For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure: KNUS Presents Steppenwolf at Fair Park Music Hall

Just got off the phone with Dallas Summer Musicals President Michael Jenkins, who, amidst his now-epic struggle to keep the doors open, vows: "We will have more concerts at the Music Hall." Amongst the many things we discussed were the venue's glory days as a rock venue, when Hendrix and the Doors and the Allmans and Nazz and Spirit were regularly featured on the historic venue's stage. Said Jenkins, from whom we'll have more later, "I had a meeting this morning with two promoter-producers who have surveyed the area and want to bring their shows there," to Fair Park. He said the wait will not be long.

Until then we flashback to February 2, 1968, the night Steppenwolf played the Music Hall (scroll down for yesterday's reposted links) -- just a month after the release of the band's eponymous debut that spawned a bulk of the set list. Strange to hear "Born to Be Wild" as something other than a classic-rock warhorse; it was still months away from being turned into a single, and further still from its inclusion on the Easy Rider sound track.

Forty-three years later the recording's been remarkably preserved: The only thing you can barely make out is the introduction from KNUS jock "Augustus," who sounds suitable zonked whilst making his brief remarks: "This is let your mind flow, leave your body behind ... Steppenwolf." Far out. Before a solid "Hoochie Coochie Man," John Kay says his how-do's: "This is our first time in Dallas. ... Somebody told us, 'Well, I don't know about Dallas, but in Houston you'll run into a very audience.' So a lot of people have said things about Texas that weren't too kind, and I think there are a lot of young people who are gonna help rectify that rumor." Applause, applause. "We're all growing in numbers." Dig it.