Jeff Elliot - trombone, trumpet, flugelhorn; Jim Messina - guitar, percussion, vocals; Tony Moreno - drums, timbales; Wayne Nelson - bass, background vocals; Jim Studer - synthesizer, keyboards, background vocals; Craig Thomas - saxophone, flutee, background vocals; Ron Green - percussion, background vocals
Jim Messina had taken nearly two years off to write and record his Columbia Records debut, Oasis, released at the time of this show in the fall of 1979. Prior to this first excursion as a solo artist, Messina had been half of the platinum selling duo, Loggins & Messina. That group, which had such hits as "Danny's Song," "Your Mama Don't Dance," and "Angry Eyes," had released eight albums (as well as a greatest hits collection) between 1971 and 1977, by which time Kenny Loggins felt he had gone as far as he could as an artist with Messina. The two parted company amicably, and each decided to pursue music on their own.
Most people know what happened to Kenny Loggins. He went on to become a pop superstar with hits and movie soundtracks that included "Footloose," "Whenever I Call You Friend," "Danger Zone," and "Celebrate Me Home." But what became of Messina? Messina, although not seeing the same commercial success of his former musical partner, kept just as busy and has had a successful career post L&M. He had come to Loggins & Messina as a star already. A member of both Buffalo Springfield and Poco (which he founded with Richey Furay), Messina was no stranger to hit records.
This show, among his first to promote his Oasis album, only features four songs from what was a longer set when originally played. It had been recorded for Messina's first solo appearance on the King Biscuit Flower Hour, and included a mix of Oasis material and songs from Loggins & Messina. Although his versions of Loggins & Messina hits, "Thinking of You" and "Angry Eyes," are really good, they obviously are considerably weaker without Loggins' powerful baritone.
After this tour and due to the lack of success the Oasis LP saw, Messina left Columbia for Warner Brothers. Although they launched his signing with a big promotional push, in the end his two LPs with that label failed to make an impact. After 1983's One More Mile LP, Messina decided to get off the road and focus on his role as a writer and producer. He returned to live performing in 1996, and in 2005, reunited for a one-off tour and live DVD with Kenny Loggins.