My first pre-teen concerts were Tony Orlando and Dawn, and Shaun Cassidy - I had a mad crush on him :).
As a teen in SoCal, I spent a lot of my free time either at concerts or in line for concert tickets at Tower Records. In 1982, when I was 13, my first big concert was The Who with The Clash and T-Bone Burnett at the L.A. Coliseum, and my best friend and I braved the wild pit. We were bruised and battered, but it was worth it! In 1983, I saw dozens of shows, from punk (Black Flag!) and new wave to ska, rock, and pop. Highlights that year were multiple U2 “War” shows (I’ve seen every local U2 tour since), David Bowie with Madness and The Go-Gos in Anaheim, Peter Gabriel at The Greek, Elvis Costello in Irvine, and the Ramones at the Hollywood Palladium. In '84, I saw INXS at the Palladium and thought Michael Hutchence was the most intoxicating performer I’d ever seen (mind you, I was a 15 year old girl). In '85, I saw Prince’s Purple Rain tour at The Forum. In 1986, just days before my 18th birthday, I went with my future husband to see the Conspiracy of Hope concert for Amnesty International, also at The Forum. We were right up front for this epic show which featured U2, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Lou Reed. It was a great time to be a music lover! I’m sad that so many of the greats are gone now, many of them far too young.