Eddie Money - lead vocals; Randy Nichols - keyboards; Jesse Bradman - piano; Dave Danser - drums; Tim Sheridan - bass; David Lewark - guitar; Jimmy Lyons - lead guitar
Eddie Money had already enjoyed a few years as a bona fide rock star and FM staple when this recording was made during his 1979 Life For The Taking tour. Money had emerged, with the help of manager and promoter Bill Graham in 1977, with a promising debut LP that included the hits, "Baby Hold On To Me," and the infectious, "Two Tickets To Paradise." For this show, Money was playing to his hometown crowd, as he settled in the Bay Area in the mid-1970s after a fruitless attempt to become a star in his native-born city, New York.
Money sings many of the early hits with the same enthusiasm and conviction he had on the earliest tours of his career. Perhaps the reason for this (outside of a very supportive audience), is because Money had a great band assembled for this tour. Credit must go to guitarist Jimmy Lyons who, like Keith Richards is to Mick Jagger, provides a wide net of support and collaboration. From listening to this recording, and others in the studio, it's obvious that Lyons was a key element to the success of Eddie Money in those days. In addition to the aforementioned hits from his first album, the show also includes several radio staples, including "Rock & Roll The Place" and "Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star." Other highlights include "Life For The Taking'" and "Gamblin' Man."
Born as Edward Mahoney and raised in New York City into a family of Irish-American policemen, Money had planned to follow his father's footsteps and enrolled in the Police Academy training program. Somewhere along the way, however, his desire to make music for a living overwhelmed him, and he has been in front of the mic ever since.