R.F.D. (aka Poco)
Troubadour, West Hollywood,
October 24th, 1968

The band that would become known as Poco gave its second performance at the Troubadour on October 24th, 1968 billed as “R.F.D.”

Richie Furay explained the meaning of R.F.D. in his autobiography, Pickin’ Up The Pieces (2006):

“For our first public appearance at the Troubadour, as one of several bands playing a Monday night hootenanny, we called ourselves Pogo. That changed for the next two shows, one at the Troubadour and the other a benefit concert at the University of Southern California….Those nights we performed as R.F.D. The name was probably inspired by Mayberry R.F.D., a television series that had aired its first episode in September; it was a spin-off from The Andy Griffith Show. In that context, R.F.D. meant ‘Rural Free Delivery.’ The letters were also [manager] Dickie’s initials—Richard Franklin Davis—but that didn’t stop some people from thinking it stood for ‘Richie Furay’s Dream.’ In some ways, this last theory was appropriate because the band was the fulfillment of the dream I’d had after the Buffalo Springfield ended.”

The Herald-Examiner review below mentioned three songs the band played, all of which would end up on their debut album, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, released in 1969: “What A Day,” “Just In Case It Happens, Yes, Indeed,” and “Short Changed.”

“The group goes in for the high, rich harmonies that the Springfield loved, except that in the Springfield Furay was usually the highest voice and in R.F.D. the bass player, Randy Meisner, sings above him.” –Michael Etchison, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, October 30, 1968

_{Clipping courtesy of Jennifer Meisner.}

The last paragraph alluded to a “promised” future engagement by R.F.D. at the Troubadour. The band returned for the promised stint on November 19th, billed once again as Pogo. This two-week engagement became legendary and put the band on the map. Read more about it here.