Memory:Michael Adashefski
The first time I saw Gentle Giant was on 6/18/76 in Central Park, the night after seeing Yes in Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. It was quite odd because opening for Giant was a Yes-clone band called Star Castle who got little or no support from the crowd of Giant fans. It was a beautiful June night as Giant came onstage and knocked us all out with their musicianship. I had never seen a band who could do so many types of music so well and play so many different instruments as well. The vocals were stunning during pieces like On Reflection and Knots in the Octopus Medley and executed so flawlessly and the band was incredibly tight. Derek's sense of humor was a lot of fun as well as he introduced himself as Barry Manilow(?). I recall that during the massive drum solo the band had a set of twinkling Christmas lights going on during the vibes section which added a nice visual touch to the concert.
New York audiences are known for being hard to please, but Gentle Giant succeeded in giving one helluva night of music and fun. A truly amazing band!