Jefferson Starship has Montgomery show Thursday just after David Freiberg's 84th birthday

Shannon Heupel, Montgomery Advertiser
·2 min read
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We should have some cake set up on stage Thursday. By the time he reaches Montgomery, longtime rocker David Freiberg will have just turned 84 — the Boston native's birthday is Aug. 24.

He hasn't lost a step, or his vocal or music chops. The stage is where the Jefferson Starship founding member seems most at home.

Longtime rockers Jefferson Starship is coming to the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Thursday.
Longtime rockers Jefferson Starship is coming to the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Thursday.

"Believe it or not, when I'm at home and say I've been there for a month, I really can't wait to get back out and play for people again," Freiberg said on the Growing Bolder podcast. "I don't know. There's nothing like communicating with a bunch of really good musicians on the stage that are your friends and it made it so much fun."

Jefferson Starship released Mother of the Sun in 2020.
Jefferson Starship released Mother of the Sun in 2020.

Freiberg is the last original member of Jefferson Starship, a band that has seen many, many lineup changes since it was founded in 1974. Along with Freiberg, the current group has Donny Baldwin, Jude Gold, Cathy Richardson and Chris Smith. 

Jefferson Starship's Thursday show at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $27 to $42, and are available online at mpaconline.org or by calling the box office at 334-481-5100.

Jefferson Starship was an amalgamation of artists that included former members of the band Jefferson Airplane. They had several big hits, including "Miracles," "With Your Love," "Count on Me," "Runaway," and "Jane." They earned 3 platinum and 8 gold records.

In 2020, they released their first album in 12 years with "Mother of the Sun," featuring the single "It's About Time."

Back in the day, going after major hits wasn't really Freiberg's thing. The former member of both bands Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service was more into playing organic music with his bandmates.

"I can't imagine doing anything else, and I can't imagine stopping," Freiberg said. "As long as I'm having fun, how can you stop?"

Keep up with the band online at jeffersonstarship.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Jefferson Starship at MPAC Thursday just after David Freiberg turns 84