MetaChat - Spontaneous 'first concert' confessions

Scorpions, Love at First Sting Tour. Bon Jovi were the openers. I make no apologies.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 08:51

I have three kinds:

First concert (unwilling): The Shoppe at the Puyallup (WA) Fair (they played there like every year in the 70s).

First concert (willing): Primus, The Pixies, Jane's Addiction (in Seattle, WA my friend's older brother drove us).

First show (willing): Seaweed with Inspector Love and the Ride Me Babies (many members from this horribly named outfit later went on to be a really bad grunge imitator-type band: Green Apple Quickstep). At Legends in Tacoma, WA.

For me the difference between a concert and a show: A concert you usually had to buy tickets in advance and the venue held more than a thousand people. A show you usually didn't have to buy tickets for in advance and the venue usually held less than a thousand people. Totally different scales.

posted by safetyfork 04 October | 08:51

jon, why on earth would you apologize? That's a great first concert!

posted by safetyfork 04 October | 08:52

I also realize my grammatical error may make it seem that Seaweed was somehow "with" Inspector Love. They most certainly weren't.

posted by safetyfork 04 October | 08:53

first 'show': (not counting friends bands in high school) Olive & the Branches, Crossfire Choir & Nuclear Valdez at CBGB's.

jon, why on earth would you apologize?

Bon Jovi haters are legion. Give the kid credit, he does what he does well and occasionally creates a fine song ('I'll Be There For You,' 'Lay Your Hands On Me,' 'Wanted:Dead Or Alive.')

posted by jonmc 04 October | 08:54

my first was a band called All About Eve at the Hammersmith Odeon. they were a goth band who weren't goth enough to get much love from goths. they had quite a nice line in folky psychedelic pop tunes. it was a good night, even the support band (The Bolshoi) were pretty great.

for my second gig i saw a band called The Sugarcubes. this means i saw bjork live before ANY OF YOU, and I THOUGHT IT WAS SHIT, and I DON'T EVEN LIKE BJORK.

so there.

posted by dodgygeezer 04 October | 09:01

Dude.

Stacey Q opening for The Jets.

I win.

posted by mike9322 04 October | 09:04

Stacy Q?

*shudder*

That 'Two Of Hearts,' abomination chills my soul to this day.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 09:06

U2 on their Rattle & Hum tour. That would have been...1989? Sounds right.

posted by gaspode 04 October | 09:06

I don't do concerts, only shows, I'm a large venue avoider.

Camper Van Beethoven. Awesome.

posted by rainbaby 04 October | 09:10

I don't do concerts, only shows, I'm a large venue avoider.

I usually agree, but some stuff works best in a large venue. Stuff like Kiss, for instance. A huge hall gives you that nice 'We're about to invade Poland,' atmosphere.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 09:12

dodgygeezer: Delicious Demon? Etc. Etc.
mike9322: That's pretty good! At least it wasn't Samantha Fox(x)!
gaspode: right before they blew up superbig. Was it a good show?
On Preview: Nice! (and I'll stop before it appears that I need to comment on each comment).

posted by safetyfork 04 October | 09:12

The Police, Ghost in the Machine tour! GREAT concert. I think a security guard confiscated my friends' pot (for himself.) Security guards (or anyone wearing a "SECURITY" shirt) made a killing at the old Cleveland Colosseum.

I still have the concert t-shirt somewhere. I woke up that night after the concert to discover the letters glow in the dark.

posted by shane 04 October | 09:12

...was previewing rainbaby's comment in the preview.

Shane that's cool! Wow!

posted by safetyfork 04 October | 09:14

Using jomnc's categories:

First concert: Pink Floyd, Miami FL, March 30 1994 (seventh row, center); the first live performance of songs from The Division Bell, before the album had even been released (and yeah, that's not anywhere near a good PF album, but it was a big deal for me at the time)

First show (willing): Fishbone, touring behind Give a Monkey A Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe--also first time crowd surfing, first time in a mosh pit, and first and last time some random dude ran up to me and punched me in the jaw

First show (somewhat under duress): Sarah MacLachlan, pre-Lilith Fair, when she had long hair and her audience was mostly Goth-lite--between songs audience members screamed "WE LOOOOOOVE YOU, SARAH, AHHHH GAHHHHD WE LOOOOOVE YOU" and held up cheesecake photos of her blown up to half life size

posted by Prospero 04 October | 09:15

I've been pretty lucky with shows, the only favorite band of mine that I haven't seen at least a part of live is The Dictators. It'll happen someday. (you hear me Dick and Ross, get off your asses and do a show!)

(on preview, those were the fork's categories, not mine. credit where credit due)

posted by jonmc 04 October | 09:16

D'oh! (Of course, I don't know who "jomnc" is, either.)

posted by Prospero 04 October | 09:19

he's my dyslexic twin brother.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 09:20

Pablo Cruise and Leif Garrett. Both in the same week.

I win.

oh sure, I could have popped for the $7.00 Led Zep tickets but noooooo.....

posted by KevinSKomsvold 04 October | 09:20

When I was 8 or so, I made a deal with my mom. If I practiced my saxophone every day for 6 months, she'd take me to a Beach Boys concert. I did and went and sat behind a pillar the entire time staring at someone's scrawl of "Summer was here".

posted by sciurus 04 October | 09:28

KevinSKomsvold, shows you regret not going to when you had the chance is a whole other post! But I'll chime in with seriously regretting taking a pass on Drive Like Jehu when they came to town. "Oh they'll be back." I said.... almost ten years later at least I got to see Hot Snakes final NY show where they played two Jehu numbers.

posted by safetyfork 04 October | 09:29

jon: The Dictators (or at least some of them...) played a couple of weeks ago at the Continental.

posted by gaspode 04 October | 09:29

I saw Canadian jazz-rock group Lighthouse at the Grand Falls (NL) Stadium. I must have been 11 or 12, but of course I went under the care of a responsible older person - my sister, all of 14 or 15 at the time. We were about the youngest attendees, and I do recall smelling some smoke that wasn't like Dad's cigarettes.

posted by hangashore 04 October | 09:32

*Points and laughs at mikey*
Aaahahaha! That's so awful, it's awesome. Didn't the Jets consists of, like, 47 polynesian siblings? There was one that looked so much like Horshach that he had to be adopted. I totally hope you got baked before the show. Whip-its in the parking lot! Woooo!! STACY-Q!!

Technically, my first show was Duran Duran/Erasure. I wasn't a fan, but my friend Mel was and it was her b-day present. She made me wear her Seven and the Ragged Tiger t-shirt. Ugh.

The first show I ever got tickets for was David Bowie's Glass Spider tour. I passed out during his version of White Light/White Heat. It was really hot and they kept flashing the lights!

I'm totally jealous of most of you. Especially safetyfork and shane.

posted by jrossi4r 04 October | 09:36

I totally hope you got baked before the show

I was around 10 or 11* at the time. Hangin' with mom.

* My 'getting baked' habit didn't start till 12.

posted by mike9322 04 October | 09:39

occhi took me to my first "real" concert. It was a local station's summer festival with the Ramones, Cake, Blind Melon and a handful of others. The show was good, but I remember it more for hanging out with her. She left for college the next day.

posted by dno 04 October | 09:41

OH MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN, I totally just remembered that my ticket stub was signed by Stacey Q's drummer.

STACEY FUCKIN Q'S DRUMMER. That's right, you know you're jealous.

posted by mike9322 04 October | 09:42

...Sarah MacLachlan, pre-Lilith Fair, when she had long hair and her audience was mostly Goth-lite...

I saw her, I think right after Fumbling... She countered every loud shout from the audience with a quick, sharp-witted and funny remark. She's the epitome of grace. Really.

posted by shane 04 October | 09:42

John Denver. Yep. John Denver.

posted by JanetLand 04 October | 09:44

Show: 311 (yeah, I know; in Omaha you had to take what you could get, at least in the early 90s), in their "farewell to Nebraska, we're moving to LA" show.

Concert: U2/Zoo TV, unless you count seeing Elvis and Hank Williams, Jr. in utero.

posted by cobra! 04 October | 09:48

The first concert I *remember* going to was this group called the Association (Cherish). Interestingly enough, this little group called Buffalo Springfield opened for them.

(I actually DID go to see the Springfield.)

In the early days, I also saw Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks open for someone named Emmet Rhodes. A week at the Troubador in LA. . .this week was recorded and resulted in Hick's *Where's the Money?*

At the same club, different times, I saw Steve Martin open for Poco, and Kris Kristofferson open for Helen Redy. Also saw Neil Young solo there, the club was only half full. Neil was stoned out of his mind and at one point whipped out a pair of pliers to fix his guitar.

At another club down there, I saw John Fahey take a break from his set and play with a turtle that an audience member brought. . .then, same set, he excused himself and went to the restroom. . .obviously, in retrospect, to shoot up.

I'll stop now. I got a million of 'em.

Oh on preview, I listened to the U2 concert when they came to Eugene, because they were so loud that I could hear it 3 miles away. At first I thought that the neighbor had the stereo on too loud, but upon going outside, it was U2 and clear enough to hear the lyrics.

posted by danf 04 October | 09:51

The band: Van Halen
The tour: 1984
The year: 1984
The city: Charleston, WV
The weather: snow
My age: 16
Opening act: Autograph (Who were Spinal Tap awful and did a song called "Cloud 10." I'd love an MP3 of that Cloud 10 song if anyone has it lying around.)

posted by Otis 04 October | 09:54

danf: Poco? Remember a song called "Under the Gun"? When I was a kid I called a radio show and requested it. Wolfman Jack (!, LOL) answered the phone and swore he'd never heard of it.

posted by shane 04 October | 09:58

I was around 10 or 11* at the time. Hangin' with mom.
So there may have been some actual baking involved. Do you still have ticket stub? I wonder what that guy is up to these days.

Kris Kristofferson open for Helen Redy
That would be my mom's dream venue, danf! He is her one big crush and Helen played near constantly in our house.

Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on...

posted by jrossi4r 04 October | 09:59

danf: Poco? Remember a song called "Under the Gun"? When I was a kid I called a radio show and requested it. Wolfman Jack (!, LOL) answered the phone and swore he'd never heard of it.

Under the Gun was *late* Poco. . .only one of the founding members.

I used to listen to Wolfman Jack when he was in Tijuana on XERB. . .they had a strong signal and just blasted it out late at night.

posted by danf 04 October | 10:04

I wonder what that guy is up to these days.

No doubt, he is coasting on the millions he made as Stacey Q's drummer. And no, I don't believe I still have the ticket stub. I was sitting on a goldmine and didn't even realize it.

posted by mike9322 04 October | 10:05

My first rock concert was a stadium affair...

I saw the J Geils Band at the PNE in Vancouver at the age of 12...I was trying to find out who the openers were not that long ago, and it seems there is a very good chance it was a little Irish band called U2! I haven't been able to confirm it yet, but... That's kinda cool eh?

I really haven't seen too many shows of any size. Highlights have included a Bruce Cockburn solo show at an outside amphitheatre which was awesome, clear night etc. Also, The Weakerthans, Neko Case, and a fantastic Paul Westerberg solo show. I was too young and dumb to see most of my favourites. I did see Dylan, but he mainly sucked. Oh, and I saw Corey Hart once. Talk about your screaming young girls!

posted by richat 04 October | 10:08

Aw, I was totally hoping you'd look at it again for the first time in years and realize that the signature said Tommy Lee or Larry Mullen, jr. or something. A nice Paul Harvey ending.

posted by jrossi4r 04 October | 10:14

I've been going to classical concerts since I was pretty much in the womb. Never mind them...

First gig: Catatonia, Oxford Zodiac, 1997.

posted by altolinguistic 04 October | 10:15

My parents used to take me to those free Beach Boy concerts on the DC Mall when I was a kid, until James Watt had them banned.
But I consider my first concert to be AC/DC, Flick of the Switch tour, 1983. For those about to rock, indeeed.

posted by Hellbient 04 October | 10:36

Foreigner, 4 tour (1982?); Bryan Adams opened. I was in the eighth grade. My dad took me to the show.

posted by initapplette 04 October | 11:06

occhi took me to my first "real" concert. It was a local station's summer festival with the Ramones, Cake, Blind Melon and a handful of others. The show was good, but I remember it more for hanging out with her. She left for college the next day.

My brother is so much cooler than I am. My first concert? Michael Bolton.

posted by occhiblu 04 October | 11:32

(Also, I had totally forgotten about that festival. That *was* a good time.)

posted by occhiblu 04 October | 11:33

It has been brought to my attention that the Michael Bolton concert was with my parents, and so might not count. (I maintain that since I bought a concert t-shirt, it does.)

But the first concert I went to all on my lonesome was, I think, Alanis Morisette. Who was awesome. And that would certainly be my first show, if we're breaking it down that way, though I did buy my ticket in advance.

posted by occhiblu 04 October | 11:39

It has been brought to my attention that the Michael Bolton concert was with my parents, and so might not count. (I maintain that since I bought a concert t-shirt, it does.)

occhi, when I worked at a chain bookstore (rhymes with 'marching orders.") We had a book signing. Not for a book by Michael Bolton, but a book by Michael Bolton's mother. You shoulda seen some of the specimens that showed up for this.

(and we'd had Charlton Heston, Pat Riley and Bob Grant at this location as well but this one took the cake)

posted by jonmc 04 October | 11:44

my "first concert" - rush, in 1983. before they grew mullets and rattails and started using electronic drums. they. kicked. ass.

posted by syntax 04 October | 11:45

the first rock concert I remember is: Meatloaf, performing at some sort of political public event in the early 80's in Washington DeeCee.

the first rock concert I chose to go to was X/Oingo Boingo in the middle 80's outside of LA.

My parents did take us to some jazz shows much earlier than that, but I have no clear memory of who the performers were.

posted by crush-onastick 04 October | 11:45

Was it a book about Michael Bolton, written by Michael Bolton's mother? Or just a book on a random subject written by Michael Bolton's mother?

I'm not sure which would be better, truthfully.

posted by occhiblu 04 October | 11:46

Oh, I missed the "concert" v. "show" category. Meatloaf was definitely a concert; Boingo was more a show. I don't think I went to another 1000+ people concert until the Cure's Prayer tour, but I did definitely see other shows before then.

posted by crush-onastick 04 October | 11:47

The Allman Brothers in 78 or 79, I was around 15. Or possibly Arlo Guthrie, in a free outdoor thing in Boston that same year. I had to sneak to see the Allman Brothers because it was around that time that those kids were trampled at a Who show and my father said I was never allowed to go to a rock concert: ever, period, for the rest of your life goddamnit, bunch of no good hippies.

The best concert ever though I think was the Pogues, the Violent Femmes & Mojo Nixon/Skid Roper at a pier in NYC in 1990.

posted by mygothlaundry 04 October | 11:49

Was it a book about Michael Bolton, written by Michael Bolton's mother? Or just a book on a random subject written by Michael Bolton's mother?

The former. More big hair than I've even seen before or since, and I live in Queens.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 11:54

My first punk gig was at the (now defunct) York Theatre on Commercial Drive. I'd missed the Dead Kennedy's (damn!) the day before, but I got to see A.K.O.B., NG³, NOMEANSNO, and SNFU (who headlined). This was the summer of 1984. Killer show. Stage diving, lots of drinking and I got to hang with SNFU at the Plaza (old Vancouver punk rock house) after the show.

A.K.O.B. and NG³ were a couple of bands who swapped members, and I think that there was at least one of the guys from the Dayglo Abortions in there as well. A punk rock extravaganza!

posted by Zack_Replica 04 October | 12:04

January 1975, not quite 16 years old, I'd hitched down to London with a friend to see The Doobie Brothers (pre Michael McDonald).

But the show was totally stolen, mugged, ripped away, blown apart and hijacked by the support band, the then-largely unknown Little Feat.

I will never, ever forget that gig as long as I live. Even when the Doobies came on after the break, people were still stamping, clapping and yelling for Little Feat. The Doobies may as well have gone home.

After I moved to London a year or so later, I used to go to gigs at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, on a Sunday, which started mid-afternoon and ended late at night, five or six bands playing. I remember seeing a gig there where Sham 69 were headlining, supported by Dire Straits, Split Enz, The Pretenders and Talking Heads!!

posted by essexjan 04 October | 12:09

I used to go to gigs at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, on a Sunday,

"...float up to the Roundhouse/on a Sunday afternoon..."

sorry

posted by jonmc 04 October | 12:11

The first concert I paid for with my own money (and I don't recall going to any prior to that, except picnics at Raviniafor symphony performances) was Billy Joel. Storm Front Tour. Three friends and I were in the 8th row behind the stage, which was actually great because he played to us for part of the performance -- you can do that pretty easily with a piano -- and we paid far less than people the equivalent distance away in front.

posted by me3dia 04 October | 12:16

Ah, I tell a lie, the Little Feat/Doobies was not my first concert. Some months earlier my mum had insisted I went with her to the Free Trade Hall in Manchester to see The Spinners.

No, not the soul band (who were known in the UK as The Detroit Spinners) but the most fucking awful 'folk' music band from the days when folk music was all beardy men in sweaters singing sea shanties and songs about fair maidens. There was a tall one, a short one, a grey one and - shock horror! - a black one (who my mother always used to refer to as the 'darkie').

The Spinners were horribly popular on TV in the 60s and 70s. I had hoped they were all long dead, but nooooo, I see from the linked website that some of them are still inflicting themselves on the unsuspecting public, the bastards.

The only - ONLY - good thing about the concert (it could not, by any stretch of the imagination, have been described as a 'gig') was that it was in Manchester where I was unlikely to see anyone who knew me.

I had tried to erase this horrible memory but obviously I need more electric shock therapy.

posted by essexjan 04 October | 12:26

My dad went to see Danny & The Juniors once. Apparently Danny commited suicide not long after. I don't think the two events are related.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 12:28

First concert I remember going to was with my mother and it was the Jackson 5. First concert I went to without adult supervison was Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat and Shooting Star. I remember that inevitably someone passed a joint down to us (I was probably 15) and my friends and I partook. It seemed like the concert ended too soon and we were still high, and my father was supposed to pick us up. I was a bit freaked out, until my dad did pick us up and told us he had gone to a local bar to watch the Orioles play. I realised he was a bit buzzed and oddly enough I relaxed because he didn't seem to be paying attention to us. I didn't particulary care that he shouldn't have been driving.

posted by terrapin 04 October | 13:46

Oh, the BOC, Foghat concert was at the Capital Centre in Landover Maryland for those participating in this thread who seemed to have grown up in the same area and time as I :)

The Jackson 5 show was at a small place that no longer exists called The Washington Grove (?) near where Shady Grove road is. At the time it was right across the street from a warehouse that had a big neon sign that read U.S. BONGS.

Ahhhh, good ole daze.

posted by terrapin 04 October | 13:57

When I was about 3, my folks couldn't get a babysitter, so I spent the entirety of a Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show concert on my father's shoulders. Vague memories.

When I was 9, I got to see Harry Chapin with my folks. I remember that one clearly.

First concert without the parents was Rick Springfield when I was about 14. I got dragged along with two slightly older girlfriends. I was not impressed.

After that, the list got very long although sometimes hazy. Ah, to be young, carefree, and able to find $20 concert tickets again.

posted by lilywing13 04 October | 16:24

My first concert was King Missle, at La Luna in Portland. It was altogether a very good show, but I must confess that in recent years, I've come to the realization that I really dislike going to concerts. I also hate dancing.

posted by pieisexactlythree 04 October | 17:22

terrapin - the AC/DC show I saw was at the Cap Centre as well. I saw plenty of shows there.

posted by Hellbient 04 October | 17:28

I was saw AC/DC that same year at the same venue, hellbient, but my old brain doesn't remember if there was more than one night. I think there were 2 nights, and I think I won the tickets on DC101.

posted by terrapin 04 October | 17:50

I first saw "The Beach Boys" at Six Flags Great Adventure in '83 or '84. What I remember most were the people flashing boobies at each other in the crowd. My then boyfriend and I got so bored after listening to some songs that we left the concert to go back on the rides.

The first "real" concert was Van Halen, sometime around '85. I took my younger brother. That was a good concert, though it was the first time for me to drive to the Meadowlands and I hadn't been driving long.

I still have a t-shirt from Billy Joel's "Bridge" tour. He was amazing! I've only seen him and Meat Loaf in concert twice. I've seen James Taylor, Billy Idol, Julian Lennon (yeah, I did), Santana, and Alanis Morrisette with Tori Amos.

posted by redvixen 04 October | 18:33

Oh, and Chicago, too.

posted by redvixen 04 October | 18:38

Glass Spider was my first concert too, jrossi4r; although a few nights before it chupahija got drunk in a restaurant and told me I couldn't go--I said "Oh yes I am!" (who the fuck was she to tell me this when I was 19?) Did Siouxsie open for yours? I regret not being that into them at the time, because her voice was much worse at the concerts of theirs I later attended. I loved the show at the time, but I now realize that it wasn't one of his better periods. The Ziggy Stardust version of "Width of a Circle" is my absolute favorite Bowie--and what I want played at my funeral.

I don't differentiate between show and concert--I went to a lot at the Palace across from Capitol Records when the balcony wasn't reserved.

posted by brujita 05 October | 00:21

I think Squeeze opened for them in Philly, brujita. Though Siouxsie would have been cooler. My Bowie crush persists to this day. He seemes to improve with age.

posted by jrossi4r 05 October | 12:26

The Righteous Brothers. It was at Anaheim Stadium and Fourth of July special thingie along with a baseball game. I was probably 12 or 13 and my mum and stepfather-of-the-moment paid for the tickets.

The first concert I paid for was in Houston at the Livestock Show & Rodeo. They always have a bunch of country artists in concert. I don't remember which one was first but I saw Wynonna, Clint Black, Alan Jackson and a few others I don't remember.

A friend won tickets to Duran Duran when we were in Junior High. I'd have loooved to go to that one, but she picked another friend to go with her.

Anyway, those are the only concerts I've been to. Not a fan of big, loud crowds.

posted by deborah 05 October | 13:54

fun fun...i saw Deelite in concert when i was in high school
pretty bad

posted by karim satasha 08 October | 17:33

04 October 2006