Jefferson Starship returned to the tri-state area with a performance at Paramount Hudson Valley on Sept. 14. It was one of the band’s first shows back in the area following the 2016 loss of Paul Kantner, the driving force behind the Airplane, Starship, and Jefferson collaborations.
Under the lead of singer/guitarist Cathy Richardson with long-time singer David Frieberg by her side, the band did a remarkable job of carrying on the spirit of the music to fill the void on stage. Frieberg, who just recently celebrated his 80th birthday, displayed a strong performance lending beautiful harmonies on a duet with Richardson on “Tomorrow.” Richardson, who joined the band in the mid-2000s, has been a consistent anchor to Grace Slick’s vocal performance since first hitting the road with the band and on the 2007 album Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty.
The show weighed heavily on Jefferson Airplane’s catalog, with a little bit of Quicksilver Messenger Service and 80s-era Starship mixed in. With a sizeable discography to choose from and the time constraints of a concert, some songs were left out that some folks would have liked to hear, however, the staples of the catalog were covered within a mix of the band’s lesser common songs.
Later in the show, Richardson took a few moments to talk about Kantner and his legacy of using music to promote social justice and announced that they are heading to the studio to record a new album to honor that legacy. From that, we heard the debut of a brand new song “What Are We Waiting For.” (As of now, there is no further information on a release date)
Setlist: Sunrise, Ride The Tiger, Find Your Way Back, Count On Me, Today, Fresh Air, What Are We Waiting For, Winds of Change, Medley, Miracles, Embryonic Journey, White Rabbit, We Built This City, Jane, Somebody To Love
Encore: Volunteers
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