Van Morrison in the Bay Area

For a period of years that I cannot pin down, Van Morrison lived in the greater Bay Area, Marin County to be exact, and performed all over the place. I saw him probably 30 times in a myriad of venues. I did not always have a camera in those years, so my opportunities for photographic adventures were limited. These photos were taken in small clubs or theaters where the lighting left a lot to be desired. The bottom two shots are from the Odyssey Room in Sunnyvale, a very small club on the El Camino Real about 10 minutes from my home. I literally couldn't believe he was playing there! Nevertheless, there he was with his band from the second two records. This is from May of 1973. The two shots above that are from Santa Clara University's Mayer Theater in October of 1976 on the "Wavelength" tour, his worst album by a long shot. Synths all over the place. The top two photographs are from the Keystone Palo Alto, another small venue, in January of 1980. This was a truly great show with John Lee Hooker guesting. Van is probably my all-time favorite recording artist. though sometimes his live shows have been less than stellar.