<p>In 5 hrs I will be sitting just a few rows from Paul McCartney. Ended up with incredible seats at what ended up being below face value for the tickets (long story for another time). So, a friend of mine since 1970 and I will be going to belatedly celebrate our mutual summer birthdays tonight. My kids don’t get it. They were more excited when we got tickets to hear Widespread Panic. I didn’t even know who they were…</p>
<p>So as I sit here, anxiously waiting for the hours to pass, I’ve been thinking about concerts I’ve attended over the past 30+ yrs. Which really stood out in my memory-- The first I attended in HS (The Lovin’ Spoonful, Seals and Crofts - where I got to meet Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts which was just “too cool” for a 16-17 yr old). Lots of concerts over the years.
So, my question-- what was the best concert you attended, and why?</p>
<p>Oh-- and happy sort of birthday, TheDad. Or at least to your daughter…</p>
<p>I was 13 years old when I saw the Beatles in August 1964. Tickets were $4 and we arrived at the Music Hall (in Houston) at 6:00 a.m. for a 3:00 pm concert (it was General Admission). I got a pretty good seat and of course, at 13, yelled and hollered and thought that Paul McCartney smiled at me! I still have my ticket stubb. When I was 16 I wrote in my journal that I would NEVER stop loving the Beatles - and I haven’t!</p>
.
Whoa. That won’t even buy a drink at the stadium today. These tickets were just a <em>tad</em> more than that (try multiplying by about 56 or so, and that’s below face value!). </p>
<p>I still kick myself that I turned down opportunities to hear Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and chickened out of going to Woodstock. Not making that mistake again…</p>
<p>Tookie-
I was just reading your posts on the “hurricane Rita” thread. My s is also in Houston. Please keep us posted here. I am worried for all of you…</p>
<p>Go jym, and have a WONDERFUL time! (And whoa, Tookie, you were actually at a Beatles concert, I am unworthy to type in the same thread!) I saw Sir Paul on his “Driving America” tour a couple years ago and it was ab-fab! Followed that with Peter Gabriel, and then Simon and Garfunkel. All were A-plus concerts, for sure.</p>
<p>But I think my all-time favorite was probably summer of, hmm, '72 maybe? '73? The Grateful Dead, The Band, and The Allman Brothers, outside somewhere in NJ. I, um… can’t quite recall all the details at this late date, but MAN that was one heck of a concert.</p>
<p>The first concert I attended was Neil Young with my older sister, who was a total pot head, I was 14. I don’t know what my parents were thinking! The best concert I ever went to was Queen. It was so unbelievably cool. Freddy Mercury had the most incredible voice and was such a showman. I wish he was still alive and making great music.</p>
<p>Have fun at Paul McCartney! It sounds like a great time. Happy belated birthday!!!</p>
<p>18 years old, Red Bank, NJ, 7th row seats for Springsteen.</p>
<p>Several other Springsteen and U2 concerts in recent years</p>
<p>11th row center for REM in MSGarden with my whole family two days after the election (nice to be in a whole room full of folks feeling the same way)</p>
<p>And, dorky parent answer:</p>
<p>At a U2 concert last spring, H and I were halfway up the side, but we had a perfect view of S and D standing front row center along the stage–and loved seeing our kids shake hands with Bono and be featured on the big screens. Isn’t that pathetic?</p>
<p>one of the best concerts I attended was a couple years ago. A benefit for Crohns disease at a local club. Featured was Mike McCready a local musican who also has Crohns and “friends”.
A highlight was when the lead singer of the main band Mike is involved with- came onstage and sang several songs only accompanied by himself on acoustic guitar.
Other great concerts I have been to- Ella Fitzgerald- Count Basie , Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass at a smallish theatre, Eric Clapton at the same theatre ( I worked for a production agency and had very good seats)-
I have really been to many concerts over the years- the Who- Aerosmith- Kiss-Beach Boys… but the best in concert consistently has got to be Pearl Jam :)</p>
<p>Both my kids saw Springsteen en utero, although they claim they don’t remember it. Saw David Bowie at the Tower Theater when he was recording the “David Live” double album. Saw him again recently, and enjoyed this comment: “Hello there Philadelphia. How’ve you been? How’s the kids?” I cracked up.</p>
<p>In high school we went to see the Stones at Rich Stadium in Buffalo. We left early (about 4:00AM) to get in line (no reserved seats).</p>
<p>Speeding by us on the highway I see a kid from my class who spent his whole school career in detention for coming to school late, but he managed to get the Stones concert on time!</p>
<p>Mmm. Let’s see. They’re all a bit hazy. I suppose there will always be a soft spot for the very first concert I attended. Back in the days when parents didn’t think twice about turning their 9th grade son and friends loose at an all-day outdoor music festival. Apart from the forgettable opening acts, the headliners were:</p>
<p>Peter Frampton
Gary Wright
Santana</p>
<p>Other than that, I’d have to say my favorite has been Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. </p>
<p>Saw Squeeze in a tiny club in northern England, and that was fun. Several Springsteen concerts, always great. James Taylor was fantastic. Saw Styx 3 times (why?). Kinks (bad – Ray Davies was in one of his moods). Christopher Cross! LOL. Heart (much better than I anticipated). Finally, and what clearly should be mentioned under a different thread (Most Embarassing Concert, etc.) – went to Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” tour.</p>
<p>Iderochi:
A bold admission on ON-J. Wow. One of my worst concerts was Ten Years After. They were definitely at least 10 years after their prime, but even worse, their warm-up act was Brownsville Station (Smokin’ in the Boys Room), which made me understand the need for limited gun control. The silver lining was that the pre-warm up act was a very early J. Geils Band, and they absolutely cleaned everyone else’s clock.</p>
<p>Anyone wanna feel old? My first true concert was Billy Joel on the Storm Front tour in 89… I was 5 years old. Apparently, I knew more words than anyone else in my family. (before that, I’d gone to see Tom Paxton a few times, but I don’t consider that rock… and people wonder why all I listened to up til high school was my dad’s vinyl)</p>
<p>Best concert I’ve been to could be any of the 9 BNL shows.</p>
<p>My all time favorite performer has to be Bruce Springsteen. I have seen him upteen times since the early seventies (I went to college in NJ) and he never fails to amaze me. He gives his all every show. Took the kids to see him last year with REM on the “Vote for Change” tour (sniff, sniff). Will be seeing him again solo acoustic in November.</p>
<p>Moody Blues at the Buffalo Aud in early 1979 … the concert was OK but the night was very weird and very memorable. (For example, we had about the worst seats in the house but ended up sitting in great seats in the press box because a security guard was trying to impress one of the women in our group) </p>
<p>The Greatful Dead in SF in 1983 … SF is their home town and the concert itself was great and the crowd and event was amazing … all sorts of things I hope my kids never do!</p>
Too funny! My most embarassing was Don McLean (of “American Pie” fame-- ) But he hadn’t made it to his one-hit wonder stage yet, and was playing for free at my youth group. So I can’t complain.</p>
<p>mootmom and ag54-
Thanks! I intend to have a wonderful time, if I don’t get arrested for trying to smuggle in a camera. Now’s when I wish I had a cameraphone… oh well.</p>
<p>Garland–
How’d your kids get front row seats?? (well, who “sits” when they are in the front row…) Seeing them up on the big screen is great, not pathetic— really!</p>
<p>Weenie-
Souunds like your HS friend had his priorities straight!! I bet hes’ quite successful now. Why are we all stressng about HS?? have fun and go to concerts (sounds like we all did, and we came out ok, right?). </p>
<p>lderochi-
Glad I am not the only one who… um… can’t remember all the concert details… But I was pretty straight laced in HS and college. We’ll not mention grad school…</p>
<p>emeraldkity-
Sounds like some classic concerts at that small venue. My ffavorite at a small venue was Laura Nyro. I loved her voice… I miss it…</p>
<p>Driver-
Did you sing springsteen songs to your kids in utero too? Your story reminds me of a funny thing that happened when my older s. was a baby- I woke up early i the morning hearing someone singing "Louie Louie…). Turns out my neighbor had her baby moniter set to the same frequency as mine and she was serenading her kiddo!!</p>
<p>Putting aside Grateful Dead (that might have had something to do with my “state of mind” :o - the old Polo Grounds in NY, or was that Yankee Stadium?) or Laura Nyro (knew her in high school! :)), my d. had a masterclass with the jazz pianist Jessica Williams on Saturday night, and then she gave a mini-concert to precisely 12 of us, on a Boesendorfer Imperial. We all left speechless. (If you know Jessica Williams at all, you’d pretty much know that so was she.) ;)</p>
<p>audiophile-
Thanks for the review. I printed it wan am taking it along. In fact, I gotta go!!</p>
<p>mini-
Went to school with Laura Nyro?? LUCKY!! I LOVED her voice! (see my comment in post #15)
<strong><em>EDIT</em></strong></p>
<p>audiophile-
I believe Sir Paul is 63!! Next year he’ll have to change the lyrics to the song he wrote at 16 (“… will you still love me… when I’m 64”… YES)</p>
<p>No. She went to Music and Art. Knew her, though. In the 80s, she submitted a book to my publishing house on “Motherhood”, and (sigh!) we turned it down. Regret it to this day. (it was not, however, a good read.)</p>
<p>“And when I die, and when I’m gone
They’ll be one child born
And a world to carry on, carry on.”</p>
<p>I love Arlo Guthrie concerts. My first Arlo concert was in 1982 and I go to every one I can now. I know he was never a huge star, but there’s something special about him in person. This sounds exceedingly corny, I know, but he exudes love, I think.</p>
<p>Most recent concert experience was Green Day for the American Idiot tour. A most excellent concert, truly, and I was hoarse for a week!</p>