The other day I was trying to remember some of the music concerts I had been to. Here is a list, not including many small bands I saw at festivals.
These are mostly musicians playing in theaters or arenas.
In the mid 1980s, I went with co-workers to see Huey Lewis and the News in Detroit, Michigan. Seats were far away from the stage. The only thing I remember about it was being in an altered state once the music started.
In the late 1980s, I was living in St. Louis, Missouri. A girlfriend had tickets to see Clink Black. He was pretty popular around that time. Even though his playing style was considered Country, his songs were not as ‘twangy’ as I had anticipated. In 1990 I went to see Billy Joel with co-workers. We had floor seats which were regular metal chairs. Immediately after the concert started, everyone in the rows ahead of us stood up on their chairs. In order to see the stage, we had to, too. We spent the entire concert standing! I remember Billy jumping on top of his piano during one of the songs.
A few years later I began hanging out with co-worker, Orlando, in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis. He worked as a volunteer MC for radio station KDHX on a show about blues music. I went to a number of shows by blues players in very small venues.
This was the first time I heard Marsha Ball in person. I bought one of her CDs and had her sign a t-shirt. Years later, she played at Union
Station in St. Louis. I wore the t-shirt and asked if she would trace over the signature again because it had faded! Also playing at Union Station was Little Feat.
In the early 1990s, I went to a Def Leppard concert at the St. Louis Arena with a girlfriend. Half way through the concert, a drunk guy stood up and would not sit down. We started throwing things at him, but he was so drunk he didn’t get the hint.
I saw Jimmy Buffet twice at the RiverPort Amphitheater. You could bring a blanket and sit on the lawn on the hill. It was interesting to see the new generation of parret heads enjoying Buffet songs the second time I saw him play.
In the mid 1990s, a co-worker had box seats to see Elton John at the RiverPort Amphitheater. He invited Elaine and I to join him. We saw Elton wearing his silly outfits and playing the piano from underneath the keyboard.
I saw John Prine at the Westport Playhouse in 1990. I don’t remember it, at all! The last major concert I attended was a performance by John Prine at The American Theater in 1995. Elaine bought good seats toward the front as a birthday present. John’s voice was failing and this was before his neck and lung cancer. It was fun when he encourages the audience to sing along with his classic songs.
Other than the small band venues I occasionally record video for, I haven’t been to a large concert in decades. I don’t miss the crowds, the bad behavior in the stands, the speakers that are too loud, and the overpriced concessions.
Concert Tickets – Click an image to open lightbox viewer
