Bette Midler at the Paradise, September 1978
Bette Midler at the Paradise, September 1978
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In 1978, Bette Midler decided that she’d like to go back to the intimate settings of the clubs she started at so she embarked on a 6 venue, 12 show tour, An Intimate Evening with Bette Midler. It made money, but venues seemed overpacked, and it was hot and sweaty, but if you’ve ever heard parts of shows or a full one, it was quite raucous. and the audience was having a blast. She sang songs such as “Friends”, “Bang You’re Dead” “Empty Bed Blues” and the highlight which to me was “I Shall Be Released” where she recited Carl Sandburg’s “Mildred Klinghoffer” which is almost too sad to bear. Also, she sang other songs, and boy did she talk, whether an impromptu line or two or three or four, rehearsed (Soph Jokes) and dumping on other celebrities like Linda Ronstadt, Gov Jerry Brown, and Liza. All in good fun, but today she’s much, much more tasteful about it.
