Poco (then known as Pogo) performed as part of Beverly Hills High School’s annual “Jazz Night.” Three Dog Night was also on the bill.
Original concert flyer
The photos below were taken by then-Pogo fan club president, Cindy Dakin: 1
Page from the 1969 edition of the Beverly Hills High School yearbook, with photo of Richie Furay
There is some confusion about where these photos were taken. I believe they were taken at Beverly Hills High since the backdrop matches another photo from a production at the school, also in 1969. ↩︎
Poco performed two shows at the Bottom Line in Nagoya. One of the performances was filmed for Japanese television.
Footage
Three of Randy’s lead-singing performances from the show. The band featured Jim Messina, Rusty Young, George Grantham and Jack Sundrud. Randy’s black bass was custom-made for him by Fender to be lighter weight to help his back.
“Nature Of Love”
“Rough Edges”
“Take It To The Limit”
Watch other performances from the show: Click Here
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 the name 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 review below, from the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, 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.”
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, October 30th, 1968. Clipping courtesy of Jennifer Meisner.
The last paragraph alluded to a “promised” future engagement by R.F.D. at the Troubadour. Indeed, the band did return 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.
Richie Furay, who had left the band at the beginning of Poco’s summer tour, returned for this show as a favor to the promoter, Chuck Morris. Photos: David Dyrkopp.
The band was billed under their original name, Pogo. This was one of Randy’s final appearances with the band until the original five members reunited in 1989.
Los Angeles Free Press, February 7, 1969
Review of one of the shows in the Los Angeles Free Press, February 9th, 1969. Randy was incorrectly referred to as “Randy Messina.”
Pogo photographed on the roof of the Troubadour, circa February 1969:
In November 1968, Pogo (aka Poco) played a legendary two-week stand at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. It was an appearance that would put them on the map.
