karen dalton live, 1961-1982

Karen Dalton performing history, 1961-1982, an incomplete chronology

Karen Dalton didn’t enjoy performing live. When she did, it was often at venues that didn’t necessarily advertise their acts. “Karen Dalton never played my Folklore Center and neither did Freddie Neil or Tim Hardin,” Izzy Young wrote in 1999. “Neither did they play the Newport Folk Festival, and if Karen Dalton played Gerde’s Folk City it was on an off night and remains unnoted.” She did actually play Gerde’s, known from a September 1963 Herald-Tribune cover (see below), but the point stands.

Though decidedly scanty, this represents an attempt at reconstructing a performing chronology for Karen Dalton, in the hopes of stirring up further memories/information/recordings. Please get in touch via email or comment below.

1961

2/xx/61 Cafe Wha?, New York City, NY
Fred Darrah’s photo of Karen with Bob Dylan and Fred Neil.

1962

10/xx/62 The Attic, Boulder, CO
released as Cotton Eyed Joe: The Loop Tapes
It’s Alright, Every Time I Think of Freedom, Cotton Eyed Joe, Pastures of Plenty, One May Morning, Red Are the Flowers, Blues on the Ceiling, Run Tell That Major, Down and Out, Fannin’ Street, In the Evening, Old Hannah, Pallet On Your Floor, Prettiest Train, Mole in the Ground, Darlin’ Corey, It Hurts Me Too, Katie Cruel, Blackjack, No More Taters, Good Morning Blues

1963

5/11/63 Bates Hall, Huntington YMCA, Boston, MA
with Richard Tucker. Folk Song Society of Greater Boston Hootenanny
with Dave Van Ronk, Eric von Schmidt, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, Don West, Johnny Morier, Robert L. Jones, Don McSorely, Jan Pulver, The Tamborim

9/xx/63 Gerde’s Folk City, New York City, NY
with Richard Tucker. Photo featured on cover of New York Herald-Tribune.

1964

2/2/64 Kohl High School Gym, Broomfield, CO
with Richard Tucker
with the New Mobile Strugglers

30 January 1964 Broomfield Star-Builder (via @QueenCityJamz)

1966

6/3-19/66 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
sometimes part of rotating pickup band for Fred Neil, also occasionally featuring Al Kooper (organ or guitar), Harvey Brooks (bass), Felix Pappalardi (bass or guitar), John Sebastian (harp), Dino Valenti (guitar)

1969

3/22/69 unknown venue, New York City, NY
featured on It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You the Best DVD
God Bless the Child

4/5/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/6/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/7/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/8/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/9/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/10/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/11/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/12/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/13/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson

4/14/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson, Vince Martin

4/15/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson, Vince Martin

4/16/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson, Vince Martin

4/17/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson, Vince Martin

4/18/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson, Vince Martin

4/19/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson, Vince Martin

4/20/69 Cafe Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Bob Gibson, Vince Martin

6/14/69 unknown venue, New York City, NY
featured on It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You the Best DVD
It Hurts Me Too

Los Angeles Free Press, 4 October 1969

9 or 10/xx/69 Ash Grove, Los Angeles, CA

10/10/69 Ledbetter’s, Los Angeles, CA
with Dan Licks and His Hot Licks

10/11/69 Ledbetter’s, Los Angeles, CA
with Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks

1971

4/15/71 K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, DK
opening for Santana

4/16/71 Konserthus, Stockholm, DE
opening for Santana

4/18/71 Ahoy, Rotterdam, NL
opening for Santana

4/19/71 Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, DE
opening for Santana

4/20/71 Zirkus Krone, Munich, DE
opening for Santana

4/21/71 Beat Club, West Bremen, DE
Take Me, One Night Of Love

4/23/71 Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg, DE
opening for Santana

4/25/71 Olympia Theater, Paris, FR
opening for Santana

4/27/71 Sports Palace, Milan, IT
opening for Santana

4/28/71 Rome, IT
opening for Santana

4/29/71 Rome, IT
opening for Santana

5/1/71 Golden Rose Pop Festival, Casino de Montreux, Montreux, CH
Something On Your Mind, Blues On the Ceiling, Are You Leaving For the Country, One Night Of Love

5/8/71 Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK
opening for Santana

5/9/71 Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK
opening for Santana

9/4/71 Joyous Lake, Woodstock, NY
with Peter Walker

10/27/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with the Blues Project; originally advertised for October 27th through November 1st at Gaslight Au Go Go, there is also an ad indicating that Al Kooper and opening act Freeway were booked from October 28th through November 1st, so it’s quite possible Karen only performed one date.

10/28/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with the Blues Project (see above)

10/29/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with the Blues Project (see above)

10/30/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with the Blues Project (see above)

10/31/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with the Blues Project (see above)

11/1/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with the Blues Project (see above)

Billboard, 13 November 1971

1972

11/2/72 Blue Room Cabaret, Mercer Arts Center, New York City, NY

11/2/72 Blue Room Cabaret, Mercer Arts Center, New York City, NY

1976

10/30/76 Radio Unnameable, WBAI, NYC

1982

xx/xx/82 Joyous Lake, Woodstock, NY
The last time/place Peter Walker recalls seeing Karen Dalton perform live.

8/8/82 Bob Fass Show, WFMU, East Orange, NJ