’s career where he starts playing county fairs and I was now presented with an opportunity to see him play the Del Mar Fair. Since we somewhat recently became friends with a limo driver and wanted to drink but not drive Ingrid, Tom, Jeremy, Jeremy’s flavor of the week and I packed into a limo and cruised up to Del Mar for a day of sun, drinking, fair rides and Steve Miller Band.

Right before show time Jeremy and I basically broke into an area we were not supposed to be to smoke a joint. After almost getting caught we made our way to our seats to join up with the rest of the group. It was one of those weird shows that began when it was still light outside even though there was only one band playing. Nonetheless Steve Miller played a hit filled set and still had it. His guitar wizardry was impressive and his voice in particular sounded great but for me the prominent background vocals that were added detracted from the performance. He simply did not need the background singers.

SETLIST: Jungle Love, Take the Money and Run, The Stake, Abracadabra, Farther Up the Road, Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Sugar Babe, Mary Lou, Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma, Wild Mountain Honey, Gangster of Love, Dance Dance Dance, Fly Like an Eagle, Jet Airliner, Space Cowboy, Rock ’N Me, Serenade, Swingtown, The Joker

Steve Miller Band-Greatest Hits 1974-78