Photos by Sean Collins Walsh
“So I stood her up. I stood up Grace Slick,” said Duneya West, an audience member at the Jefferson Starship concert held at Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., on Thursday night.
The band, an eclectic bunch, played before a nearly packed house. Its young electric violinist sported dreadlocks and fishnets, while vocalist and bass guitarist David Freiberg, wore a black T-shirt and cargo pants.
Wearing a screen-printed black tuxedo shirt, West talked about life as a roadie for a band for which Jefferson Airplane used to open. One night, West said, Jefferson Airplane lead singer Grace Slick asked him to join her for a drink after a show. He was pulled away by a friend and never got to get that drink.
“I came tonight to see Grace Slick, and to see if she still remembers me,” he said. “But I’m also a fan of Cathy Richardson, so it’ll be interesting to see how she replaces Grace.”
At Thursday’s concert, hippie rock band Jefferson Starship played some of the classic hits recorded by their original band, Jefferson Airplane, which was founded in the mid-’60s by Paul Kantner. Since then, band members have come and gone, including Grace Slick, who is no longer a member of the band.
Cathy Richardson replaced the well-known Slick. Richardson was well received, but audience members still have fond memories of the original Jefferson Airplane.
“Back in the ’70s, I liked Jefferson Airplane because they were radical, subculture and cool,” said Mike Meyers, another audience member. “And therefore I was cool.”
When asked if they are fans of Jefferson Starship, many audience members replied they were fans of the original band.
Even though the band has changed over the years, some audience members gave the band a standing ovation as they walked on stage Thursday.
“They’re like a fine wine,” Meyers said. “They’re mellow, but they’re still great.”
There were many tie dye shirts and die-hard fans seen at the concert. But there were also a number of middle-aged businesspeople remembering the popular band of their college years.
“I’ve always been a fan,” said self-employed Evanston resident Ken Swoyer. “This is just such a wonderful opportunity to find Jefferson Airplane … and in Evanston! They’re fabulous. It just brings tears to my eyes. Everything just comes back.”
