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.
Nance, I'm like you - I thought of Belinda Carlisle!! Where have I been? I haven't heard of Brandi yet!
DeleteThat'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.
Nicole--I. Know. I love Aretha, too. She's not just the Queen Of Soul; she's The Queen, period. The sound wasn't the best in that venue, but still! I SAW HER IN CONCERT. There will never, ever be anyone like her, and no one--NO ONE--comes close.
DeleteWe didn't go to nearly as many concerts as we could/should have. Tickets were so reasonable, and so many great bands/singers come to Cleveland. We have great venues here, and they love to come. I'd have enjoyed seeing Billy Joel, too.
Wow, you've been to so many concerts! I've heard of all the acts except for Harry Chapin. I'll have to look him up. My first concert was REO Speedwagon in 1988. I did not enjoy it because the crowd got a bit toowild and I was afraid I was going to get injured. I left early. My husband and I saw Kelly Clarkson in 2005. Her voice was so amazing - but it was beyond loud. We had good earplugs, but it was still painful. We left early because we couldn't bear how bad our ears hurt. We couldn't hear well for several days!
ReplyDeleteMG--If you've ever heard of the song "Cat's in the Cradle", a tune about spending time with your kids before it's too late and they don't have the time to spend with you, that's Harry Chapin. He was a real poet and his concerts were fun.
DeleteI never wore earplugs to concerts, and I'll ask my sister if she wears them now. I'm a little shocked that the crowd got so crazy at an REO Speedwagon concert!
Yes, I recognize most of those names! I'm not really a concert person either (TOO LOUD! And GET OFF MY LAWN!). Really, the only concerts I went to were with my MOTHER and her best friend. We mostly saw Kenny Rogers. Sawyer Brown opened one of his concerts and I was a bit smitten. I also saw Roger Whittaker. Oh! And the Righteous Brothers! I thought they were ancient (being a teenager and all).
ReplyDeleteBug--Those are concerts you'd never see me attending due to my deep antipathy for country music. The Righteous Brothers, maybe. Rick was always a big fan, and we used to listen to a few of their songs during Saturday morning housecleaning sessions. I think it's cool that you saw them in concert!
DeleteI've always been fascinated to hear about the concerts that others have seen. You have a great list! Of course, I know them all as well as the ones you wish you had seen. I think my first concert was John Denver, which feels really lame now. lol If I had stayed at William and Mary I would have seen a lot more great concerts because there were far more venues in the area and students would get together and go to all the cool concerts. Not so much at little Mary Wash. (It's odd to say that because I don't think there was much difference in the enrollment at the time but there was definitely a different feel. Now Mary Wash is a pretty well-known university though.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, concerts ... I don't think I can remember them all even though I don't feel like I attended that many, We actually went to more concerts in the last decade because we found a couple of small venues that featured old school bands that were still together. You could enjoy them and all the memories that went with their songs and not have to deal with the craziness that is so many concerts now. As you and others have shared, those typical concerts are just not fun anymore. What's the point of having a seat when others are standing and dancing and singing in front of you (sometimes with their kids on their shoulders--that should be illegal IMHO) blocking your view and hearing (you can only hear their singing not the performer's)? Sounds whiny but all that seems far more appropriate for a music festival than a concert with assigned seats.
Anyway, concerts that I remember at the moment (not in any order): Three Dog Night, Iron Butterfly, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, Firefall, Lynyrd Skynrd, Marshall Tucker, Jimmy Buffett, Reba McIntire, Conway Twitty, George Jones, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Hal Ketchum, Kathy Mattea, Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley, Dwight Yoakam, Judy Collins, Stephen Stills, John Mayer, Bruce Hornsby, Nathaniel Rateliff, Amos Lee, Lindsay Buckingham and Christine McVie, Jesse Colin Young, Gavin DeGraw, Jem, Southside Johnny, Merle Haggard, Brooks and Dunn, Allison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Alan Jackson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lee Ann Womack, Rodney Crowell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sugarland, Larry Raspberry and the Highsteppers, Saffire. I'll probably remember more as the day goes on---now that you've activated some long dormant brain cells. Haha.
Thanks for taking us down memory lane, Nance!