Tom Waits & Howdy Doody

In May 1973, Tom Waits was opening act for Buffalo Bob's Howdy Doody Revival at Atlanta's Great Southeast Music Hall. Yep.

display ad
The Great Speckled Bird, May 1973

Barry Manilow & Country Joe

Yes, this actually happened. In April 1974, Barry Manilow opened for Country Joe McDonald at the Great Southeast Music Hall.

Great Southeast Music Hall display ad,
The Great Speckled Bird, Vol. 7, No. 14, April 8, 1974

The Great Southeast Music Hall

The Great Southeast Music Hall, Emporium & Performing Arts Exchange Inc.

• Broadview Plaza Shopping Center, 2581 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta GA
• Owners: Bob Dulong, Maurice "Mo" Ehrlich
• Capacity: 530
• Opened: Monday, October 30, 1972
• Note: The Great Southeast Music Hall is probably most remembered for hosting the very first American performance of the Sex Pistols, January 5, 1978.

1972

• Jeff Espina, Pat Alger, Silverman - October 28 (preview)
• Jonathan Edwards, Pat Alger - October 30-November 5
• Tim Hardin - November 7-12
• Harry Chapin, Jeubal - November 14-19
• New York Rock Ensemble, Suggins County String Band - November 21-26
• Johnny Nash, Rogue's Gallery - November 30, December 2-3
• Al Kooper, Rogue's Gallery - December 1
• Joe Walsh, The Barnstormers, Doris Abrahams - December 5-10
• Hampton Grease Band, Jeff Espina - December 12-17
• Arthur, Hurley & Gottlieb; Alan Beck - December 19-24
• Silverman, Ray Whitley - December 26-31

1973

• Edmonds & Curley, Joe da Roach - January 2-7
• The Earl Scruggs Review, Pat Alger - January 9-14 
• Odetta - January 16-21
• Radar, Fletcher & The Piedmonts - January 19-20 (at midnight)
• Len Chandler, Morris Dudley - January 23-28
• Flood, Sweet Rye - January 26-27 (at midnight)
• Townes Van Zandt, Banks & Shane - January 30-February 4
• Roadapple, Doke House Blues Band - February 2-3 (at midnight)
• Dion, Steve Ferguson - February 6-11
• Hydra, East Side Blues Band - February 9-10 (at midnight)
• Oliver, Tunesmith - February 13-18
• Eric Quincy Tate, Maelstrom - February 16-17 (at midnight)
• Buddy Moss, Joab, Jeff Espina - February 22-25
• Fletcher & The Piedmonts, Starving Braineaters - February 23-24  (at midnight)
• Danny Cox, Doris Abrahams - March 2-5
• Hampton Grease Band - March 2-3 (at midnight)
• John Hartford - March 6-11
• Atlanta Rhythm Section, Devil's Advocate - March 9-10 (at midnight)
• Odetta, Smith & Scrapper - March 12-18
• Brother Bait, Caliban - March 16-18 (at midnight)
• Doc Watson, Breakfast Special - March 20-25
• Scald Cats, Sweet Rye - March 23-24 (at midnight)
• Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys - March 27-April 1
• Mose Jones, Protrudamus - March 30-April 1 (at midnight)
• Lily Tomlin - April 3-7
• Kudzu, Stump Brothers - April 6-8 (at midnight)
• James Cotton Blues Band, Ellen McIlwaine - April 12-15
• Harry Chapin, John Herald & The Honkies - April 17-22
• Lynyrd Skynyrd, Traktor - April 20-21 (at midnight)
• Looking Glass - April 24-28
• Howdy Doody Revival with Buffalo Bob, Tom Waits - May 1-6
• Atlanta Rhythm Section, Mason - May 4-6 (at midnight)
• Charles Lloyd - May 10-13
• Eric Quincy Tate, Elements - May 11-13 (at midnight)
• Goose Creek Symphony - May 15-18
• Will Boulware, Mike Holbrook, Al Nicholson - May 19
• Wheatridge - May 19-20
• Leo Kottke, Jimmie Spheeris - May 22-27
• Eric Weissberg & The Dueling Banjoes - June 8-10
• The Dillards, Silverman - June 12-17
• The Earl Scruggs Revue - June 19-24
• John Prine - June 28-30
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - July 1-2
• Tom Rush - July 3-8
• Pat Paulsen - July 10-15
• Al Kooper - July 12
• Phil Ochs, The New Grass Band - July 17-22
• The Great Speckled Bird Benefit Concert: Al Kooper, Mose Jones, Birtha, Phil Ochs, Bill Sheffield, Small Drink, Corrinne Smith, Pat Alger, Robin Conant - July 23
• Doug Kershaw - July 24-29
• Procter & Goodman - July 31-August 5
• Jim Croce - August 8-11
• Al Kooper - August 12 (benefit for friends of James and Julian Bond)
• Albert Hammond, Lori Jacobs - August 14-18
• Steve Goodman - August 19
• Chuck Mangione - August 21-26
• Melissa Manchester - August 29-September 2
• Eric Anderson - September 5-9
• Kinky Friedman - September 11-12
• Goose Creek Symphony - September 13-16
• Linda Ronstadt - September 18-23
• John Stewart, Wheatridge - September 25-30
• Red, White & Blue(grass) - October 2-4 
• Red, White & Blue(grass); Heartwood - October 5-7
• Lightnin' Hopkins - October 9-13
• Commander Cody - October 15
• Doc & Merle Watson - October 16-21
• Harry Chapin - October 23-28
• New Riders Of The Purple Sage - October 29
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - October 30-November 4
• The Dillards - November 6-11
• Procter & Bergman - November 12
• Mason Williams - November 13-18
• Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Sherman Hayes - November 20-25
• Taj Mahal - November 26
• Doug Kershaw, Lee Clayton - November 27-December 2
• Jerry Jeff Walker - December 4-9
• Loudon Wainwright III, Lori Lieberman - December 11-16
• Silverman - December 18-23
• The Country Gentlemen - December 26-30
• Bluegrass Jamboree - December 31

1974

• The Committee - January 2-6
• Sopwith Camel, Franklin Ajaye - January 10-13
• Waylon Jennings - January 15-20
• Earl Scruggs Revue - January 21-23
• Cheech & Chong - January 24-27
• Goose Creek Symphony - January 31-February 3
• Oliver - February 6-10
• Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet - February 12-17
• Jonathan Edwards - February 19-24
• John Hartford - February 27-March 3
• Tom Rush - March 5-10
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Martin - March 12-17
• David Bromberg, Aztec Twostep - March 19-24
• Doc & Merle Watson - March 26-31
• Roger McGuinn, Pillmore & Hatcher - April 2-7
• Brewer & Shipley - April 8
• Henry Gross, The Talbot Brothers - April 9-14
• BW Stevenson - April 8
• Country Joe McDonald, Barry Melton, "special guest Barry Manilow" - April 16-21
• The Committee - April 23-28
• Ry Cooder - April 29
• Buffy St Marie - April 30-May 5
• Tim Weisberg - May 6
• Ace Trucking Company, Orphan - May 7-12
• Goose Creek Symphony - May 13
• Eric Weissberg & Deliverance - May 14-19
• Melissa Manchester, Martin Mull - May 21-25
• Martin Mull; Travis Shook & The Club Wow - May 28-June 2
• Doug Kershaw - June 3-5
• Dr Hook & The Medicine Show - June 6-9
• Uncle Josh Graves - June 11-16
• Hampton Geese Band, Buddy Moss - June 17
• Rick Cunha, Wendy Waldman - June 18-23
• Mad Mountain Mime Troupe - June 24
• The New Grass Revival & David Allan Coe - June 25-30
• Mike Greene Band, Pat Alger - July 1-3
• Paul Davis, Pyramid, Pat Alger - July 4-7
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - July 8-9
• Lightnin' Hopkins, Murray McLauchlan - July 10-14
• Wendy Waldman - July 15-17
• Weather Report, Steven Grossman - July 18-20
• Janis Ian, Larry Gatlin - July 22
• Earl Scruggs Revue, Larry Gatlin - July 23-28
• Doc & Merle Watson, Sammy Walker - July 29
• Esther Phillips; Barbara Barrow & Mike Smith - July 30-August 4
• The Incredible String Band - August 5-7
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk, David Pomeranz - August 8-11
• Steve Martin, Mimi Farina - August 15-August 18
• John Hammond, Muledeer & Moondog Medicine Show - August 20-25
• Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth, Norman Blake - August 27-31
• Josh Graves, Norman Blake - September 2-4
• Josh Graves, Rainmaker - September 5-7
• Leo Kottke, Madhouse Company of London - September 9-11
• Madhouse Company of London, Leon Redbone - September 12-15
• JJ Cale - September 16
• Oregon - September 17-18
• Jimmy Buffett - September 19-22
• Jonathan Edwards, Mad Mountain Mime Troupe - September 23-24
• Charlie Byrd, Mad Mountain Mime Troupe - September 25-29
• Return to Forever featuring Chick Corea - September 30
• Goose Creek Symphony, Michael Collins - October 1-5
• Tom Rush, Orphan - October 7
• Paul Davis, Pyramid - October 8-12
• John Hartford; Red, White & Blue(grass) - October 14-16
• Red, White & Blue(grass) - October 17-20
• Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Gallagher & Lyle - October 21-23
• Sammi Smith, Claire Hamill- October 24-27
• John Fahey, Sam Parsons - October 28
• Tim Weisberg, Sam Parsons - October 29-30
• Dr Hook & The Medicine Show, Sam Parsons - October 31-November 3
• Don Everly, Willis Allen Ramsey - November 4-7
• Taj Mahal, Ron Douglas - November 8-9
• Chuck Mangione - November 11-13
• Robert Klein, Tom Waits - November 14-17
• Dan Fogelberg - November 18
• Doc & Merle Watson, Dick Feller -November 19-24
• Gino Vanelli - November 25
• Doug Kershaw, Gove - November 26-30
• Darius Brubeck Ensemble, Ed Begley Jr - December 2-4
• David Bromberg - December 5-8
• The Dillards, Sam Leopold - December 9-11
• McCoy Tyner - December 12-15
• Ramsey Lewis Trio - December 16
• Severin Brown - December 17-22
• Tim Weisberg, Mike Williams - December 31-January 4