Starship Rocks Warsaw After Orbiting For Two Years
Members of Jefferson Starship, from left, David Freiberg, Cathy Richardson and Jude Gold, perform Friday night, June 17, in Warsaw’s Central Park. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Rock and roll made a triumphant return to Central Park Warsaw to the delight of thousands of fans who attended the annual Rockin’ For Riley concert Friday night, June 17.
Jefferson Starship, whose roots date back to the 1960s psychedelic age of the rock era, had been scheduled to perform in Warsaw two years ago, but waited for COVID-19 to pass before taking the stage with a newly released album.
While the band gave the crowd a sampling of the new stuff, they relied heavily on classic tunes from four decades, including “Count On Me,” “Jane,” “Sara” and “We Built This City On Rock and Roll.”
Starship began in the 1960s as Jefferson Airplane and saw numerous changes over the years. While three key figures – Paul Kantner, Grace Slick and Martin Balin – are no longer with the group, the band includes two members (singer David Freiberg and drummer Donny Baldwin) whose roles date back several decades. Cathy Richardson, who handles much of the singing, has been with the band for about 15 years.
Roanoke, a band from Tennessee, was the opening act.
Sponsors for the show include Zimmer Biomet, WRSW 107.3 and Medtronic.
The show was organized by Warsaw’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Guitarist Jude Gold mugs for the camera during Friday night’s performance in Warsaw. David Freiberg is seen in the background. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
Cathy Richardson summons Grace Slick as she sings Slick’s classic, “White Rabbit” Friday night, June 17, at Central Park in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
The band’s co-founder, David Freiberg (L), encourages guitarist Jude Gold during a guitar solo Friday night, June 17, at Central Park in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
Eight-year-old Joslyn Shaw moved close to the front to capture a few photos and sing along to the song “Sara” Friday night, June 17, at Central Park in Warsaw. Her mother, Samantha Shaw, says she and her daughter often sing Starship songs while running errands. They are from Peru. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
One fan was especially entranced by some of the older music by Jefferson Starship Friday night, June 17, at Central Park in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
The free concert attracted several thousand fans to Central Park Friday night, June 17, in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
The concert attracted a mix of fans, some of which still enjoy tie-dye apparel. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
Singer Cathy Richardson pulled out the cowbell for “We Built This City On Rock And Roll” Friday night, June 17, at Central Park in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
Roanoke, a band from Tennessee, was the opening act Friday night, June 17, at Central Park in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.
