I suppose everyone eventually cleans out their desk. Mine was filled with old bills, ex-girlfriend telephone numbers and pens without ink. While cleaning this mess, I ran across a three-inch stack of old concert tickets. Wrapped with a rubber band, these paper stubs amazingly dated back to 1977.
It was 26 years ago when I saw my first concert, and I will never forget that incredible night. I saw a man smoking a joint for the first time. That was cool. And I saw Kiss, touring to promote their Love Gun album. I also saw this unknown band in the warm-up act slot. They were named Styx, whose only hit at the time was "Lady."
For me it was history. After that rare night of freedom, I obsessively tried to go to every concert traveling through town. This peculiar obsession was materially noted as I kept every ticket stub from shows good or bad (did I really have to see Pat Benatar?!) with religious fervor.
I'm not sure if the concert experience is the same as it was 20 or even 10 years ago. I think MTV has a lot to do with that. I think the popular cable channel has damaged the mystery of great bands, essentially dispelling the excitement of seeing new acts up close.
I inspected the preserved stubs, and it was like thumbing through old stacks of childhood photographs. They were faded, some stained by water from rain and a few marked by mud or beer. These ticket stubs were indeed photographs from the past. Oddly, I could remember every concert almost as if they happened yesterday.
What follows, indulgent I'll admit, is a list of the 10 greatest concerts I've ever seen.
10. Elton John - Oct. 10, 1980, Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
It's easy to dismiss Sir Elton these days, he of the chubby facade and hair extensions. I cannot recall if he was touring for a new album or not, hell, he has so many. But this night, he was not quite so middle aged. This night, he was adorned in white leather suit, red elevator shoes and sunglasses, and a white leather beret. This night, he and his extraordinary band opened with "Funeral for a Friend." The stage was bathed in darkness during the moody number, and then suddenly exploded in light as they ripped into "Love Lies Bleeding." Sir Elton, sitting (and often standing) at a grand piano, never let up, playing "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," "Pinball Wizard," "Bennie and the Jets" and "Tiny Dancer." It was not a typical concert. But Sir Elton was never your typical rock star.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - HW Saxton Jr.
Chris, Interesting post. I've seen The
Gun Club 4 times and Jeffrey Lee once as
an acoustic solo act (GRRRRREEAAT!!!).
They could put on a great show for sure.
Jeffrey was from El Paso by the by.
2 - Chris Kent
Was going by memory and could have sworn I read Pierce grew up in Lousiana. El Paso aye? Interesting.
3 - HW Saxton Jr.
Chris, on the "Miami" LP he talks about
his childhood on a song called "Texas Serenade".I could share info on Pierce
with you should you want to e mail some time.With all due respect to Jeffrey,I'd
rather not plaster crazeeeeee (but TRUE)
stories about the cat all over the net.
I've partied with him in Las Vegas! and L.A. and anything you've heard about him
is probably true,only understated LOL!!!
4 - Chris Kent
Here's some Gun CLub stuff I just picked up. Louisiana reference obviously mistaken. My apologies:
Jeffrey Lee Pierce was born June 27, 1958.....in Montebello, California (East of Los Angeles) and also lived in El Monte, and Reseda, California. In his late teens, he became a fixure at many Hollywood clubs and soon was writing for various fanzines including SLASH magazine....he would write reviews of gigs as well as bands. He was a huge fan of Blondie and became the president of their fan club as well.Inspired by bands like X, Television, the Cramps, he met Kid Congo Powers and insisted he learn guitar, and they formed the Creeping Ritual in 1980-81....the name changed to Gun Club after a suggestion by the Circle Jerks' Keith Morris....Jeffrey's longtime friend, then-roommate.
The band played regularly at the L.A. clubs including Cathay De Grande, Madame Wongs, Starwood, Whisky etc.....building up a following and a repertoire of songs that would become the first album FIRE OF LOVE in 1981,one of the first releases on Slash Records, born out of the ashes of the magazine.
Their early performances featured a crazed Jeffrey Lee flying around the stage, screaming, falling, rambling and generally amazing the crowd with his antics. Gun Club's influences at that time were old blues like Robert Johnson from where they re-created "Preachin' the Blues" and other ancient songs like "Cool Drink of Water" by Tommy Johnson and "Fire of Love" by Jody Reynolds. Encompassing other sounds including rockabilly, country,and swampy soul, they created a new sound not heard before, and which spawned many imitators in the cow-punk arena. By this time,the Cramps had witnessed their greatness and ended up stealing Kid Congo for their own uses- so he did not appear on Fire of Love, but instead on the Cramps' own Psychedelic Jungle of 1981.
5 - HW Saxton Jr.
Chris, This makes a lot of sense since
Gary(Kid Congo)was also from around the
El Monte area. During a drinking spree
w/Jeffrey Lee one night in Las Vegas(my home)I introduced him to my then GF,this
girl named Rosie. She is half Apache and
half Mex. JL started telling me how she
reminded him of his mother in El Paso TX
who was a bit of a slut in his own words
honestly.I asked him about the song "TX
Serenade'and he started telling me about
his living there,what a hellhole it was,
how all the mountains here in the desert
around S.Nevada reminded him of El Paso
and so on.Of course,we were at a shitty
dive bar chugging down Margaritas by the
pitcher,eating Percodans and snorting up
blow at the time,so it is possible that
he was bullshitting about some of it.He
seemed quite sincere though.He could put
on an incredible show though when he was
inspired to do so.I once saw him(The Gun
Club that is)do a 10-minute medley of:
"Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger/Walking With
The Beast" that left everyone just plain
dumbfounded,even him I think.Intense guy
to be sure.Do you have the Gun Club CD
collection on 'Sympathy For The Record
Industry'??? It's called "Early Warning"
and it has some great solo acoustic jams
Blues stuff and other goodies on it.Well
worth picking up,for sure for sure.
6 - Chris Kent
HW,
I do not have that CD, but thank you for recommending it. I will definitely pick it up. I've found myself this evening listening to all of this old stuff that I have not listened to in a while. Amazing what a bit of cleaning (and writing) will do....I discovered the Gun Club site only after writing this blog, and have been able to figure out the lineup playing the night I saw them. I remember reading Pierce's obit when he died, it was just a paragraph in the Dallas newspaper, and immediately recalled the greatness of that concert in Austin. He was a unique talent, and my college friends and I all listened to the Fire of Love album with great admiration.
7 - Agentsmith
Chris great post and you are a lucky guy!
Any idea if any of these concerts made it to DVD?
8 - Chris Kent
Thanks Agentsmith,
That's a good question. I know the Rolling Stones put out a video Let's Spend the Night Together of their 1981 tour. I believe it was directed by Hal Ashby. There's quite a few bootlegs floating around of those Texxas Jams, most specifically Aerosmith's concert in 1979. There's a fantastic documentary on X filmed during that tour called The Unheard Music. The rest I would have to do a search on.
9 - Chris Kent
Additional DVDS:
The Cars Live - Musikladen 1979
Classic Albums - Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - God Is in the House
The Clash - Westway to the World
Cheap Trick - Live in Australia
10 - Douglas Mays
HHHMMM... my top 10 of the thousands of shows I've seen. Based on quality of performance, sound and light, band and audience energy all working as one I have come up with:
1) 10cc at Paramount Theater (Seattle) 1977
2) Led Zeppelin at Seattle Center Coliseum 1972 (not the mud shark evening...)
3) Chubby Checker at the El Paseo Theater in Santa Fe 1986
4) Rolling Stones at the Kingdome, Seattle 1981
5) Burning Spear at the Kilamonjaro in Washington CD 1985
6) Public Image Ltd at the Showbox in Seattle 1981?
7) X-15 at WREX in Seattle 1981
8) Monkees at the Seattle Center Coliseum 1967
9) Grateful Dead at Seattle Center Arena 1978?
10) Oh gosh, it is all quite subjective....
11 - duane
I'm way too old to remember the dates. Here goes:
(1) Queen (Santa Monica, CA)
Touring A Night at the Opera, when they were still good. The absolute best live show I have ever been to. Total power mixed with Mercury's unique class. No "Do you feel all right?" nonsense. He knows how to talk. Fourth row seats. Perfect.
(2) Yes (Long Beach, LA, San Diego, Concord Pavilion, CA)
I love these guys.
(3) King Crimson (The Wiltern, LA, CA)
Double trio configuration. The band I fantasize about being in.
(4) PFM (The Roxy, LA, CA)
Stunning. Italian!
(5) Todd Rundgren's Utopia (The Roxy, LA, CA)
(6) Bill Bruford Band (The Roxy, LA, CA)
(7) van Halen (The Golden West, Norwalk, CA)
Before they hit it really big. Opening for UFO. Eddie just lit the place up.
(8) Billy Cobham (The Roxy, LA, CA)
(9) Rolling Stones (Long Beach Arena, CA)
Mick Taylor days.
(10) Frank Zappa (Forum, LA, CA)
Disappointments:
Thin Lizzy, Peter Frampton, Blue Oyster Cult, Kiss, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, BB King
I wish I had seen:
Pink Floyd, Genesis, Bowie, Prince, Allman Brothers, U2, Magma, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tears for Fears
12 - Douglas Mays
Duane, of course people like you would come along and remind me of a bunch of others that could be in my top 10.
You've seen PFM? Way mass cool. I was into them. But never saw.
Oh, I did see Mahavishnu Orchestra! Paramount Theater, Seattle. Thanx for the reminder. The 'Between Nothingness and Eternity' tour. The tour they made the live album off of. John Mc, Billy Cobham, Jan Hamer, etc.... Put that in my top 5 (see above)
Oh yes, Frank Zappa, Paramount 1975. Killer show.
Saw Genesis 1977. It was cool, at the Paramount (a 3000 seat proper theater). Some promoter put some artists (Genesis, Clapton, G-Dead) in this theater when they normally would have played the basketball arena.
King Crimson, never saw. At least I did attend a Robert Fripp 'frippetronics' lecture touring for the 'Erasure' solo album.
Anyway, you have great taste.
13 - Sandra Smallson
No room for Michael Jackson, Madonna(especially the Girlie Show, 1993), Prince, Cranberries, Bonjovi and U2? Well, I never! What sort of lists are these? Are we all on the same page with what a concert is supposed to offer?:) Just kidding. It's clearly very subjective and depends on who you want to go and see anyway. I would add Jill Scott to my list. I do not have the memory banks this morning to write a full list.
However, It's my view that you don't know what a concert is till you've attended one by the first three names I mentioned, but hey, thats just my street and not the whole world's.
14 - Chris Kent
Douglas, that's an impressive list. I wish I could have seen Led Zepplin and Grateful Dead....never did unfortunately. I saw PIL twice and almost included them on my top 10.
Duane, wish I could have seen Thin Lizzy. They are one of my fav bands from that era. I saw David Bowie in 1982. It was a huge arena show in Houston promoting his "Let's Dance" album. It was good, but not great.
Sandra, saw Prince for the "Love Sexy" tour in 1989 (?) I believe. He spent most of the time sitting at a grand piano and I was very disappointed.......though I hear his concerts are usually great.
15 - Sandra Smallson
I can't remember the name of Prince's stadium concert in the UK but it was fantastic.
I agree with you that when you go to a concert the last thing you need is the Artist sitting behind a Piano or just standing infront of a mic in one dress or the other carrying out verbal acrobatics (mariah Carey/Whitney Houston)..you might as well watch the vid on VH1 or go to church and listen to the choir.
Prince is generally a great entertainer and you find that the Artists who put on the best shows are often those who are not only musically entertaining but performance wise are creative geniuses and know how to make spectacular use of every bit of the stage. They truly give u everything LIVE and a CONCERT in every definition of the word.
I have no financial limit when it comes to going to watch my top three.
16 - Roger
I agree. Prince was on the NBC Today show a couple of mornings ago. He raely gives an interview. He started out as one of the youngest and/or black producers in the biz at 19. Man his music brings back all kinds of memories.
17 - Douglas Mays
Awe, two more I forgot.
Emerson, Lake and Palmer Seattle Center Coliseum 1977
Fleetwood Mac (Coliseum '77)
18 - Chris Kent
Sandra,
I will not lie to you, I'm not a big fan of Michael Jackson or Madonna. I sometimes wonder if artists of their type tend to have a lot of pomp and circumstance (dancing, production numbers, light shows) to cover up the fact they don't actually play an instrument. At the same time, they ARE both icons, so to see them live would definitely be an event. My sister saw MJ during his pre-scandal days and said it was one of the best concerts she'd ever seen - but my sis rarely goes to concerts, God bless her. But I do respect her opinion.
Atmosphere, instrument prowess, audience reaction, relevance, presence and, most important of all, energy are all factors I consider when watching a concert. I suppose we all look for different things. When Madonna tours again one day, and she will, I wouldn't mind going to see her, though these days I rarely attend stadium concerts. If Michael Jackson ever tours again, which I doubt, I might go see him. It would be difficult though. He's such a walking tragedy and it disturbs me whenever I see him on camera......I don't know if I would want to put myself through that.
19 - Chris Kent
Douglas,
True Believers, Auditorium Shores in Austin, TX - 1985
Chuck Berry, Nick's Uptown in Dallas, TX - 1986
Patti Smith, Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas, TX - 2000
20 - Sandra Smallson
As far as MJ, I always beg people to try and seperate the personal issues from the music. If MJ ever tours again, seems unlikely at this point, please try and put yourself through it. You won't regret it:)
As for Madonna, keep your ear sto the ground. There is allegedly an upcoming tour this year, named teh "Whore of Babylon" tour. Medleys of old and new. So, if it happens, go watch and you might return with a new found respect. You mightn't. Still, I guarantee a great time:)
As for you not being a fan of either, it's your prerogative. Should I add that Madonna can play the drums and is becoming quite accomplished on the acoustic guitar?..LOL. Just kidding:) I understand. You would think for somebody who has loved any type of music where the Piano is the dominant instrument, I would love Norah Jones. I don't. Her music makes me lose the will to live. I become suicidal:) Diff strokes for diff folks.
You prefer musicians who play their own instruments, thats not a primary factor for me when selecting my fav songs or musicians. That's the beauty of music. There is enough variety to go round.
21 - Sandra Smallson
"Atmosphere, instrument prowess, audience reaction, relevance, presence and, most important of all, energy are all factors I consider when watching a concert"
All things you would get in excess in any MJ and Madonna concert except ofcourse the instrument prowess:) But, you've not seen energy till you go to an M concert. Drowned world tour, she entertained us with her own version of crouching tiger hidden dragon, flying all over the place while singing sky fits heaven..no easy task for the 42 yr old woman she was at the time. As for MJ, he IS a ball of energy..its fabulous entertainment.
Geez. If only I was being paid. Mj and M can't get better promotion than this:)
22 - Chris Kent
Sandra,
I'll give Michael a call. He needs a really great PR person these days.....;)
But I agree with what you are saying. We all go to concerts for different reasons. But if the performer is energetic and dedicated, why wouldn't it be a great show no matter the type of music?
23 - Eric Olsen
Mark Saleski had a post like this, but I can't find it. Where is that Mark?
Springsteen playing for over 4 hours at the Akron Civic in '74 when the forthcoming third album was still called Tenth Avenue Freezeout.
Backstage bleacher seating for The Clash at the US Festival.
Marshall Crenshaw at the Roxy or Whiskey (can't remember) '80/'81
Los Lobos at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland just last year.
Pink Floyd on Animals tour, Cleveland Stadium.
Roxy Music '74, Allen Theater, Cleveland
Bryan Ferry, '77 (or so) with Chris Spedding and Phil Manzanera on guitars
Stones Steel Wheels tour, '89, LA Colosseum
Preston Smith and the Crocodiles, Pasadena Country Club, private party '85(?)
There's a handful.
24 - Chris Kent
Those all sound great Eric......
I am ashamed to say I have never seen Bruce Springsteen or Los Lobos in concert. I hear their shows are fantastic.....concerts for the future....
25 - Mark Saleski
is it the warmup bands post?