The purpose of the blog is to add to the archive of legendary roots reggae artists by profiling shows, interviews, writings, appearances, and the like.
This week, we find Bob Marley and the Wailers on the North American leg of their 1980 tour. It is September 1980, and they are playing two shows with The Commodores at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Unfortunately, this is Bob’s last trip through New York, and the U.S. for that matter (although he does return to Miami, FL in April 1981 after leaving Dr. Issel’s clinic in Bavaria).
I have included a review of the show by Robert Palmer, which was published on September 23, 1980 in the New York Times. Ironically, September 23, 1980 is the same day that Marley plays his last show at The Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The review can be accessed here.
As the review explains, these shows are of note because Marley plays his music live to a predominantly African-American, mainstream funk and soul audience for the first time.
One of our readers recently shared his experience at this show:
“I was young, about 16, and went to the concert with friends. We went to see Marley but stayed for the whole show. It was a very mellow and relaxed vibe where we were sitting (pretty high up stage right). I remember just sitting back and listening when Marley was on, pure music. It changed to a more commercial feeling when the Commodores played. It was like the stage transformed from a mellow living room (Marley) to a glitzy stage set (Commodores in white suits) — strange transition. But I also really remember Kurtis Blow rapping at the beginning of the show — had never heard anything like that before.”
I have also included an audio recording of the show. Enjoy!
Photographer: Lindsay Donald
The included concert audio is a matrix soundboard/audience recording from the September 20, 1980 show. I have included a setlist along with the recording.
Setlist:
Natural Mystic
Positive Vibration
Burnin’ and Lootin’
Them Belly Full
The Heathen
Running Away / Crazy Baldheads
Zimbabwe
Zion Train
War / No More Trouble
I Shot The Sheriff
No Woman No Cry
Jammin’
Exodus
Encore:
Could You Be Loved
LEGENDARY REGGAE 
This blog is great, keep up the meticulous detail!
thanks for supporting!
I too love this blog. Thanks for sharing!
thankYouuuuuuu
from my magic Uruguay ; )
[img]http://i.imgur.com/uqdeX.jpg[/img]
hopefully will arrive some Don Carlos here ► the melodious nightingale : )))
thankYouuuuuuu
from my magic Uruguay ; )
hopefully will arrive some Don Carlos here ► the melodious nightingale : )))
Thanks for posting. I was at this concert in 1980. Unforgettable.
If you’d like to write a short paragraph about your experience at the show I’ll include it in the post…
I was young, about 16, and went to the concert with friends. We went to see Marley but stayed for the whole show. It was a very mellow and relaxed vibe where we were sitting (pretty high up stage right). I remember just sitting back and listening when Marley was on, pure music. It changed to a more commercial feeling when the Commodores played. It was like the stage transformed from a mellow living room (Marley) to a glitzy stage set (Commodores in white suits) — strange transition. But I also really remember Kurtis Blow rapping at the beginning of the show — had never heard anything like that before.
Agreed! Great Blog! I thought ‘Could You Be Loved’ was in here somewhere, in the new Marley 2012 Doc. they play the start of Bob singing this song @MSG opening for the commodores. Cant get the full video of it anywhere, and cant find it in this full audio recording!
Any1 able to HELP?
The MSG footage in Marley is actually the concert from Germany 1980. Could You Be Loved was not played at MSG 1978 but at MSG 1980.
In fact, I shared the entire Germany concert video here a few weeks ago. Do a search…
Could you be Love could not be played at MSG in 1978 as it wss written as yet that year the album was Kaya.
I’m vibing to Bob and stumbled on this post. I was 14 when I attended this concert. 40 years later I’m still baffled that Bob Marley and the Wailers opened for the Commodores. Don’t get me wrong, I like Lionel Richie and company but considering the impact of the music that Marley and the Wailers had and continue to have on the world versus the Commodores, there’s no comparison.