Live in Cleveland

Derringer's Live in Cleveland (Blue Sky ASZ 265) was issued in 1976, exclusively to FM rock radio stations nationwide for broadcast purposes only. The album was pressed in a limited number and was never officially released commercially. The back sleeve also notes that the recording is not meant to be reviewed... as a result, I am simply going to hang my four star rating on this piece of black vinyl, and spell out the liner notes from this hot seven-song concert recording from Autumn of '76...

You've gotta understand Cleveland. Clevelanders take great pride in our dubious distinctions: "Slush Capitol of the World", "Dead Carp Capitol of the World" (those rumors you've heard about the Cuyahoga River... they're true). But most of all, we Clevelanders take this one very seriously: "Rock 'n' Roll Capitol of the World". And that brings us to the story about the piece of wax contained herein.

The site is the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland's premiere rock and roll club. We find the Agora celebrating their tenth anniversary as a corruptive commie plot to annihilate the ears and brains of local youth. Inside the club, in a haze of smoke, booze and sweaty rock and rollers, a band known in da biz as "Derringer" is about to take the stage with their own brand of high-energy rock 'n' roll.

Now Cleveland crowds know about hot rock and roll, and how to get it. They've spotted many a phony... and Sunset Boulevard is full of aging glitter-rockers who were run out of Cleveland for being less than the real thing. On this night in September of 1976, the crowd was ready, armed with their screams, hollers and all higher than a U-2 over Peking. Derringer either had to kick ass, or cross Cleveland off their itinerary forever. Well, lemme tell ya... Derringer knows how to rock and roll!

The crowd went wild - from "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" to "Rebel Rebel" - and brought Derringer sweating back to the stage for four encores. It was a night of celebration, for the Agora, WMMS-FM, Cleveland, rock 'n' roll, and of course, Derringer.

What you'll find in the piece of wax is the sound of the evening (at least as much of it as these Blue Sky/CBS engineers could squeeze into the grooves). You'll have to supply the booze, smoke and screaming yourself (and that ain't hard to do). So drop the needle already! — John Gorman/WMMS 101-FM Program Director (Oct. 11, 1976)