I first encountered Steve Goodman on the stage at my high school in Northfield, Illinois. I was just getting into folk/acoustic music, but many there weren't (at first). Steve played his heart out and really captured most of the audience, but one guy kept yelling for "rock 'n roll." He ignored this for awhile, but finally (and out of the blue) said, "Alright. You want you're rok 'n roll"-blank-blank you" and launched into an incredible version of an old song called "Diane" (by Paul Anka, I believe). It brought down the house and won the last few rock 'n roll holdouts over. I have a very bad tape from that concert and it remains one of my most prized possesions.

One of my last memories was of sitting near Steve at a game at Wrigley. I want to say that it was in 1984 (when he died and the Cubs clinched the division for the first time in 39 years), but I may be romanticizing (sp?) it.

I saw him perform many times. To me, Steve Goodman was to music what Robin Williams is to comedy-pure genius. He could fire off the hottest, wildest solos and then soothe you with a quiet tune. It was a privilege to see. The closest thing to being there is the Live side of "No Big Surprise."

Acoustically,

Steve in Wisconsin