Concerts that mark major moments in our lives

[GS1150Pilot]

I just saw Cyndi Lauper's final concert, at the Hollywood Bowl. Her music has been part of my life soundtrack since I was 15. Her love for underdogs, her emphasis on individuality and vulnerability, all of these things captured in songs that resonated-her music matters to me. The concert was one of the most touching and intimate shows I've ever seen. I felt so fortunate to have seen her at her final performance.

What concerts have hit you hard emotionally?

 

[bccap]

Back in the early 80's I was walking down Denman St. in the West End of Vancouver past King George high school .... And there's a cardboard sign by the gym door with John McLaughlin 4:00 pm written on it in felt pen ..... So I came back at 4 .... No seats just everyone sitting on the gym floor and in the middle on an oriental carpet sat John with his acoustic guitar and Eve with her auto-harp .... Never did find out how he came to play an impromptu performance in a Vancouver high school ......

 

[tlg1100]

Aboit 25 -27 years ago I was working on a road crew block away from a casino , at the end of the day we were getting ready to stop for the day

A couple came up to me out of the blue and asked me if I wanted tickets to see "K.C. And the sunshine band " at the casino later that evening, actually it was only a few hours from the time they asked me.

I said yes because , why not ? Plus my girlfriend at the time was born in 70 and I knew she didn't have a clue who kc and the sunshine band was.

She was a country girl raised on the farm and didn't listen to anything but country.

I had her bring me some pants and shirt and she brought me gym clothes,

I changed clothes in The casino's restroom.

Now I know k c. Was popular when I was 12 -13 and I was more into rock back then ,but the popular A.M.radio stations played k.c. all the time, they played everything really.
And k.c isn't really on many people consideration for meaningful lyrics or even musicianship ?

But the place went crazy, the first 4 or 5 rows were filled with older women, many rather large women. They were lifting up their shirts throwing bra(s) on the stage , strage looking nerdy people running around in togas throwing flowers

CASEY had to stop the show several times to get place settled down, and to remind everyone he was trying to hold a family friendly concert.

 

[LAB3]

Two shows stand out for me. The first was David Crosby at a bar in Houston just after he got out of prison and the second was New Riders of the Purple Sage at a barn just outside of Davis, CA.

As to community it's hard to beat the Deadheads and just this last weekend I attended The Muddy Roots Music Festival in Cookeville, TN for the second time. It started out with an Aztec drum and dance ceremony with The Eagles of Death Metal as the headliner, in between was every conceivable genre of music with a decidedly punk oriented crowd. Probably the most genuine group of people you'll ever come across!

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I've seen Blue Oyster Cult six times. The third time I saw them, Dio opened for them at a small venue in Tucson. After the show, Dio was hanging out, signing autographs. I was talking to him when Eric Bloom came up and asked us if we wanted to have a short Q&A with the band, which was filmed. Such a great time, sitting with Bloom, Buck Dharma and Lanier asking questions and drinking beers. I can't remember who the drummer was at the time, though he was there. It wasn't Bouchard.

 

[lizzywhite45]

For me, it was seeing Bruce Springsteen live during one of his solo shows. Just him, a guitar, and a piano, no big production. I wasn’t expecting it to hit so hard, but the emotion in the room was unreal. His songs carried memories I didn’t even realize I still held onto. It felt like everyone there was connected through something deeper than just music. One of those nights that stays with you.
​

 

[tlg1100]

I've seen Blue Oyster Cult six times. The third time I saw them, Dio opened for them at a small venue in Tucson. After the show, Dio was hanging out, signing autographs. I was talking to him when Eric Bloom came up and asked us if we wanted to have a short Q&A with the band, which was filmed. Such a great time, sitting with Bloom, Buck Dharma and Lanier asking questions and drinking beers. I can't remember who the drummer was at the time, though he was there. It wasn't Bouchard.

That's cool.

Had a friend that met Dio in some after show thing , my friend did business with some promoters back then , plus he owned a limo service

I seen blue oyster cult in the earl 80s , if my memory is correct bon jovi and aldo nova was in the bill.

Small town , small venue I don't think bon Jovi was to well known at the time, believe they opened the show and I swear there were only about 50 people in there but the place filled up,

Speaking of the drummer ! When B.O.C. was playing " "Godzilla " they had a big Godzilla appear behind the drummer and the drummer turned arkund and threw a drumstick at Godzilla and it stuck in Godzilla's nose :cheerful:
Thought that was something else

 

[Big T]

So many concerts, so little time

1967, Lawrence University chapel
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
My first concert, deeply moving in a different sort of way

Mid 70's theater in Madison, WI
Return to Forever
All great musicians, but Al DeMiola on guitar just made my emotions soar

Mid 70's, Pink Floyd, Milwaukee baseball stadium
Quadraphonic sound ( remember that?)
Interrupted by a thunder storm, after it passed, they came out and started playing Dark Side of the moon
The thunderstorm was passing out over Lake Michigan, lightning flashing
They got to Brain Damage and the storm passed far enough that the rising moon popped out
The crowd went wild (understatement)

 

[Burque73]

I just saw Cyndi Lauper's final concert, at the Hollywood Bowl. Her music has been part of my life soundtrack since I was 15. Her love for underdogs, her emphasis on individuality and vulnerability, all of these things captured in songs that resonated-her music matters to me. The concert was one of the most touching and intimate shows I've ever seen. I felt so fortunate to have seen her at her final performance.

What concerts have hit you hard emotionally?

I think your maybe five years or so older than I, but I definitely enjoyed her music from 1983 ish on. Early days of MTV wouldn't have been the same without Cindy Lauper. Later on in my teens, mid to late 80's, she wouldn't have come up in conversations with buddies and if I wanted to listen to a record of hers, I'd have to grab one from my older sister's room, lol. My records were more rock and country like Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Charlie Daniels, Dwight Yokam and such.

Hard hitting, well, memorable maybe was Pearl Jam. Being completely sober and connecting with the music and the crowd was quiet exhilarating. Jammed tightly together near the stage, lost in the music, the crowd swaying effortlessly, it seemed, like a field of wheat blown by a breeze.

The Eagles, with Glen Frey, in 2006 was a special one. Their music was a central part of my early adult years. Hanging with good friends, their sound just cleared the air of tension and brought about a positive mood every time. Oh, the concert, my mother-in-law gave us tickets to see them here in Albuquerque. It was an outdoor show, under the stars that I won't forget. Joe Walsh said he'd had a quadruple bypass that morning, but man he sure sounded great! Glen Frey introduced Take It To The Limit as the credit card song haha. Good times!

Saw Rush at that same venue a couple of years later. Another great one!

Mary Chapin Carpenter was probably the only show my father attended with me. Wait, both parents were there. I was just 21. Being able to grab a beer with my pops at a show was awesome!

 

[oldGSfan]

She's unique and sweet, has a lot of personality.

 

[argonsagas]

It was not a concert, but just a moment to remember in a restaurant in Toronto

I got to meet Julian Bream and listened to him play for just a few of us in the tiny audience..

 

[Syd]

For me, Roger Waters here in my home town. Yes, yes, I know he's political and controversial but I can overlook that so I can experience a great show.

I still love to watch his concert in Germany after the wall came down. And he had Cyndi Lauper do a part in it.

 

[Rob S.]

1974, CW Post College (Long Island, NY). Charlie Daniels opening for (acoustic) Hot Tuna.
Daniels literally got booed off the stage. After his last song, he said, "Okay, you can have your Hot Tuna now!"

 

[Rob S.]

December 4-7, 1971 Grateful Dead at MSG's Felt Forum with special guests NRPS.

Keith Godchaux's beginning, Pigpen's end. It was all downhill for the Dead after that. Venues got too big, equipment got too massive, sound got too 'perfect.'

If anyone wants to know why there was 'nothing like a Dead concert,' or what their allure was, start by reading The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Tom Wolfe).

 

[dgates1]

**Note** Don't let the "kids" read this...

Oct 11, 2001 at the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, MN. It was System of a Down, Rammstein, and Slipknot. I was only 23 and was really into all 3 bands and that genre of music at the time, but mostly went to see System of a Down. To my surprise the other 2 left a bigger impression on me.

Rammstein opened and sung in German so it was hard to get into the lyrics, they had Du Hast that was new and playing on the radio at the time. They were all in what I would describe as masochist costumes with one guy looking like the gimp from Pulp Fiction and frolicking about the stage in an odd way. He ended up on some boxes in center stage on all fours and the lead singer approached from behind.. started to unzip something and I'm like "What the F#@* am I about to witness these crazy Germans do!!" He pulls out this rather large d!ldo from his pants and water starts to shoot out of it, he turns and sprays the entire general admission floor. It was like a train wreck that no one could look away from, horrifying but had to witness it.

Next was Slipknot, also known for their costumes and masks. That show was very intense. They had many great songs already that I listened to a lot. The drummer had a solo and was on a circular platform strapped into a chair with a 5 point harness. The platform rose and started to spin.. then it flipped up vertical while he was still spinning like a Ferris wheel. That drummer played the crap out of those drums while up was down and down was up for what felt like 3 minutes (probably more like 1). The "mosh pit" as it is called was the reason for going to these shows in my opinion. If we were going, it was definitely going to be in general admission on the floor. When they played Spit It Out, one of their singles at the time, Cory Taylor said he wanted to see the floor go nuts. I remember him saying "I want to see a F'n tornado out there". Minneapolis did not disappoint, everyone was in the mosh pit then whether you wanted to or not. Front to back, side to side, and it did start to rotate. They showed it on the big screen on the stage and it literally looked like a tornado of people. Surprisingly no one was seriously injured and the show went on.

My mosh pit days are over now, but I do still miss crowd surfing to some heavy rock!

I did attend Moondance Jam in Walker, Minnesota from 2005 to 2021. I saw so many big bands and classic rock artists there, too many to list. The show in 2021 was the last BIG one as the guy who started it all had passed away in 2019 and it all went to sh*t under his wife. It was always a great time with great music and camping/partying for 4 nights and 3 days. Link to the bands over all the years below if you are interested.

https://www.moondancejam.com/bands.html

 

[Rob S.]

If that's your cup of tea, you might wish you had accompanied me to the Clash at Times Square in 1981. I arrived late and missed opening act (Dead Kennedys). Only song I remember was their encore, London Calling. :cheerful:

 

[LAB3]

Was at the Heat Wave Festival just outside of Toronto in '80 and The Clash was supposed to be there but they never made it, word has it they got held up at the border.

 

[bccap]

It was not a concert, but just a moment to remember in a restaurant in Toronto

I got to meet Julian Bream and listened to him play for just a few of us in the tiny audience..

He played in Vancouver when I was around 14 . I was taking lessons from a local well known teacher and Bream held a master class at his studio ..... We had a ten year old child prodigy at the school and I was scheduled to follow him . After the kid played I said to him ...." If you don't mind Mr Bream I'd rather just watch the class " ..... He smiled and said that was fine ..... The last thing I wanted was to follow up after that kid .... LOL

 

[Rob S.]

How about major moments in every American's life?

On August 8th, 1974 I saw CSN&Y at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. Most of you know how political that band was ("Chicago", "Ohio"). Some of you remember the news story of the day, which had global significance.
When they came back from intermission and announced the news, the crowd went crazy.

PS - Walking to my car afterward, I remember spotting it - a yellow 1968 Camaro with black vinyl roof. Then I thought, "That's not my car. My car doesn't have a smashed passenger side window."

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Just got home from L.A., where I attended the Oasis show on Saturday. Sold out two nights in a row, 89,000 people each night. The energy was amazing, the band was in peak form, the music magical.