NEW RELEASE: Rock and Roll Fans Know All About What Was Happening on the Concert Stage
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NEW RELEASE: Rock and roll fans know all about what was happening on the concert stage. What was going on backstage was an entirely different story. ROCK THIS TOWN! Backstage in Cleveland: Stories you never heard & swag you never saw by Fran Belkin ISBN-13: 978-1-7326933-0-2 Retail: $18.95 Release Date: 10/23/2018 Binding: Soft cover with flaps, varnished Publisher: Fran Projects Dimensions: 8” x 8” x .5” 144 pages, full color, 465 images Printed in the United States by Worzalla Designed by Christopher Hixson rockthistownbook.com “If you live and breathe music like I do, you’re about to be transported back to that magical time with every turn of the page.” —Barry Gabel, Senior Vice President, Live Nation THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR EVERY CLEVELAND ROCK FAN! Top: Steve Belkin, age 7, wears the first Belkin t-shirt and hangs out with John Entwistle and Pete Townshend. Bottom: Steve sits in the rowboat while Jamie Belkin, age 5, decides whether to join him. The Hippie Picnic with The Who The Who had played Cleveland in the late ‘60s, and returned in June 1970 as the headliner. Mike booked the show and added the James Gang, a band he managed, as the opening act. Opening for The Who was huge, and the James Gang didn’t disappoint. The audience was on their feet when they left the stage. Then, James Taylor came out with his acoustic guitar, and the energy was sucked out of the room. When The Who finally took the stage, the crowd exploded in cheers. This show is recognized in the annals of rock and roll as one of the worst concert lineups in history. ROCK THIS TOWN! The Who had the day off after the show, and Mike wanted to host Backstage in Cleveland: a picnic for them. Mike and Jules The Who, December 9, 1975 ©Janet Macoska had small yards, so James Gang drummer Jimmy Fox suggested his fiancée Diane ask her father to “The band is freezing! Turn up the heat!” Stories you never heard & swag you never saw use their family farm. Her dad initially The Who’s people kept demanding it, but that wasn’t even a possibility didn’t want a “bunch of long-haired the night the band played the Pontiac Silverdome. The new stadium was hippies” on his property, but he relented. basically an outdoor venue, but with a huge Teflon fabric cover to protect it By Fran Belkin Eventually, he even came outside and In the summer of ‘72, all hell broke loosefrom the severe elements. It wasn’t possible for it to be heated like an arena, started talking to Pete Townshend and the and a December concert was an iffy proposition. others. Later, he commented how surprised ...and we had the time of our lives! Doing the first big rock show at the Silverdome was a major compliment he was to meet such intelligent, informed, Belkin Productions started producing outdoor concerts at the Akron Rubber Bowl, which held 32,000 to Belkin Productions Detroit (see page 69). The paint was still fresh terrific people. people. Jules and the staff had to learn hands-on, and quickly, the logistics of securing large venues, Fran Belkin’s collection of t-shirts wound up in boxes in the attic, until one day when 76,000 people attended the inaugural concert in 1975. the impact of weather, and all the unexpected problems associated with shows of this magnitude. 52 The first Belkin t-shirt, 1970 53 One of the first shows, Chicago, wasn’t selling well. Just before show time, the sky opened up and she realized these mementos—chronicling over thirty years of Cleveland rock the rain poured. And poured. The simple canvas tarp roof over the stage sagged from the weight of the water and the entire roof collapsed just before the show started! Jules had to cancel the show, and and roll history—could illustrate the incredible story of a most unusual family concertgoers were told to save their tickets for a ROCK THIS TOWN! ROCK rescheduled date. By the time the new date arrived, Chicago had business: Belkin Productions. released a hugely popular album and the show sold out immediately. People showed up with their tickets from the first show that had been soaked at the time and it was almost impossible to read them. The shirts and swag paint a picture of the times, the music, the bands and the We’ll never know how many people gained entry Fran Belkin’s collection of t-shirts wound up in boxes in the attic, until one day she realized with an old piece of warped card stock.ROCK these mementos—chronicling over thirty years of Cleveland rock and roll history—could The Akron cops hated rock and roll, and at the concert promotion company her husband Jules and his brother Mike built illustrate the incredible story of a most unusual family business: Belkin Productions. slightest provocation would throw tear gas at The shirts and swag paint a picture of the times, the music, the bands and the concert the kids. They made it so unpleasant, the Belkins from the back room of their father’s clothing store into a powerhouse on the stayed only one summer. promotion company her husband Jules and his brother Mike built from the back room of Belkin marketing VP Plain Dealer, Jim Marchyshyn, Jules their father’s clothing store into a powerhouse on the national music scene. And unlike the July 13, 1972 and production VP concert tees the rest of us wore, these shirts were designed and produced in very small Doing concerts at the Rubber Bowl THISwas really fun and exciting. We hadn’t done big shows like Wendy Stein go over national music scene. And unlike the concert tees the rest of us wore, these this before. It was a huge undertaking, and we were learning as we went along. Jules Belkin expenses with the tour numbers as “swag” for the bands and crew, rarely seen beyond backstage. accountant at a 1978 Rolling Stones show. In Rock This Town!, Fran’s collection is artfully woven together with vintage snapshots, 1972 RUBBER BOWL CONCERT SERIES shirts were designed and produced in very small numbers as “swag” for the concert photography, and intimate stories—shared by the Belkin Productions crew who June 16 Three Dog Night • James Gang August 5 Alice Cooper • Dr. John • J. Geils Band lived The them. fourth Rock concert photographer of the season Janetwas the Macoska Rolling Stones, calls thiswith book Stevie “oneWonder of the only memory June 24 Black Sabbath • Humble Pie • Ramatam • Edgar Winter August 11 Yes • Mahavishnu Orchestra • Eagles July 3 Faces with Rod Stewart • Badfinger August 18 Allman Bros Band (Cancelled) albumsopening. everEarly madein the show, that givesthe cops an cameinside down glimpse the aisle at concert toward the production stage en masse and promotion.” bands and crew, rarely seen beyond backstage. in a show of force. Fortunately, Stevie couldn’t see them and he just kept on playing July 11 The Rolling Stones • Stevie WonderTOWN!August 20 Chicago (originally scheduled for July 9th) Thiswithout book missing is for a note!those of Julesus who Belkin were out front, standing drenched in a World Series of July 21 Osmond Brothers • The Heywoods • Jan Baker August 21 Jefferson Airplane • Commander Cody • Hot Tuna Backstage in Cleveland: 24 Rock downpour, singing along to every word of our favorite song, Bic lighters in the air, you never heard Stories 25 & swag you never saw screaming for another encore. This is a love letter to every fan of rock and roll. In Rock This Town!, Fran’s collection is artfully woven together with vintage “If you live and breathe music like I do, you’re about to be transported back to that magical time with every turn of the page.” Backstage in Cleveland: snapshots, concert photography, and intimate stories—shared by the Belkin —Barry Gabel, SVP Live Nation Stories you never heard Productions crew who lived them. Rock photographer Janet Macoska calls FRAN Fran Belkin Fran & swag you never saw PROJECTS this book “one of the only memory albums ever made that gives an inside DESIGN BY CHRISTOPHER HIXSON PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA glimpse at concert production and promotion.” U.S.A. $18.95 Backstage at the World Series of Rock This book is for those of us who were out front, standing drenched in a Building the stage and preparing the stadium for the show was the first priority. But what about backstage where the bands would be hanging out? When Jules realized there Fran BelkinIn the rock world, World Series of Rock downpour, singing along to every word of our favorite were no dressing rooms near the ramp to the stage, a plan F had to be devised. What was there? Concrete floors and P only the accountants The Rolling Stones play to over 82,500 fans at World FRAN walls, damp, dark corridors, and old, ugly bathrooms. It was a sweltering 89 degrees outside Pontiac carried silver metal Series of Rock, Cleveland Municipal Stadium, PROJECTS song, Bic lighters in the air, screaming for another encore. This is a love letter Silverdome and even hotter under the dome at the briefcases. July 1, 1978 ©Janet Macoska Jules and Mike backstage 30 September 30, 1982 concert by The Who. Fire hoses 31 helped keep the crowd from passing out. to every fan of rock and roll. RockThisTown_CoverTemplateGUIDES.indd 1 The parties were a great way to show our appreciation and offered the bands an 8/20/18 6:31 PM amusing diversion from the tedium of the tour.