Feels Like the First Time
Posted November 6, 2009 by
Morning Show Crew 
Comments(51)
Comments(51) 
On the anniversary of the first ever Sex Pistol’s concert (it wasn’t pretty!) Our Question of the Day is about your first concert experiences – and, in some lucky cases, those of you happened to be there when an artist ‘hit it big.’
My mom and I had tickets to see Alison Krauss at the Beacon Theatre just before ‘Now that I found you’ came out. We arrived at the show and they had apparently only sold 50 tickets and had to CANCEL.
Three months later, we saw her and Union Station at a standing room only show at the Bottom Line and suddenly she was THE artist everyone was talking about!
I saw Elton John at the Fillmore East in 1970. He was second bill to Leon Russell, who I was really there to see. This was just after the release of “Your Song”. This was the same week that his album “11/17/70″ was recorded at WNEW, the major FM rock station at the time. Nobody had a clue that he was more than just a soft rock artist. He played as a power trio with just piano, drums and bass. Leon Russell came out and played guitar with him. The maniac you know as Elton John was there from the beginning. At one point, he comes out in some sort of body suit costume with a blinking light on his crotch. Later, when first-billed Leon Russell played guitar, Elton came out to play piano. For a 16 year old kid from the suburbs at his first concert in the city, it was a magical evening. For the record, Mackendrie Spring was the opening act.
The New Wave brought me to NYC in 1978.
I saw Bruce Springsteen open for CHICAGO (yes, that Chicago) in Rhode Island in 1972. According to Dave Marsh’s biography, Bruce considered this tour “pure disaster” and vowed never to open for other bands in big arenas. But my sister and I remembered him fondly even 3 years later when he was on the cover of Newsweek and Time in the same week. I recall hearing Spirits in the Night for the first time that night. Chicago who?
My first concert was Bob Marley in Ibiza Spain when I was 8 yrs old in the late 70’s. Great way to start my musical journey. Keeping that journey alive w/ WFUV.
In 1972, I saw the Rolling Stones @ Madison Square Garden. This concert still ranks as the #1 concert I have ever seen . Stevie Wonder opened for the Rolling Stones…. and needless to say – he was incredible.
First for concert?
Murder most foul.
Rolling Stones at Altamont. “Sympathy for the Devil”
Oh, have you opened the ‘valve’!
My first(s) concert(s) –
“The Rolling Stones (1st US-Tour) – Princeton, NJ (1964)
“The Doors (1st East Coast Tour) – Asbury Park, NJ, Convention Hall (1967)
“The Who” (Fairleigh-Dickenson U, Madison, NJ, (1968)
“Eric Burdon and the ‘New’ Animals” – Morristown High School, Morristown, NJ, (1968)
“Rhinoceros” (opened for Vanilla Fudge (Final Tour)) Asbury Park, Convention Hall (1968)
“Muddy Waters” (Stanhope House), Stanhope, NJ (1980)
“Men at Work” (opening for Fleetwood Mac), 1988/89(?) ‘Brendan Byrne Arena’, NJ
“Stevie Ray Vaughn” (opening for Moody Blues), ‘Brendan Byrne Arena’, NJ (1988?)
OMG! Where to END?
Thanks for reading…!
… in Columbus, OH, in April of 1988. The small crowd that arrived early was completely captivated by the shy singer on stage, playing acoustic guitar and dressed in black, face obscurred by long dreadlocks. Afterwards we scrambled to find out who it was. The name suggested either a man or a woman – and so did the voice. We concluded she must be a woman, given the line she sang about “working as a checkout girl”. Five months later Tracy Chapman was on the cover of Rolling Stone.
I had tickets to the Police at My Father Place in Roslyn in 1978, and decided not to go and gave my $6.50 tickets to a friend… Needless to say, big mistake!
I learned my lesson after that… I caught Melissa Etheridge at the Nassau Community College Student Union in 1988 just before her first record was released… There was 200 people there, maybe… I also saw Phish the same year at a bar in the village… I think it was called the Wetlands…
But my big break came when my friend Janine moved into a place down the block from the Nightingale Bar in the east village. She made me come see the bands that were regulars there at the time…she couldn’t stop raving about them, so finally I went…
The regular bands were Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Joan Osborne with the Holmes Brothers… Also, the only band that never got big was the Jono Manson and the Worms, and they were probably the best band…
‘The New York Times’ wrote: “The Worms helped turn Nightingales into a hangout for local musicians and scenesters and wound up becoming local heroes, influencing countless local bands.” (Neil Strauss)….And ‘High Times’ Magazine wrote: “If it wasn’t for Jono Manson, then Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors and Joan Osborne and the New York jam-band scene may never have happened. It was Manson who showed these young whippersnappers how to turn a blasé bar crowd into true believers at now legendary hole in the wall, Nightingales” (Cree McCree).
These shows were the best…
The Band at Felt Forum, December 1969 (awesome)!
“Up on Cripple Creek”
I don’t know if this counts, but back in the early 70’s (I must have been a mere child) I was privileged to see The Greatful Dead performing a joint concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, when Michael Tilson Thomas was conducting. What a blast it was. I particularly enjoyed watching the percussionist from the orchestra sitting in at the Dead’s drum set. He showed great exuberance and you could imagine him thinking, ‘Wow, I always wanted to be a rock star; this is fun!’
Happy Friday!
my first concert was paul simon’s graceland tour. that was what? 85,86, which would have made me 7 or 8. so i don’t have any real memories of it, but given that the album has become my favorite, i’m proud to to say i was there.
wish i had been there for paul’s ‘91 concert in central park. great selection of songs, great band, great energy, great surprises. the version of “The Sound of Silence” that closed the show would have given me a “could die happy” moment.
My very first concert experience was circa 1967 in Chicago when I went to see Paul Revere and the Raiders. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. My first REAL concert experience was seeing Elton John at MSG during his Yellow Brick Road tour. The opening act was Kiki Dee (“Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart”). I will never forget that concert — it was absolutely phenomenal. Blue smoke spiraling across the stage and out comes Elton in those giant platform shoes, he sits down at the piano and starts “Funeral for a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding”.
So how about playing a little Elton? Unless you want to dig out some Paul Revere and the Raiders of course!
I was at U2’s first ever US show, at the old Ritz nightclub in the East Village, I believe in 1980. Was in 12th grade – my buddy and I walked in and bought tickets at the door. The club was maybe 3/4 full We were totally blown away – I remember it clearly to this day. I have been to hundreds of shows; of all the bands I have seen in clubs they stood head and shoulders above everybody else – you knew they were going to do something big if you were in the audience that night.
One of my favorite concerts was in the 70’s, and it wasn’t even planned…just a spur of the moment thing. A couple of friends and I saw Harry Chapin, his brother Tom, and Don McLean at the Huntington High School auditorium. There were a few hundred people there, 4th of July weekend, and the three of them sat on stools with acoustic guitars and played for about 90 minutes. Great show, and such an intimate setting.
Two concerts I would have loved to see – Bruce and the E Street Band at the Bottom Line, and the Allmans at the Fillmore.
Dec ‘65, San Francisco, I was 17, made the 4hr trip from Fresno to see Bob Dylan at the Masonic Aud.
Hell’s Angels & Joan Baez in the front row. With no introduction, no band Bob began with ‘Ramona’, “Love Minus 0′ ended with Tambourine Man, then walked off. Amazing. But wait there was more, after an intermission he came back with an electric band that was not introduced, just refered to as the Band., proceeded to play an amazing rockin electric, ending with Rolling Stone and Positvely 4th St
It was the best.
My 1st concert experience was in the mid 80s. I saw Robert Palmer (Addicted to Love tour) with the Thompson Twins as the opening act, at Kings Dominion’s outside theatre in Ashland, VA. It still sticks with me as one of the best concerts out of many I have seen over the years. Any song from Robert Palmer would be great to hear.
Lou Reed at the Penny Arcade in Rochester NY 1976
Cindy Lauper at the Jabberwocky (tiny club) at Syracuse University in 1977
The Police at Sparky’s Fireplug Saloon in Syracuse NY 1977. Their equipment got stuck on the Thurway so they had to use the warmup bands (the Flashcubes)equipment.
The B-52’s at a party at a friend’s house after they played the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse 1978. Rock Lobster on acoustic guitar in a living room was incredible.
The first time I saw Eric Clapton was in the early 80’s. My friends and I took a road trip to Saratoga where he was playing and managed to score great tickets when we got there. He opened the show with Motherless Children. I’ve seen Eric Clapton many many times after that – even when I was 7 months pregnant with my son who we named Eric Steven for Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Back in the mid 80’s, my boyfriend (now my husband) lived in a leased farm house in Vermont, called Mad Maggie’s Farm, with several other young professional hippie-types like himself. They had a huge garage where they used to have big parties with live local bands. I remember attending a couple of these parties where the bands playing were Screaming Broccoli, Joined At The Head, and Fish (yes, THAT Fish)! They rocked the house! When he moved out to go back to New York, he sub-leased his room there to the bass player!
My first concert was Garth Brooks.
Jake (Fanwood, NJ)
First concert for my co worker Gary (Clark, NJ) was Public Enemy
Have a great day!
I attended a Verve Pipe concert in Kalamazoo, MI in 1992 before the band was nationally known or made it big. It was at a small venue and awesome. I’ll never forget their original version of The Freshman. It was slightly modified on their published album.
I’m not sure I’m going to contribute to any songs this morning but I thought I would share. My first concert was at the Fillmore East just before it closed. (we’re talking like, 1969 or so).
My friend, Christopher, asked me if I would rather see B.B. King or Bloodrock. I’d heard of neither and I didn’t know what the blues were yet (although I’d surely had them!). I was a little 14 year old white girl from Babylon, LI. So when I asked who they were, he said BB is blues, Bloodrock is rock. So, not knowing, I picked “rock”.
A local NYC band called, Glass Harp, opened. They were quite good. Then came out the “Special Guest” and it was Alice Cooper! I don’t think any of us had ever heard of Alice Cooper (there were 4 of us, all 14 years old.) It was crazy! Straight jacket with nurse, some other macabre stuff I can’t remember.
But, this I remember. At the end of his set, during his final song, he had a duffle bag slung over his shoulder filled with rolled up Alice Cooper posters.
He was distributing them into the audience by flinging them off of a machete! He would stick the machete into a poster and then fling it out into the crowd.
Seeing how “crazy” he was, he could have let that machete go by accident!
We all looked at each other and said, Thank God we are in the mezzanine! :-O
My other spectacular concert that year was The Allman Brothers band at Manhattan Civic Center. What was extra special is that Duane was still with us on Earth. It was awesome!
Ok – i’ll cop to the embarrassing first concert: Air Supply!
I just heard you say you wanted embarrassing, so here it is!
First Concert: John Denver. 1978. I was 10, it was awesome. And to this day I still have a soft spot for ol’ John.
I went to the Fillmore to see a little known artist who was opening up for Leon Russell. This artist had just released a love song, “This Song is For You”. I had no expectations about the show, but Elton John just blew me and the rest of the audience away. He jumped , kicked and played and was anything but the sedate guy I was expecting. WOW, I’ll never forget that show. I don’t think Leon knew what to make of Elton!!
Jan. 20, 1968. Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert-Carnegie Hall. Best.concert.evah! Totally sold out, but met some guys from West VA who shared their extra tickets from Woody’s wife Marjorie. I went for the great folkie lineup of Pete Seeger, Richie Havens, Odetta, etc. But the stunning surprise was Bob Dylan (post motorcycle accident) and The Crackers, later known as the Band. They rocked the lid off Carnegie Hall (I Ain’t Got No Home, Dear Mrs. Roosevelt, The Grand Coulee Dam)! Dylan got me for life- seeing him again 11/19.
I seem to remember my 1st concert was Emerson Lake & Palmer at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
It was about 1970 during the summer and I was at camp. I must have been 13 or 14.
It was a great experience.
What first came to mind for me was Peter Frampton on the tour for Frampton Comes Alive! That was at West Point’s Eisenhower Hall. Then you said you hadn’t heard any embarrassing experiences and I realized my first time was Sonny and Cher at the New York State Fair. I was so star-struck, waving wildly at Cher and she waved back at me. I was on cloud nine! What a crush I had on her. Not shure what you could play from them. Frampton would be cool to since I think of it as my first real concert. Thanks, and have a great day
My buddies and I saw moe. At brownies in NYC easily 15 years ago.
Intimate venue and a great close up show. Please dig up Mexico off moe “headseed”.
1976, 15 years old, my first concert was at Oneonta State gymnasium. A young Billy Joel on the piano all by himself. What a great introduction to concert going. I never looked back
Back in the early 80s I was going to school in D.C., and had many opportunities to see several bands/artists in their infancy at the original 930 Club on F St. It was an intimate small club, minimally decorated, where you stood right in front of the band as they performed. Memorable acts I saw there included Los Lobos on there first national tour, T-Bone Burnett (who lip synced to his own song played on a cassette boom box, so he could prepare if he was ever on American Bandstand), and the Blasters.
Perhaps my most memorable show, also in that same early 80s time period, I was fortunate to see the Talking Heads at George Washington University just before they filmed Stop Making Sense, and they were trying things out. We were all very confused as show time approached and the stage remained vacant. Then David Byrne took the stage in his big suit, with acoustic guitar, boom box, and begin Psycho Killer. We watched in awe as the stage and performance grew with each song.
Around 1978 I went with friends to the Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead to see the J. Giles Band.
The opening act was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Need I say more?
SXSW a few years back I went to see a friend perform on the 18th
floor of some hotel. i walked in and the young girl who was to perform
before her was just beginning her set. I listened for a bit then started taking pics.
i turned to whomever I was next to and exclaimed..Who is this! No one knew except
her friends. At the end of her set I went up to her and asked. Who Are You? You were great. She looked at
me and said I’m Brandi. who are you shooting for? I said Paste magazine and she said I’d love to meet them one day and
by the way take this it’s a little live CD we made. Well it was Brandi Carlisle and I still have the CD….
In summer of 79 ? I saw the ‘tomcats’ ,aka-straycats! Just b 4 they hit it big. They were very good but i couldnt get over setzers make-
The Four Seasons at the Jersey Shore in the early 60’s. Go ahead & play “Ronnie” if you dare.
In the early 1990’s I went to First Ave. in mpls. (owned at the time by Prince) to see a then mostly unknown band, called Phish.
They played mostly Dead covers and some strange songs, like “The Simpsons”.
Four years later, they blew up on the scene. One of my favorite shows!
Enjoy the weekend!
Well your comment about someone showing up and Bruce reminds me of a concert(actually it was a dance) I went to at the Rutgers Student Center where a local favorite, Heavy Trucking was playing. Then the group announced that a friend was going to join them for a few songs – Bruce Springsteen. Bruce, in dark sunglasses and turned up collar, knocked out a bunch of covers – Route 66 and Down the Road Apiece come to mind…
Summer of 1969, Iron Butterfly (!) at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, NJ. The opening group was some group I had never heard of – Chicago Transit Authority.
My first live performance experience is in some other lifetime of mine. A loooonnnnggggggg time ago.
As a youngster, by chance, I happened to be at Freedomland (an amusement park that no longer exists in the Bronx – was only open early to mid ’60’s) to happen upon Paul Anka singing. Free concert, he was a kid then!!! Who knew I was seeing someone who’d end up in such a prominent entertainment spot! He sang “Diana” as I recall. Don’t remember the other selections but there were lots of girls going “gaga.”
I have to say, I’m NOT embarrassed to tell this story. Happenstance/serendipity landed me somewhere that afforded me the chance to see someone at the very, very beginnings of his very well known career.
Have a great weekend.
Oh gosh – was so busy recounting my Freedomland/Paul Anka experience, I didn’t request a song! (earlier e-mail just a couple minutes ago)
Put you Head on My Shoulder
My Way
Diana
The list goes on forever – he turned into quite a prolific writer in addition to perfomring with the greats along the way.
I think he wrote “This is It” – the Michael Jackson one as I’m thinking about it!
Thanks for everything!
1st – around 1970, i was 12 years old – Central Park Bandshell – Harry Chapin singing “Taxi” – with that song I realized that music was storytelling.
2nd – around 1971 – NJ State Fairgrounds – Allman Brothers – 9 of the kids I hung out with and I (some where 16 year old “chaperones”) took the bus from NYC, landing in NJ, and then no transportation. so we did what kids did back then and stuck out our thumbs – all of us hitching a ride from one guy, all cramming into his Caddy Coup de Ville, getting to the concert, sprawling out on our blankets, digging on “Blue Skies” as the sun set and the sky turned that deep beautiful blue of a perfect summer eve. My friends and I still talk about it.
went to see the youngbloods, San Francisco 1966. Opening act was Sparrow, which became steppenwolf. odd…
Same year i was at the fillmore to see richie havens; headline act: yardbirds. Returned the next night: headline act: the doors.
sigh…
First Concert: Rhinoceros / Genva Ravan & Ten Wheel Drive / Chambers Bros – Feb 1970 @ the Felt Forum Chambers Bros. headlined. As I was 13 at the time my mother took me and that was quite embarrassing.
Most Memorable: The Jam’s US debut at Max’s Kansas City ‘78? ‘79? Aside from being a really great show, what makes this the most memorable is an act of sheer ignorance during a brush with greatness.That evening The Jam were playing Max’s and Mink DeVille were playing Guildersleeves. My late wide and her friends wanted to go to both shows but I wasn’t interested in Mink DeVille, so I decided to be the advance guard and scope out a booth at Max’s and catch the warm-up acts. Dressed in my best new wave regalia (rugby shirt, black Levi’s and Capezios), I made it to Max’s early and secured a booth in the back. The place began to fill and at one point an older guy came over and asked in a distinguished British accent if he could sit down. With a poseur/punk attitude, the twenty-something snot-nosed kid I was replies, “yeah, but you’ve gotta leave when my friends show up”. He agreed and settled into the other side of the booth to enjoy the show. As the warm-up acts droned on, people started coming over to this guy, asking how he was, what he was doing, etc. etc. Not breaking character, I didn’t ask him who he was. Soon my friends arrived and the gent politely got up, thanked me and left. The Jam came on and it was a great show. As we were walking out of Max’s, I overheard someone say, “Hey, did you hear? Spencer Davis was in the audience!”. Immediately my mind went ‘NAHHH! NO WAY!’ I rushed home and pulled out my copy of The Best Of Spencer Davis Group and there on the cover was the chap who had been sitting across from me all evening and who I had been so brusque with. Ah, youth. Sorry Spence!
best new act had to be steve earle’s son (?name escapes me) saw him open for John Prine at the Beacon last spring (“my mother’s eyes”, etc.)…thanks for playing Ram On yesterday..had my computer been working, would have requested Attica State by Lennon for Monopoly ?
Chaperoned by my mother to see the Monkees at Forest Hills Stadium in 1967, Jimi Hendrix was an opening act. Needless to say, the looks on all those suburban matrons’ faces when Jimi simulAted fornication with and lit his guitar on fire was one of shock and bewilderment. The Hendrix experience was eventuAlly kicked off the tour.
A recent first was seeing Christina Train in Morristown, NJ as an FUV
member line winner (thank you again). All I can say is wow!
But a more personal experience goes back to my college days when I was a
DJ at my college station at Washington University in St Louis and also
interning at one of the local commercial stations. One of the regional
record executives would give me albums for the college station and one
in particular I found incredible. You knew these guys would be
successful…but who could ever imagine how big they would actually
become. He told me the band would be in the regional office in a couple
of weeks and I asked if I could interview them on my college show. After
talking a little longer a plan took shape that not only would I get to
interview them but Wash U would get to have them perform on campus in
the intimate venue of Graham Chapel. It was 1981 and the band that took
the stage then was U2. I’m still a big fan and feel the same excitement
now.
Newport Folk Festival, 1968. I was sixteen with zero concert experience – and bowled over by so many acts – Muddy Waters, Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, Arlo Guthrie, Janis Ian – but the hi-light was saturday night in pouring rain, when Janis Joplin with Big Brother and The Holding Company took the stage.
They had just released Cheap Thrills, performed the whole album (Piece of My Heart Twice)and the audience went nuts.
Hi I missed the question this morning but here are some of my sigmificant “first” concerts.
My first concert ever was Herman’s Hermits and the Hollies at the old McCormick Place Arie Crown Theater in 1967. The building burned down weeks later.
My second major concert was Bob Dylan and the Band. I think it was in 1972. I believe it was the show that made the cover of Newsweek with everyone holding up their Bic Lighters.
My first of many Dead shows was February 1973 in Champaign, Ill
I saw many bands on their first tours:
Lynard Skynard backing up the Who’s Quadrophenia
Van Halen backing up Black Sabbath
Tom Petty, The Cars, The Pretenders
My first Jimmy Buffett concert was in 1977 when he could not fill the house at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago.
A Joe Perry-less Aerosmith, Nassau Coliseum, 1979. I seem to remember people smoking a ton of pot, firecrackers thrown from the cheap seats, and “Night in the Ruts” / “Right in the Nuts” t-shirts.
Three experiences to report, although not one of them nearly as cool as Dan’s concert history. The Stones in ‘64, The Doors in ‘67, The Who in ‘68? Holy crap, Dan, did you also see Mozart in Vienna in 1781? Some people have all the luck!)
When I was in junior high school around 1970-72, there was a kid in the senior high that we shared the building with whose father was a record company exec with Epic records. So for the four years he was at WT Clarke High School in Westbury, NY, we had some pretty cool concerts. One year was Albert King (nothing new of course), another Buzzy Linhart, another Livingston Taylor (brother of James), and another Edgar Winter’s White Trash. I don’t recall whether Edgar Winter had caught on nationally by then, probably existing in the shadows of older brother Johnny, but in our High School he was HUGELY popular. The Roadwork album was current, and the concert at Clarke had just as much energy as the record. Unbelievable…
The second story is seeing ELO at the Westbury Music Fair. Not the greatest concert ever, but I think it qualifies because it was before “Out of the Blue” came out, so they were little known. Renaissance opened for them, which was probably the best part of the show.
The third experience was seeing Jeffrey Gaines at the now defunct Bottom Line downtown NYC. His first album had just come out, which I accidently heard during my first and last curiosity visit to a Coconuts record store. The Bottom Line was full of EMI record company execs, as well as the eclectic audience Jeffrey came to routinely attract, including doctors, lawyers and college students. The show was absolutely electrifying, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, Jeffrey’s follow-ups have not garnered him the audience he so richly deserves.
I’ve been to a bunch of stand-out concerts, like Eric Clapton at Irving Plaza in NYC, but none of them qualify for the category, so I’m done for now…
I just remembered that I saw Elvis Costello at the Calderone in Hempstead 1977. Since true punk was just evolving into new wave, and there were a lot of posers pretending to be punks, it was interesting to see a lot of people with skinny ties pierced by safety pins – if they had been REAL punks the safety pins would have been in their cheeks.
And Elvis flew the bird at the audience and did a number of other things that were expected at “punk” shows. So glad he grew out of that nonsense once he established himself as the great songwriter he truly is.
Anyway, it was pretty cool seeing Elvis on his first US tour.
The Beatles – Atlantic City Convention Hall – August 30, 1964
*** There was a sign in the window of a ticket booth on the boardwalk that said Beatles Tickets For Sale. There was no line, no one buying tickets. My dad bought me a ticket and drove me from Trenton down to A.C. for the show. During the day, we saw them out on the balcony of their hotel, girls screaming below. I had an orchestra seat and could read Ludwig on the drum kit. I remember hearing snatches of songs between the screams. Ed Hurst MC’d the show.
Simon & Garfunkel – St. John Terrell’s Music Circus, Lambertville, NJ – July 3, 1967
*** Parsley, Sage was the new album. Met them after the concert. The Music Circus often let the audience parade through and meet the artists. Time it was. I have a photograph. I also told Paul to carry a tape recorder with him, because he said he would think of melodies and lyrics and then forget them.
The Byrds, Tim Buckley, The Foundations – Fillmore East, NYC – May 17, 1968
*** so glad I saw The Byrds in this early incarnation. They sounded so tight on stage. Their musicianship was superb.
The Paupers, Joe Tex, Tom Rush – Live From The Bitter End, hosted by Sid Bernstein – WOR-TV, New York – sometime in 1968
***Before the show started, Bernstein asks the audience “How many of you did NOT cut school to be here today?” Everyone laughed, because, of course, we all DID cut school. Joe Tex was great, doing a “Skinny Legs And All” contest, bringing up girls to judge who had the skinniest legs.
The Guess Who – St. John Terrell’s Music Circus – July 14, 1969
*** Burton Cummings still had long hair. We were hoping they’d do the 10-minutes Lizard King opus Friends Of Mine, but they didn’t. Great though.
Atlantic City Pop Festival – Atlantic City Race Track – AC NJ – August 1, 1969
*** This was a 3-day event, but my mom and I only made the first day, though we had tickets for Friday and Saturday. A primer for the history-making concert that happened at the end of that month and year, the AC Pop Festival quickly overflowed with attendees, ran out of food, bathrooms were difficult to get to, people shared what they had. I was down in front for the most part. I’m still trying to find a pic of myself somewhere, wearing my blue shades and looking groovy. Yeah, I was still groovy. Saw The Byrds, Booker T. & The MGs, B.B. King, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane and more.
The Four Seasons – Trenton War Memorial – Trenton, NJ – August 15, 1969
The Byrds, Family, Savoy Brown, Troyka – Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ – April 24, 1970
*** Rare treat to see Family and very interesting lead vocalist Roger Chapman
The Doors – The Spectrum – Philadelphia – May 1, 1970
*** We were in the 10th row on the floor. If you listen closely at the beginning of the LP Absolutely Live, as it fades up, you can hear someone shouting, “hey Larry, hey LaaarEEE.” That was me, at the foot of the stage, trying to get my friend’s attention who was looking for me.
Eric Burdon and War/Quicksilver Messenger Service – Fillmore East – NYC – March 28, 1971
*** QMS, Dino Valenti edition, headlined, but I was more excited about Burdon and War
The Concert For Bangladesh – Madison Square Garden – NYC – August 1, 1971
*** I won my ticket. WIBG Radio in Philly was giving away tickets, one per hour. You had to send in postcards. I sent about 100 in. Then WIBG would pick one postcard an hour, 24 hours a day, for a day or two. You had to call WIBG The Big 99 within 9 minutes of when your name was announced. I listened like crazy. I woke up one morning for school, groggily turned on the radio, my name came on, I shook myself awake, called the station, got through and got the ticket, and joined 50 kids on a school bus, leaving the station being shepherded by the jocks, such as Long John Wade, for the afternoon show. George, Ringo, Eric, Badfinger, Leon, BOB, what an incredible concert. We were not long post-Beatles then. And Dylan was still an enigma.
The Byrds/Mahavishnu Orchestra/Blue Oyster Cult – SUNY Lusk Field House – Cortland, NY – Nov. 20, 1971
*** perhaps the strangest line-up I ever saw. Mahavishnu was placed in the middle. The yellow tab was just taking effect when they came on stage. No one knew them or what to expect. Then they start doing these weird time signatures, and the skinny guy with the short black hair and green t-shirt is playing a double-necked guitar. And what about that guy behind the drums! Wow! By the time The Byrds hit the stage, they were totally anti-climactic. The concert cost $3.
The Allman Brothers Band – The Manley Field House – Syracuse, NY – April 7, 1972
*** The concert took place 3 days after my birthday, and was a gift for it from my dorm-mates at Ithaca College. Very bluesy show. A spotlight lit the mic stand on stage where Duane would have been standing. Berry Oakley was still alive at the time. Dickie Betts did a great job.
David Bowie – Carnegie Hall – NYC – September 28, 1972
*** Hardly anyone this side of the pond had heard of this guy, but my friends and I knew him, from that Davy Jones album on Deram, to Space Oddity 45 on Mercury, to The Man Who Sold The World LP. I arranged to get tickets. Most of the audience seemed to be made up of people who worked at RCA Records and some press etc. What a great concert! Mick Ronson going wild on guitar while a strobe light strobed was amazing. Angela Bowie sat not too far from me, in the middle of the orchestra seats.
The Rolling Stones/Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove – The Spectrum – Philly – July 20, 1972
*** The Exile On Main Street tour. Stevie was fantastic, with I think 9 musicians on stage. They were so good that not one idiot anywhere was shouting for The Stones to come on. We were mesmerized. For The Stones’ encore, Mick and Stevie traded off, going back and forth seamlessly with Satisfaction and Uptight (Everything’s Alright). Whew! I luckily taped the show, had it on cassette for years, and transferred it to CD a year or so ago.
Too many other memorable shows to list as exhaustively, including Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and The Wall concerts; Traffic at Ithaca College and Cornell; Jethro Tull’s Aqualung concert at Cornell, The James Gang at Ithaca College; Procol there too; Talking Heads at Trenton War Memorial 1978; The Critters there too; Nico at Alexander’s in Browns Mills; Happy The Man there too; and also Crack The Sky. Billy Joel, Turnstiles era, at McCarter Theater in Princeton. Snorefest in Trenton. Joe Zuccarelli in Trenton.