For the very first time, Sylvester’s legendary concert from the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House can be re-lived in its entirety through Live at the Opera House.
Live at the Opera House arrives September 6 via Craft Recordings on 3-LP, 2-CD, as well as HD and standard digital. Both the 3-LP edition (which is pressed on purple vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket) as well as the 2-CD set include recently discovered photographs from the evening, plus new liner notes by Joshua Gamson, author of The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The Music, The Seventies in San Francisco (Henry Holt/Picador, 2005). Click here to pre-order Live at the Opera House.
Previously only available in heavily edited excerpts (via 1979’s Living Proof), the new album presents over two hours of AAA-mastered audio, including all 13 songs from the performance, plus a recording of the mid-concert ceremony where Sylvester was awarded the Key to San Francisco.
The first single from the album, an extended cut of “Body Strong,” is available to stream on digital platforms now. Check it out below.
On the evening of March 11, 1979, thousands of people lined up outside of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House to catch one of the year’s hottest shows. Splashed across the marquee for the sold-out concert was one singular name: Sylvester. It would not only be a pivotal moment in the career of the pioneering singer, songwriter, disco diva, and queer icon, but also a historic moment for the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
Sylvester also dreamed of playing the venue. He said in an October 1977 interview with The Advocate: “I have no real projections except I want to play the San Francisco Opera House. I am—and I’m saying this—I am going to play the opera house! It’s going to be a fabulous show with a full orchestra, lots of costumes, lots of lighting and lots of everything. Lots! And whenever you think you have too much, you should put on more, just to be safe.”
While Sylvester had long envisioned his concert at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, nothing could have prepared him for the career-defining moment that it would become. Welcomed home by 3,250 friends, family, and fans, the mononymous singer, songwriter, and disco star was about to deliver one of his greatest live performances.
Pre-order Live at the Opera House.
