Sept. 3, 1999
Leather pants, pirate shirts and Pied Piper stances were all the rage at Montage Mountain for the return of Jethro Tull to the performing arts venue.
Fans of all ages were excited for the concert by the British rock band led by singer and flutist Ian Anderson. Anderson is known for striking the pose of the Pied Piper while he plays his flute.
Linda O’Boyle of Plains Twp. attended the show with her son, Lou Levisky, who told The Scranton Times that “my mom got me into it,” to which O’Boyle responded that he “had no choice.”
“It’s all good stuff,” another young fan, Juli Fabbi, said of the band’s songs. “The music has meaning.”
TIMES-SHAMROCK ARCHIVES Ian Anderson, lead singer of Jethro Tull, strikes his classic one-legged stance during the group’s concert at Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center, Scranton, on Sept. 3, 1999.
The group took the 4,000 in attendance on a journey through its hits plus material from its new album, “jtull.com.”
The band finished the night with “The Dambusters March,” “Living in the Past” and “Aqualung.”
TIMES-SHAMROCK ARCHIVES Advertisement for the Jethro Tull concert at the Comerford Theatre, Wilkes-Barre, in The Scranton Times on Oct. 28, 1970
Over the years, Jethro Tull has appeared a few times in Northeast Pennsylvania. On Nov. 3, 1970, it performed two shows (both with Bob Seger) at the Comerford Theater in Wilkes-Barre. And in August 1996, it played at Montage Mountain with Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
TIMES-SHAMROCK ARCHIVES Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson plays the flute during the band’s Aug. 21, 1996, concert at Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center, Scranton.
Today, the band continues to tour. It will return to the United States in mid September with shows at the Parx Casino in Bensalem; Forest Hills Pavilion in Forest Hills, New York; and Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
