Concerts

[Y kawika]

I was talking with a friend of mine recently about the concerts that we have experienced and I was amazed at the collection of really great venues that we had been able to see and hear.

We reminisced about some of the earliest and some of the most memorable moments from others.

 

I would love to have this conversation with any and all of you.

 

What was your first concert that you saw?

 

What moment or song within a show locked that piece into your memory forever?

 

My first show ever was Chicago and the Beach Boys

 

One of my most memorable moments was seeing Led Zeppelin in 1977 open with Achilles Last Stand. This was also the first time that I ever experienced laser lights as a part of a show. There were a series of curved green lights that surrounded Jimmy Page during Kashmir and they pulsed in and out of a formed circle around him to that haunting beat of the song.

 

Later, when they did Dazed and Confused, the circle of green lights were back surrounding Jimmy during the violin bow solo. When he started bouncing the bow across the strings as he does during that song, these semi-circle pieces of green lights shot out into the audience and then were back immediately in a circle again. It was so fast and unexpected that the whole audience was like.......... "did that just happen? lol!

 

Bah-Dah, bah-dah, bah-dah, bah-dah

 

Of course, when he starts going off with the bow, later in the solo, the lights were all over the place throughout the audience and then right back to a perfect green circle around him when he had completed those bars.

 

Lots and lots of other shows that I've seen and I'll be happy to share other experiences, but I'd love to hear about any of yours.

 

Rock On!

 

Y

[nigsy]

So difficult to answer....

 

From Iron Maiden headlining the Donnington Rock festival back in the early '90s infront of 120,000 to my mates band the Dambuskers doing folk music in the local pub to 20 people all have their moments.

I have 2 things that have really stuck with me.....

 

Bon Jovi 7800 tour at the Hammersmith Odeon in London back in 1986 (around then anyway!); they had a power cut 1/2 way through and without breaking stride they just went and belted out a couple of accoustic numbers until the problem got fixed.

 

Robert Plant at the Bristol Hippodrome mid 90's - Did Going to California; I was with three of my life time buddies all of us eyes closed; whisked away in the absolute brilliance of the muscianship; brings a tear to my eye now.

[Tomk_]

Most memorable/meaningful would probably be Tom Petty in about 1982.

 

Back in the 80's, there was a little venue in Portland called the Paramount Theater that only held less than 2000 people. Very intimate place. It was the only place to see Harry Chapin (and I did a couple times) because it was like you were sitting with him in his living room. Anyway, I liked Petty at the time, but after attending that concert, I became a true fan. He exuded the impression that if he had the choice to be doing anything in the world at that exact moment... it would have been exactly what he was doing. He was not performing for us. He was playing his music and we were allowed to watch.

[caintry_boy]

First concert for me was 1975, The Eagles and The Rolling Stones and Chaka Kahn for an opener...highlight that I remember most about it was when the Stones came out and Mick was dancing around and all of a sudden he grabbed the microphone and says "The smell of marijuana is in the air"...at least 80,000 people in Kansas City's Arrowhead stadium went ballistic.

Thoroughly enjoyed that whole show with The Eagles playing all my old faves and then The Rolling Stones just kicked butt! Ticket cost $12.50

WHOOOOOOO!!

 

Also remember seeing the Doobie Brothers in K.C. about 1979 with a buddy and walking the floor of K.C.'s Arrowhead stadium in elbow to elbow people and we were pretty messed up, I saw a gum wrapper on the ground and I said "Look Los (short for Carlos)! A gram of hash!" and bent over and picked it up. He stopped and I unwrapped it and found not gum and not hash but black tar opium which we promptly smoked in my corn cob pipe (homemade).

 

Seen quite a few concerts while doing alcohol and drugs but my favorite one I was clean and sober and went to see The Moody Blues in an amphitheater in K.C., while the guys were playing, a little storm came up and actually went around us but made a perfect backdrop for their tune Nights In White Satin...

WHOOOOOO!!

 

Quick listing of all I've seen:

The Eagles and The Rolling Stones

Styx and The Climax Blues Band

Steve Miller Band and REO Speedwagon

Blue Oyster Cult and Bob Seger

Doobie Brothers and Santana

Foreigner and Bob Seger

Fleetwood Mac and Peter Frampton

Nazareth

Rod Stewart

The Moody Blues

 

May seem weird but I used to carry all of my ticket stubs in my wallet...until it got so thick that it was a PITB!

On a side note I see that Guns & Roses is coming to K.C. in June and ticket prices for the floor are $250.00 and know someone who got a ticket and a parking pass for $350.....folks, for me this is ridiculous!! G&R are great, but not THAT great!

 

I still remember pretty well for having lived the life that I chose to live (drugs and alcohol, or as we used to say "drugs, sex and rock and roll"). BTW, I've been clean and sober now for 19 years as of Jan. 1st.

 

 

 

 

[Tomk_]

My list (might have missed a few):

Journey (No one should have made it through the 80's without seeing them at least once)

Red Ryder (worth price of admission for Ken Greer switching between electric guitar and pedal steel. Mind blowing)

Tom Petty

Quarterflash (technically, I also saw Seafood Mama once)

Styx

38 Special

Queen (not as good as I expected, even though it was the 80's and Freddy was still well)

Motels

Joan Jett

Stevie Nicks (disappointing)

Blue Oyster Cult

Aerosmith (should be a requirement for US citizenship)

Beach Boys (should be a requirement to own a radio)

Harry Chapin

Little River Band

Loverboy (saw them to many times. Seems like they used to open for everybody)

J. Geils

Billy Squire (much better than you might think)

Smash Mouth (took my daughter and a couple of her friends when she was 13)

Taxxi

Mr. Nice Guy

Heart (not as good as they used to be)

Lenny Kravitz (waste of money)

The Pretenders (great show)

Merle Haggard (RIP)

NuShooz

Lynyrd Skynyrd

ZZTop

Steely Dan

Art Garfunkel (meh)

Christopher Cross

Kim Carnes

Stephen Bishop (alot of fun)

Lee Anne Womak

Brooks and Dunn

Foreigner (Saw them twice. 25 years apart. Major difference)

Neil Diamond (my wife's choice. It wasn't great, but was fun)

 

I agree with you on the prices CB. 90% of those on the list I saw for less than $20 per ticket. The most expensive was Aerosmith and it was $50.00 for crappy seats. In recent years I only see shows that cost me nothing. Luckily, I built an amphitheater in Bend Oregon that I've been able to see several shows with comped tickets.

[caintry_boy]

I always wanted to catch Journey and never got the chance...

You DID make me think tho' Tomk_ and I have see Little River Band (twice, quite good) and the traveling George Strait show twice in K.C. once with Kenny Chesney, Mark Wills, and Tim McGraw, Asleep at The Wheel and couple others and one time with Lee Ann Womack, Asleep at The Wheel, The Dixie Chicks, Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley...and of course George Strait both times. Psst! both times with a fiancee and once with a wife.

Would've loved to see most of the rest on your list especially Queen, Aerosmith and Kim Carnes (Betty Davis Eyes!!). Also paid $60/per for tickets to see Willie Nelson and David Allen Coe at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Coe sucked but Willie was fab! Travis Tritt in a little bar in Sachse, Tx...

edit: Ooops! Amost forgot Boston at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas...

 

 

 

 

[chengrob]

My first concert was at the Capital Center in Washington DC. The bands were Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, and the headliner was Elvin Bishop.

[KurtBleach]

I can't list all the shows I've seen. First one was Rush back in' 81. Last 2 were Guided By Voices in 2004.

[Y kawika]

The thing that hit me the most when reminiscing about some of these shows is how much nicer it is to have the experience than to get a "thing".

Especially with the prices of shows these days. It's the adventure and the experience that lasts longer.

Receiving concert tickets on your birthday is a much better gift than socks and underwear, if you know what I mean.

 

Rush, I got to see here on Long Island and actually it was my son's first concert. Great show. Of course, I have never, ever heard of a bad Rush show.

Journey I saw twice. Once early on before Steve Perry and then later after he had joined. Huge difference in the amount of young ladies that flocked to their concerts. Hubba hubba!

 

I had 2 surprises that were kinda cool. Once I walked into an "off the main drag" bar in Waikiki and sitting in the corner playing a couple of sets was Jimmy Buffet.

Another time, down at Fisherman's Warf by Sand Island, I was in a coffee shop and Jewel got up and did a few songs for all of us.

When Tom was talking about Tom Petty, I knew exactly what he meant.

Similar experience with James Taylor at the Waikiki Shell. Sitting on blankets on the grass with a picnic basket of goodies and a beautiful lady.

 

Ronnie James Dio and Black Sabbath did their Heaven and Hell tour and stopped to play in Aloha Stadium on their way to Japan. I'll never forget that. What a power house show that was.

I never did see Iron Maiden, like nigsy, but I sure would have loved to have experienced that. Bruce's energy is amazing and the man just never runs out of breath!

 

Y

[Guns]

Don't recall the dates but have been to a lot of concerts.

Jimmie Hendrix

Janis Joplin

Marshall Tucker

Charlie Daniels

Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon and Division Bell.

Peter Paul and Mary

Black Oak Arkansas

AC DC

Just to many to list.

[nigsy]

Just re-living one of last years gigs; the mighty Judas Priest:

 

 

Just got the Blu-ray blasting on my new Sonos surround system; just like being there again!!

[caintry_boy]

 

Once I walked into an "off the main drag" bar in Waikiki and sitting in the corner playing a couple of sets was Jimmy Buffet.

Another time, down at Fisherman's Warf by Sand Island, I was in a coffee shop and Jewel got up and did a few songs for all of us.

 

This would be way cool!!

 

 

 

 

[caintry_boy]

Well Kurt, your link wouldn't play for me although it did offer to let me view on YouTube. Sort of hope that it won't work for anyone else on these forums as well cause there are more video's after the Jewel clip that contain "F-bombs", etc...

 

But yes, I think that if I was in a karaoke bar or some other place like "Y" referred to and Voila! there was Jimmy Buffet or Jewell or anyone else for that matter playing and singing it would be cool.

p.s. buddy, no I don't mean it would be cool if I walked in and Kurtbleach was playing and singing although I've never heard you play and sing, you may actually be quite good...I'm talking big name stars here. No offense intended.

 

 

 

 

[KurtBleach]

OK, I killed the post. Just thought you might get a kick out of seeing the aforementioned Jewel turn up at a karaoke joint. Didn't even think that it might link to any nasty stuff.

[caintry_boy]

OK, I killed the post. Just thought you might get a kick out of seeing the aforementioned Jewel turn up at a karaoke joint. Didn't even think that it might link to any nasty stuff.

 

Well, actually I DID enjoy the spoof they pulled off on those folks, Thanks for taking the link out.

BTW, where's the video of you pickin' and grinnin'??

 

 

 

[KurtBleach]

10-15 years ago I'd be happy to post up some of me singing and playing, but age takes its toll on the old vocal cords. Think of Clapton's acoustic "Layla" version or Geddy Lee trying to sing "Working Man" and "2112" on their farewell tour. At least I quit before I ever even got started.

[flyfishingrules2]

My hometown (Minot, ND) was pretty small around 30,000 in the 70’s so I don”t know how these happened. I worked in a Plitt theater called the Empire while going to college. A guy who owned the Record Head, a record and head shop, obviously, would put on concerts there. I don’t know how he could make any money because the theatre held well under 1500 (it had a balcony, remember those?), but it was rockin’! The highlight was REO Speedwagon who played there twice.Other biggies were Brownsville Station (“Smokin’ in the Boys Room”), White Witch, and Styx. I think tickets were around 8 bucks.

 

Steely Dan played a school dance at my college (less than 2000 students) before they became famous, right before “Reelin’ in the Years” and “Do It Again” became big radio hits.

 

Cheap Trick played several times a local bar called The Begger’s Club before they hit the big time.

 

The two biggest concerts I ever saw were Yes and Led Zeppelin in a Minneapolis venue in the early/mid 70’s . Yes was around the time “Tales of Topographic Oceans” came out. The played a lot of that, Fragile, and Close to the Edge (long concert) Rick Wakeman was very elaborate wearing a cape, etc. Steve Howe had a guitar tree that spun around and he would pick different guitars for different songs and effects. Tickets were around $18 or $20. Wish I had those stubs.

Led Zep was during the Swan Song Tour and for some strange reason I don’t remember much about it….

 

For about the same strange reason, I missed/didn't go to the Stones in the outdoor amphitheater in Denver. Was it called Red Rock?

Rock On!