So what was the first concert you ever attended? What was the most recent? Which one was most memorable and why? Who have you seen in concert the most? Who do you really want to see in concert but haven't yet (or may never get to)?

The first concert I was going to attend but didn't get a chance to was around 1973 and it was Led Zeppelin. They were going to play the Superdome, the world's largest indoor stadium, but Robert Plant's son died and they cancelled the rest of the tour. I had already purchased my ticket with my older brother, but I turned it in for a refund when the concert was cancelled. That was short sighted because it would be valuable today, probably.

The first concert I actually did attend was Rush during their Moving Pictures tour and it was in the Municipal Auditorium in Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans. My two friends and I attended that one. We must have been 14-15 years old. My friend's dad drove us there and supposedly hung out nearby to pick us up when the concert was over. Well, there was no opening band (I think there was supposed to be one) so Rush took the stage at 8pm and the concert was over by, like, 10pm. We figured no way would our ride be there until midnight, so we hung out inside the park until they started to close the gates. Then we frantically followed the fence around, looking for a way out. It was late night in a not-too-safe neighborhood. One friend climbed over the fence while the other two of us continued walking, looking for an open gate. We lost sight of our friend once behind a building and when we saw him again, he had been robbed of his wallet and was about to be sodomized at knifepoint. We had found the gate and apparently chased off the robber just in the nick of time. I'd say that was a memorable evening. Our friend's dad was pissed at us.

The last concert I went to? I don't even remember. It was either 10,000 Maniacs in Red Rocks Amphitheater above Denver in the early 90s or possibly Rush at Fiddler's Green Amphitheater near Denver for their Presto tour. Oh, and I saw Alannah Myles once in Denver, at the Gothic Theater on Broadway.

An interesting double-bill I attended at Red Rocks: Berlin and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Talk about two extremes!! And Talk Talk opened up for them. Another fun double-bill I saw in the 80s at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver: Psychedelic Furs and Modern English. That was a great show, but I had less fun than I could have because none of my friends could make it.

Artist I've seen the most: Michael Hedges. He's a guitar player and fortunately for me he loves playing the Denver-Boulder area. I must have seen him about seven times. Next up would be Rush. I've seen them four times: New Orleans, Biloxi, Baton Rouge and Denver.

WHat I most want to see: Fairground Attraction, a defunct Scottish band that I'd have to borrow someone's time machine to see; Eddi Reader, but she only plays small events in England and I'm not wealthy enough yet to just jet over there for a special command performance; and The Cold, a defunct New Orleans band that I saw a few times while I lived there... they played a reunion concert there in recent months but I couldn't make it. :-(

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2000

Answers

My mom used to take me to all the Barry Manilow concerts when I was a kid (I think she couldn't get a babysitter), but the first concert I went to *on my own* was... New Edition. "Mister Telephone Man, there's somethin' wrong with my li-ine..." hee.

The last concert I went to was Lyle Lovett. It was my 6th time seeing him. He always does a great show, plus he plays Austin about every 3- 4 months or so.. Before that, I saw Jewell at a taping of Austin City Limits. I didn't really want to see her, I really wanted to just have the ACL experience, so a friend of mine who works on the stage crew got me tickets. She wasn't that bad, excepting a 12minute long, eyeball-vein-popping version of "Who Will Save Your Soul" that still sends me into seizures whenever I think about it. That might win as most memorable b/c my friend and I were desparately trying to escape towards the end of the show but the camera crews wouldn't let you leave while she was playing. Plus we were sitting way up front and it would have been a little obvious (and rude). She had a standing O and we took off running like mad people towards the exits.

Person who's alive I'd most like to see: Prince Dead and therefore won't be playing in concert that I'd like to see: Elvis

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2000

I saw my first concert around the same time as Paul, 'bout '73 (already slip'n into hippie slang). It was Credence Clearwater Revival and they gave everyone a 45 (like vinyl record for you pups :). I've seen Steve Petty, Areo Speedwagon, Neil Young, Genesis and a bunch of other 70's people. Stix put on GREAT laser shows. I saw Jethro Tull a bunch. I always hoped that Ian Anderson would throw me his flute. Once, they were playing a hugh concert with 6 other bands at the KC Royals stadium. There were thousands of people there. I was way up in the nose-bleed section, someone stumbled by- "where are the drugs man?, this is a TULL concert". Someone was walking around with a video camera projecting people doing all kinds of stuff on the stadium screen. Everyone was watching the field because they were throwing people up in the air with a blanket. Someone went up and didn't land on the blanket. It was wild, a collective groan from thousands of people. I went to grad. school at the Un. of MO in Columbia, MO. We'd get great people in because it is exactly between KC and St. Louis on I-70 and bands would like to play a small, fairly intimate venue in between the big cities. Lots of great blues like B.B. King. The last big concert I saw was really sad. It was an outdoor concert with The Who and their backup was the San Diego symphony, which was at the time defunct. The symphony got $75/person to play. Nothing like I was use to. All us old farts courteously sitting in our chairs. I, of course, sat next to the only young very drunk person there who was puking profusely. A empathetic, older ex-hippie suggested to the girls taking care of him that they take him out. I still love concerts, but lately, they've been smaller "house" concerts or going to see friends play at bars. I'd like to see Sting. There is this wild performance-music group called Blast that I'd like to see. I'm kinda outta touch with the latest music.

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2000

Wow - I just saw KISS in San Antonio a few months ago - I was, like, seven months pregnant, so everyone gave me devil horns and said "Du-u- u-de" when they saw me (they were wrong - I had a chick, man. Thanks for asking), and we had a ball, except that Ted Nugent opened up for them - he's very talented, I'll give him that, but he's such a *@#$ing *&%$head, and I hate his guts. Lots of people returned his t-shirts during his set because he pretty much bashed every demographic in the audience except for white males. I also think he made a deal with Satan - he looks really young. KISS was pretty awesome, though. Paul Stanley can still prance around in heels (I liked his nose better before, but whatever), and Gene is still pretty frightening. I think Ace is still drunk, but who knows? Oh yeah, and Peter is still cute, sigh! I saw Ray Charles several years ago with my dad (Father's Day present. Ain't I sweet?) - that was really cool. It was outdoors at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston. I was at Lollopalooza the first year. That was a lovely time - I had just finished the graveyard shift at Denny's in Sherman, and drove to Dallas. I think by the end of the day, I was about dead from exhaustion, heat, and starvation. Funfun! My first concert was Funkfest at Astroworld, I think I was about five, so I don't remember anything except Sister Sledge. They rule. I also saw Weird Al there around the time "Eat It" was his big hit. What a freak. We kinda lucked into that one. Also saw the Dead Milkmen at Liberty Lunch. That was a hoot. Actually, I've seen lots of good shows in Austin. Probably saw Pocket Fishrmen the most, then I started havin' babies and getting out almost never.

I would do just about anything to see a Pixies reunion (highly unlikely), Prince (yeah, I'm a copycat, so shoot me - it's a great idea, Gardanna), and Big Brother and the Holding Company. Next time P- Funk is in town, I'm so there. Also, the Primitives, the Cramps, and Nina Simone - except I think Nina pretty much only plays in Europe.

Paul - I actually have a Fairground Atttraction tape - I thought I was the only one who had ever heard of them! Would love to see Berlin, btw. - bet that was cool.

Gardanna - "...when I dial my baby's number, I get a click every ti- ime!"

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2000

Devo would be cool...

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2000

No WAY, Laurie P.! I thought I was the only one! Actually, I've been spreading the word about them to lots of my friends and a couple of them have actually latched on. I've got as much of their stuff as I can find and I'm collecting Eddi's solo stuff, too. I would have given almost anything to have seen them in concert!

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2000

Most recent show I attended was Nine Inch Nails with A Perfect Circle. It was the 3rd time I'd seen NIN play it was fabulous as always. I've seen Tori Amos a couple of times, the first time I saw her was amazing but I was pretty disappointed in her recent Dallas show. Other fun shows: Luscious Jackson, Depeche Mode, King Missile.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2000

Paul - I lived in New Zealand for a year, and Fairground Attraction was kind of a big deal - at least in 1988. They had music videos and everything. I've got "First of a Million Kisses" and that's about all I've heard from them. Are they still together? What's their more recent stuff like?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2000

No, Fairground Attraction broke up years and years ago. :-( I never saw any videos of them, just a very vaguely-remembered performance (probably lip synched) of "Perfect" on MTV's coverage of some major British music awards show. That one performance made me watch for their CD so I could buy it and I was so glad I did. After "The First of a Million Kisses" they only released a four-song CD and a sort of "Best Of" which was mostly songs from the first CD and a couple extra. Eddi has done four solo CDs now and she still performs live occasionally in the U.K..

(Sorry if we're boring the rest of you...)

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2000

My first concert was "Boston"- ha!

In Cleveland many years ago I got to see David Bowie one night and The Police the next night. They both were great! ahhhhhh, Cleveland Arena rocks (plus I'd never seen people being able to smoke pot standing next to the Cleveland police before. I guess there are benefits to the Mafia running concert venues.)

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2000

The last big venue concert that I went to was last year's Lilith Fair. I've only seen a band in a bar since then.

I can't remember my first concert, but I've seen Peter Gabriel every time he's been in Toronto in the last twenty-odd years. Other concerts I've seen, it runs the gammit from Buckwheat Zydeco to the Eurhythmics.

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2000

Pink Floyd. When they were touring "Echoes." Fuck me, what a trip!

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2000

I can't believe Devo is still around. De-evolution. They WOULD be cool, as would Pink Floyd. "Dark Side of the Moon", my favorite album of all time. Lilith Fair must of been here in San Diego after you saw them Maggie. Unfortunately I never got to go and I heard that that was the last Lilith Fair.

-- Anonymous, September 02, 2000

Not too many of you would know who they were cause it was loooooonnnnngggg ago in a galaxy far far away. Oh sorry forgot where I was. Flashbacks ya know. Anyway, I took my daughter to a BB King concert years ago(small venue). She'd nevah seen da blues played before and we were "right" "in" "front" "man". BB does his thing and in the middle of one of his songs he sees her and just starts singin' to her. Look right down at her. So cool. She was his. 14 yrs old and hooked on da blues. She still has his autograph. Of course it's on what used to be "my" LP. Cooke County Jail LP. It was so cool. My first was the FUGS and Great Society and some unknown girl by the name of Janis. She was cool but drank alot. Damn place was a storefront and so small I'm still deef to this day. Long Live Rock and Roll! James

-- Anonymous, September 03, 2000

my first concert, in the summer of 1982 or 3 (can't remember):
Thompson Twins, opening for...
Oingo Boingo, opening for...
Madness, opening for...
The Fixx, opening for...
The Police.

I saw A Flock Of Seagulls open for the Thompson Twins in 1985. I have seen The Go-Go's three times, Men At Work, Madonna (1987).

The other really amazing concert lineup I witnessed in person was a New Year's Eve show featuring Pearl Jam opening for Nirvana opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. That was some show. I'll never forget seeing a massive, HUGE sea of concertgoers moshing to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as my best friend and I strolled around the balcony of SF's Cow Palace.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

oh yeah, I forgot-- as of this writing, I've been to 26 Duran Duran concerts. :-)

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000