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EXTENSIONS OF MAN CONCERTS
In August of 1970 Media Five originates as a booking agency with band management included shortly after. Nine months after the company's founding a third phase begins: concert promotion. Extensions of Man debuts with a summer series of Sunday night dance concerts at Saylor's Lake Pavilion, a lakeside and former big band ballroom in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. An immediate success, the Saylor's Lake Dance Series confirms the need for creative concert promotion in addition to booking and artist management.
Deciding to move to the next level, Extensions of Man finds a suitable venue in a historic site scheduled for demolition. On December 30, 1971 Woodstock performers and nationally known act Sha Na Na performs at Easton PA's Boyd Theater. Tickets are $4.
Concerts by emerging and established national artists follow including Billy Joel, Electric Light Orchestra, Mott the Hoople, Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult and others (see below). This is a list of national acts and does not include the countless regional and local bands also promoted.
So what brings a concert company with a successful run of shows to an end? Circumstance. People. Fortune and misfortune. Fate. Competition from near by big city promoters, late and non-appearing acts, vocalists with laryngitis and egos that can no longer fit into even the largest of halls also conspire against continuing the concert series.
Gaining confidence from the Extensions of Man experience, the agency decides to find and develop its own acts for national stardom. Having had a concert promotion arm with now established national agency relationships also provides opportunities to deliver national acts to booking agency clients.
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PROMOTERS AND STAFF, CONCERT SERIES AND VENUES » |
GALLERY: Live performance photos » |
TIME CAPSULE: Promo pieces, posters, articles, tickets, reviews, contracts, etc. » |
Aerosmith View Profile | October 29, 1973, Johnston Hall, Moravian College, Bethlehem PA (Opened for Mott the Hoople)
October 6, 1974, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem PA
| Big City Music Band View Profile | April 24, 1970, Koehler Field House
East Stroudsburg State College
(Opened for Steve Miller Band)
December 30, 1971, Boyd Theatre, Easton PA
(Opened for Sha Na Na) | Billy Joel View Profile | Having sold more than 100 million records over the course of a career spanning more than 40 years, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in the world. Extensions of Man Concerts and Media Five Entertainment have a special relationship as his Lehigh Valley promotor starting with his "Piano Man" album tour in 1974. It was at a sound check at their promoted Muhlenberg College concert in 1975 where we first heard parts of the chorus of a song that would later be titled, "Allentown." In 1982, upon the release of the "The Nylon Curtain" album and the single, "Allentown," David Sestak along with local radio station WZZO and the backing of Mayor Joe Daddona, the then mayor of Allentown, spearheaded a campaign to bring Billy Joel back to the Lehigh Valley to perform, "Allentown." There was a controversy over the interpretation of the "Allentown" lyrics within the region and along with the campaign this garnered national attention on syndicated TV, radio, daily newspapers, and major magazines. Billy Joel has often commented that that the early Lehigh Valley shows always had a special place in his heart and he agreed to come back to the area on December 27, 1982 to perform "Allentown" at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem. Efforts continue today for Billy to return to the Lehigh Valley this time to perform "Allentown" in Allentown in their new 10,000 capacity PPL Center. | Blue Oyster Cult View Profile | October 7, 1973, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem PA
June 24, 1974, State Theatre, Easton PA
| Brownsville Station View Profile | May 28, 1972, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA
August 5, 1973, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA
(Opened for Detroit with Mitch Ryder)
Feb 8, 1974, Grace Hall, Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA (opened for Jo Jo Gunne) | Buzzy Linhart View Profile | March 12, 1975, Memorial Hall, Muhlenburg College, Allentown PA
(Opened for Billy Joel) | Cactus View Profile | June 21, 1973, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg, PA | Chase View Profile | July 28, 1971, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA | Dan Fogelberg View Profile | November 13, 1974, Agricultural Hall, Muhlenburg College, Allentown PA
(Opened for Billy Joel)
| Delaney and Bonnie & Friends View Profile | April 24, 1970, Koehler Field House, East Stroudsburg State College
(Opened for Steve Miller Band)
c1971, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg PA | Detroit With Mitch Ryder View Profile | May 28, 1972, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA | Duke Williams & The Extremes View Profile | July 16, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA | Electric Light Orchestra View Profile | December 9, 1973, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem PA | Elf View Profile | December 9, 1973, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem PA
(Opened for Electric Light Orchestra) | Elliot Murphy View Profile | February 10, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem PA
(Opened for Billy Joel) | Fanny View Profile | July 25, 1973, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg, PA | Foghat View Profile | July 22, 1974, State Theatre, Easton PA
| Godspell View Profile | October 5, 1979, Grace Hall, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA | Golden Earring View Profile | July 22 1974, State Theatre, Easton PA
| Good Rats View Profile | October 6, 1974, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem PA
(Opened for Aerosmith) | Gun Hill Road View Profile | July 1, 1973, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA | Harry Chapin View Profile | April 5, 1974, Grace Hall, Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA | Jay & the Techniques View Profile | August 19, 1973, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg, PA
Firehouse Lounge, Easton PA
Phase V Disco, Bethlehem, PA
| Jo Jo Gunne View Profile | February 8, 1974, Grace Hall, Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA | Little Feat View Profile | October 29, 1975, Memorial Hall, Muhlenberg College, Allentown PA (co-headlined with Renaissance)
| Mandrake Memorial View Profile | c1973, Shiver's Dance Concerts, Easton PA | Maynard Ferguson View Profile | October 29, 1977, Symphony Hall, Allentown PA
March 2, 1979, Symphony Hall, Allentown PA
| Mott the Hoople View Profile | October 29, 1973, Moravian College, Bethlehem PA | Mountain View Profile | c1971, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg PA
April 4, 1974, Valley Theatre, East Greenville PA
| Nazareth View Profile | June 24, 1974, State Theatre, Easton PA
(Opened for Blue Oyster Cult) | Ralph View Profile | Click here to see what we have so far and how you can contribute.
| Raspberries View Profile | August 27, 1972, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA | Renaissance View Profile | October 29, 1975, Memorial Hall, Muhlenberg College, Allentown PA
(Co-Headlined with Little Feat) | Rock Opera Tommy View Profile | August 27, 1972, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg PA | Sha Na Na View Profile | December 30, 1971, Boyd Theatre, Easton PA
State Theatre, Easton PA
| Snafu View Profile | July 16, 1974, State Theatre, Easton PA
(Opened for Foghat) | Stan Kenton View Profile | March 12, 1975, Symphony Hall, Muhlenberg College, Allentown PA
| Steve Miller Band View Profile | April 24, 1970, Koehler Field House, East Stroudsburg State College | Ted Nugent and Amboy Dukes View Profile | 1974, Valley Theatre, East Greenville PA | The Earth Band View Profile | August 6, 1973, Saylors Lake Pavilion, Saylorsburg, PA
May 11, 1974, Williamsport Area Community College, Williamsport PA
| The High Keys View Profile | Born out of Johnny and the High Keys when Joey Colarusso joined the band along with Mike "Gino" Schimpf. Later Johnny Dee took on band management and added Terry Bosseler on keyboards. The band continued into the 70s, remaining a fan favorite! The Keys caught the attention of Jim Ienner, renowned producer of bands such as Three Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad, The Raspberries, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Lighthouse, and Airsupply, who went on to record and produce several songs for the band. The band shifted their touring to become an opening act for such bands as Sly & The Family Stone, Fleetwood Mac, Little Feat, and Blue Oyster Cult along with playing festivals besides major night clubs on the East Coast. The band eventually dropped "The High" of "The High Keys" and remained KEYS. | The New York Dolls View Profile | March 10, 1973, Johnston Hall, Moravian College, Bethlehem PA | ZZ Top View Profile | May 11, 1974, Williamsport Area Community College, Williamsport PA |
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