My younger sister often goes to concerts. She and her husband drive to nearby states to see their favourite bands and she sends me video clips. I haven't been to a concert in over a decade, and that one was in a private box at The House of Blues in Cleveland. I was the guest of a big shot on the board who is a former student and was also my financial adviser at the time. It was the perfect situation for me because I didn't have to worry about people standing up in front of me, people dancing around next to me, or people holding up their arms or their phones in front of my face.
I've wisely stopped going to concerts because I know that they are simply not the place for me. I'm not going to pay big bucks to listen to thousands of people sing along and annoy me in other ways. I'd rather stay home and listen to music in comfort.
In my youth, however, I did go to concerts, and thankfully, I didn't have to pay exorbitant prices. At the risk of all of you furrowing your brows and repeatedly asking Who?, here is at least a partial list--in no particular order--of
Concerts I Have Attended
1. Eric Carmen
2. Seals & Crofts
3. James Taylor
4. Harry Chapin
5. Genesis
6. Peter Frampton
7. The Cars and Wang Chung
8. Phil Collins
9. Rod Stewart
10. Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks
11. Stray Cats
12. Michael Crawford
13. Trans Siberian Orchestra
14. Aretha Franklin
15. B.B. King
16. Neil Diamond
It's entirely possible that there are more and I can't remember.
Seals & Crofts was my very first concert. My best friend and I were huge fans, and her parents took us to see them at the Ohio State Fair. I was in probably 8th grade, and we were both so excited. Eric Carmen was my second concert. He was a Cleveland boy, frontman for the group the Raspberries. He went solo and had the big hit All By Myself. He played at a local high school's theater, and my older sister and I went. I was 16 at the time. You aren't the only one wondering why these acts were playing at such relatively obscure venues.
There are a few of these on the list that I saw more than once, like Genesis and Rod Stewart and Phil Collins. A few were concerts that weren't chosen by me, like B.B. King, Neil Diamond, and Stray Cats, but I went and had a great time. The Aretha Franklin concert happened after a Cleveland (then) Indians baseball game. Aretha arrived in a big Cadillac that drove right onto the field. She had a huge entourage, and I have no idea what all those people were doing because they sure didn't sing with her.
There are some concerts I would have loved to have seen: Elton John, Queen, Tina Turner, Carly Simon, and Earth, Wind and Fire, among others. Heartbreakingly, I had plans to see Elton John, but that was the year I got very sick with mono and strep. He played Cleveland without me--an Official Elton John Fan Club member!
My older sister actually saw The Beatles in concert in Cleveland. Can you even imagine?
What are some of the concerts you've seen? Do you even know who these acts are?
I do know most of those artists! My parents have seen Neil Diamond multiple times - I wish I had seen him! I’m not sure if he still tours, though.
ReplyDeleteI am particular about which concerts I go to. It has to be a very very beloved artist. The person I have seen the most is Brandi Carlile. I will see her for the 8th time in February and cannot wait!! She is so talented. I saw her before she hit this current level of popularity, so I saw her in small venues with amazing acoustics. Now she plays in huge arenas so the quality isn’t what it used to be but it’s still very fun to see her live!!
Lisa--I confess that I kept thinking Belinda Carlisle whenever you mentioned Brandi Carlile. Duh. Then I googled and discovered my mistake. I listened to the song you referenced in your latest post. She's got a really down-to-earth voice and the song is so relatable. I can see why you like her so much.
DeleteMy father was a huge Neil Diamond fan, and the family got tickets so that we all could go for his birthday. Unfortunately, he was ill and unable to join us, but we all went and had so much fun. That concert was really fun and Diamond talked a great deal about the songs, his songwriting, and memories. Unbelievably, he is still touring at age 84.
That's quite a list of notable musicians!
ReplyDeleteIf memory serves, the only rock/pop concert I ever attended was Bruce Springsteen, when he came to my college town. It was the loudest moment of my life. I am more a classical music fan, and also never a night owl. When I was in high school my parents gave me a super special gift of a ticket to hear the famous violinist Jascha Heifetz in concert. It's still appalling to me that I fell asleep during the concert.
CH Mom--BRUUUUUUUCE! Oh, man. I'd have loved to see him in concert. I watched the documentary about him recently, and it only made me love him more, both as a musician and a person.
DeleteYou know, I understand that it's quite common for people to fall asleep during concerts such as those. I know it happens all the time during Cleveland Orchestra concerts. I read a story a while back, and several musicians said that they didn't take offense to it. One violinist said that he understood it to be almost a compliment, that the music was so soothing and transporting. Still, it was an expensive nap, right?
OH MY GOD NANCE. YOU SAW ARETHA FRANKLIN? I just had to type that sentence three times because my fingers stopped working. She is my all-time favourite! I almost can't breathe right now and this is not an exaggeration!!!! YOU SAW ARETHA!!!! I could die. I'm so glad one of us saw her.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen a single concert that you mention! I used to go to a lot back in the day, because they were so inexpensive. Like, if I paid $20 for a ticket, that would be a lot. I remember taking an all-night babysitting shift so I could make $50 to buy a Billy Joel ticket! This was in 1990 and I think it was his We Didn't Start The Fire tour. The Piano Man! That was a good concert.