The Tubes - Proud To Be An American - 12/31/1975 - Winterland (Official)

The Tubes - Proud To Be An American
Recorded Live: 12/31/1975 - Winterland - San Francisco, CA
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Personnel:
Fee Waybill - vocals
Bill "Sputnik" Spooner - guitar, vocals
Roger Steen - guitar
Prairie Prince - drums
Michael Cotten - synthesizer
Vince Welnick - piano
Rick Anderson - bass
Summary:
The Tubes are a Bay-Area band best known for their skewering of popular culture issues of drugs, celebrity, and their namesake: Television. At this Bill Graham-produced show, the Tubes had sold out the Winterland for the first time. The band's stage antics are as lively as ever, owing to the festive spirit of New Year's Eve. Less than 25 minutes into the set they count down to 1976, with lead singer Fee Waybill endlessly insisting that there is another minute-and-a-half to go and feigning a broken watch.
The Tubes had only released one record at the time of this recording, 1975's The Tubes, which was produced by Al Kooper. That record contained the derisive "White Punks on Dope" as well as the disco-rock sales pitch "What Do You Want From Life." Both songs contained ample background noise and bizarre vocals.
We are at some disadvantage being unable to see the stage show (we don't know why exactly the "tube job" during the sketch "A Word From Our Sponsor" is eliciting such whoops, for example); but we can hear sketches like "Sputnik," a sort of interstellar sitcom, and there's no mistaking the live marching band that covers Steve Miller Band's "Living in the U.S.A." after the New Year's firecrackers are done exploding. (Other notable cover choices include the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting For The Man," Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual," and the "Theme From I Love Lucy.")
From their debut record, the Tubes play "Up From The Deep," Space Baby "Malaguena Salerosa," "Mondo Bondage," "Haloes," and the aforementioned "What Do You Want From Life" and "White Punks On Dope." But they had been busy putting material together for six years at this point, and had already prepared a good portion of material that would end up on their second record. From that album, Young and Rich, they play "Tubes World Tour," "Slipped My Disco," "Stand Up And Shout," and "Proud To Be An American.
There is a load of vulgarity and fun throughout this show. And the long and irreverent program comes to a tee when Waybill puts on his "Quay Lewd" alter-ego and introduces his band as the Cocaine Piranhas.
The Tubes continue to tour today.

[@drdala]

the perfect blend of irony and sincerity.

[@robertgray1425]

What can you say especially if you saw the tubes live in the late seventies? The best stage show and great music! A killer combo. Detroit loves the tubes,we always will !!!

[@perrtivrtsu6602]

How about today,are You still like 99% proud to be an american (mexican)?

[@TheHardDonuts]

Saw them at least 15 times if not more between 77 and 90 Most underrated band ever, and I mean ever

[@TheHardDonuts]

NO ONE SAYS IT LIKE THE TUBES. I'm proud to be an American and don't you forget it.

[@dougquidam1258]

Didn't see that coming (the tap dancers). But you never know what you'll see at a Tubes show.

[@thepunadude]

FEY WAYBILL AND THE TUBES! SAW THEM SOOOO MANY TIMES!

[@rorymurray256]

Happy Birthday, America!

[@rorymurray256]

RIP Rick Anderson

[@Winterstick549]

What was in the Phoenix water during the seventies. The Tubes and Alice Cooper putting on these fun stage shows.

[@TheChuck624]

The Tubes were waaaaay before they time.

[@Winterstick549]

I missed a concert, late seventies, Alice Cooper and the Tubes So bummed!!

[@888biblestudy]

Interesting lyrics in light of recent times. The main song I recall is what Do You Want From life. My brother had that album

[@dougquidam1258]

Holy smokes. Where did you find this footage. Great stuff.

[@thepunadude]

AND HE WAS AN AWESOME 2ND BASEMAN ...

[@kdeez]

Saw them do this song at Cal State Fullerton in 1976.

[@jessiejoseph1093]

Amen!

[@domitype]

Pretty sure I was at that show - I saw them quite often back then. If not Winterland, then at the San Jose Convention Center, but for sure in late 1975.

[@robertdavidson9393]

Great cult band early tubes rule!

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

Perfect for Donald Trump's campaign!!! I wish they had the version on the album "I'm proud of all the goofy things we've done", which is so effing perfect for the campaign of 2016.

[@JdoubleU1222]

And Hillary's version could have been "I'm Proud of Just How Corrupt I Am".

[@dukemantee2978]

I'm betting that Trump is gonna stomp in 2020.

[@jessiejoseph1093]

Not hardly

[@davidcooper9825]

@@JdoubleU1222 At least Pelosi finally gave it up. Glad to see Ole Mush-mouth Mitch McConnell is gonna be replaced. RINO

[@mikeatkinson2836]

Houston Music Hall 1975 - 2nd best show ever! A few months earlier Genesis Lamb 1975 This song had the girls wearing pasties, g strings in red white and blue! Better than tap dancers!

[@robdavidson1876]

Tubes best in their odd genre

[@fernandoperdomomusic]

Billy Joel must have been in the audience!

[@fernandoperdomomusic]

Same cadence as we didnt start the fire

[@sazhaxeramezha449]

I was thinking Michael Stipe...

[@DutchMastaDoE]

DoE wuz here ‘24

[@HartmutJagerArt]

Yeah ! ! ! There's nothing better than being an American Ameeerican ! Preferably a White one - of course ! 😂😂😂

[@paulsavage5057]

I am too Proud to be an American and too dumb to be a Canadian.