A Night of Nostalgia with Ambrosia at the Belly Up Tavern

Patrons at the Belly Up Tavern are always guaranteed a stellar show. Earlier this month, that sentiment was proven once more, when Ambrosia dropped in to play for a full house. For more than 50 years, the band has woven into the hearts of many, conjured a catalog of classics, and breathed life into yacht rock.

The five-time Grammy nominated band opened their performance with “Rock N’ A Hard Place,” and playing that night were two of the first Ambrosians. Burleigh Drummond on the drums, and Joe Puerta on the bass guitar. There was also Doug Jackson on electric guitar, Mary Harris on keyboard, and Shem Von Schroeck, also on the keyboard. Each band member provided vocals, with Puerta as the leading vocalist.

“You’re The Only Woman” offered groovy vibrations, soulful high notes, and a chorus that popped out. Drummond’s efforts on the drums were immensely satisfying during “Nice, Nice, Very Nice,” and when playing “Livin’ On My Own,” the musicians broke off to play their instruments among themselves. With excellent harmonies throughout, and flashes of cyan lights, the music built up to a truly fulfilling ending.

“We’re going to go back to our second album now,” Drummond said. He shared that for Ambrosia’s first two records, they were quite lucky. They had a young upcoming engineer, producer, and artist, mix those records. That man was Alan Parsons. “Thank you Alan, we know we owe you money, and we’ll get you that someday. That’s the byline in the music business, somebody owes somebody money,” he laughed.

Drummond addressed his swivel chair, telling the crowd that when sitting down mid-song, “you don’t know where you’re going to land. If I look uncomfortable for a few minutes, you’ll know why.” Next was, “Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled,” from Ambrosia’s second album, then “Heart to Heart,” from their third album. Transitions were instantaneous, and the quality of the music was enormously grand.

Before “Kamikaze,” Pureta spoke about a friend of the band, one he grew up with. One of the youngest pilots in the United States, this man went on to be the engineer for their “Life Beyond L.A” album. He was labeled a die-hard artist, who wanted to make an album of his own one day. Even when knowing it might not go anywhere, he was determined. High-powered drums kicked it off, and the feelings evoked by the song were indescribable. Befitting for an experience where someone’s speeding through the sky.

Before one of their showstoppers, Pureta mentioned that at the time of the band’s creation, the yacht rock genre wasn’t a style of music. The band never realized that years later, they would be carrying the torch. “How Much I Feel” was a moment of unanimous enjoyment, and the piece that everyone sang along with.

The next song of their lineup was “Magical Mystery Tour,” written by The Beatles. Ambrosia was asked to cover this song for the 1976 movie “All This and World War II.” It was intended to be a documentary about World War II, told entirely through songs written by The Beatles. While the film was a tremendous failure, it featured covers from Elton John, The Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, and other well-known musicians. Afterwards, the show continued with “Still Not Satisfied,” elevated by Jackson’s skills on electric guitar.

Back when Ambrosia toured with The Doobie Brothers on the east coast, a persistent man of lanky stature attempted to get backstage to meet Mike McDonald. He claimed to have the best band, and asked them to come see it. Afterwards, they watched his band perform at a local bar, and agreed that they were talented.

This band was encouraged to travel to the west coast if they wanted to make it big, with both The Doobie Brothers and Ambrosia offering to help if they made the trip. While they did eventually come down, this band did not get signed. However, the man did, and remained in town after the band went their own ways. Not only was he eventually asked to go on tour with Ambrosia, but they went on tour with his band. The man was Bruce Hornsby. After sharing this story, the band played Hornsby’s “The Way It Is.” Harris was a spectacle during the number, and her abilities as keyboardist shone through as bright as a desert sun.

Before “Holdin’ On to Yesterday,” Drummond introduced everyone playing that night. This song alone was worth the price of admission. Everyone appeared focused, and every action felt emphasized. “Life Beyond L.A,” in its righteous glory, shook the tavern, and submerged the stage in roserate lights. Many great moments of chemistry between Drummond, Schroeck, and Puerta were seen during this number.

The next piece, according to Puerta, remains dear to the hearts of the band members. It was nominated for three grammy awards, and while it did not win, they had a great time recording it. “It is a big part of us,” he said, “this is for those who are with someone very special.” People rose up from their seats, dancing along to “Biggest Part of Me.” The musicians’ elation could be felt through their playing, and smiles.

For the encore, Puerta announced that the band was going to do “a very special song.” It was a tribute to one of their dear friends, whom they had lost. According to Puerta, their friend was “the greatest guy to play with.” Many knew him by his nickname, “dreamweaver.” He was referring to Gary Wright. Just before their final song, Puerta had one last question for the audience, if their love was alive. Cheering roared out, and hands were held up high, as Ambrosia started to play Wright’s piece “Love is Alive.” To learn about Ambrosia’s upcoming tour dates, and their musicians, visit https://www.ambrosialive.net/.