Ronstadt Revisited: Comments rekindle anti-war nostalgia

Thursday, July 22, 2004 | 8:16 a.m.

Editor's note: Since Linda Ronstadt was escorted off the Aladdin property Saturday after making comments in support of filmmaker Michael Moore during her show at the Theatre for the Performing Arts, several media reports have attempted to reconstruct her controversial performance. The Las Vegas Sun had two staff members in attendance entertainment writer Jerry Fink, who was on hand to review the show for Mondays paper, and assistant Metro editor Shannon Stevens, who is a Ronstadt fan. Following is Fink's report on the show.

The evening began inauspiciously enough.

A Linda Ronstadt concert isn't exactly big news. At least it wasn't before Saturday's performance at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts.

To my knowledge I was the only working reporter there. I went to review the performance by the outspoken activist whose rise to fame began as lead vocalist with the Stone Poneys in 1967 and '68.

It was to have been a nostalgic evening for me.

Little did I know how nostalgic.

I was in San Francisco and Berkeley when Ronstadt came onto the music scene - joining the ranks of such groups as the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, to name a couple of Bay Area legends.

It was a time of peace marches, protests over the Vietnam War and issues about freedom of speech. Students boycotted classes, burned flags and draft cards and National Guard buildings (at least on the UC Berkeley campus).

But the days of activism are over, just distant memories. No one takes to the streets these days to complain about censorship and perceived erosion of civil rights.

When I arrived at the theater I was surprised to see such a large turnout. Almost 5,000 fans filled the 7,000-seat auditorium. Most of the vacancies were in the balcony, which was not open for the event.

I was surprised because Ronstadt's time in the national limelight -- the '70s, when she dated former California Gov. Jerry Brown and turned out such hits as "When Will I Be Loved" and "You're No Good" (both No. 1 in 1975) -- was long gone.

She occasionally made entertainment news when she released an album and changed her musical tastes from rock to country to Latin to classic standards, but Ronstadt had left the covers of magazines years ago.

But that didn't matter to her fans at the Aladdin, most of whom were in their 50s and 60s and older.

The program opened with a 30-minute mini-concert by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, whose highlight was a magnificent rendition of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," featuring pianist Terrance Wilson.

Although the orchestra was brilliant, I wasn't there to hear it. I, and most of the fans, wanted Ronstadt.

After the orchestra finished there was a 15-minute break, which made a restless crowd even more restless. Finally, about 45 minutes after the start of the show, Ronstadt emerged.

She was dressed all in black -- slacks, oriental blouse, light jacket. A few "tsk-tsks" could be heard as some fans saw her size. When she was with the Stone Poneys she was thin -- but then, so were a lot of us.

The fans applauded as she walked slowly across the stage to her microphone in front of the orchestra and launched into "What's New," a 1983 hit.

Then she explained to the fans what to expect -- she said the advertising was not correct, this was not a "greatest-hits" tour but a tour with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and she would be singing a variety of music, including some of her greatest hits.

After "What's New" she sang several songs from the '20s, '30s and '40s she recorded with arranger Nelson Riddle.

Ronstadt didn't seem to have a lot of energy. There was no excitement in her demeanor, no interaction with members of the crowd -- who might or might not have been aware that prior to the concert she told the press that she wasn't too fond of Las Vegas.

By the end of the standards segment, at least 10 people sitting in my section were asleep.

One fan murmured, "It's about time," when Ronstadt finally began the part of the show that included several of her better-known numbers, among them "Just One Look" (1979), "Ooh Baby, Baby" (1978) and "Somewhere Out There" (1987).

It was a sentiment shared by many.

Each song received a round of applause. Fans were beginning to warm up to the evening, which was almost over.

"Blue Bayou" was the final song before the bomb hit.

As the thunderous applause for the 1977 hit died down, Ronstadt began to speak.

She said she was dedicating "Desperado" to "A great American patriot, someone that cares about this country deeply and tries to help the best he can by spreading the truth. His name is Michael Moore."

At the mention of his name the applause for "Blue Bayou" changed abruptly into a cacophony of cheers and boos.

Although seemingly innocuous on the surface, the statement was politically charged. For those opposed to Moore and his politics, it was akin to burning a flag.

The reaction should have been anticipated. At every recent concert Ronstadt has dedicated "Desperado" to Moore in an effort to get people to see his movie "Fahrenheit 9/11."

At every concert, audiences have booed or cheered the dedication, depending upon their political leanings. I expected nothing less from the Las Vegas concert, and I wasn't disappointed.

What happened next was a total surprise.

As she began singing the Eagles' hit, I turned and saw fans filing out of the room -- between 200 and 300 were in line, moving up the stairs to the exit.

Their departure didn't seem to faze Ronstadt, who probably has become accustomed to strong reactions to her political point of view.

Contrary to reports, half the audience didn't leave. The 200 to 300 who did were a relatively small portion of the almost 5,000 in attendance.

Most stayed to hear her, anticipating more music.

A spokesman for the hotel said she cut the show 20 minutes short. Whether she had decided ending the show early was her plan all along, or that she was reacting to the exodus, I don't know -- her people have not returned several calls seeking comment.

Unknown to most of us, Aladdin President Bill Timmins, who attended the concert, ordered security guards to escort her off the premises with the message that she was no longer welcome to perform there.

Also unknown to most of us at the time, her belongings were taken from her suite and delivered to her on her tour bus.

What is known is that Ronstadt has returned to national headlines.

Getting evicted from the Aladdin may inadvertently have been a great career move, and it certainly brought back memories and focus to issues thought to have been buried in the distant past.