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Summer is for Concerts!

When I think of summer, I think of concerts. It seems like every summer, I’d go to numerous concerts. I lived in Houston as a teenager, so my friends and I would go see all our favorite groups at Southern Star Amphitheater in Astroworld. Sadly, Astroworld in no longer. It’s just a field on the side of the freeway.

The first concert I saw was when I was in sixth grade. I went with my dad to see REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick. Remember “Can’t Fight This Feeling”? I loved that song, and I’m sure all the other sixth graders did.

One of the first concerts I saw without parents was Depeche Mode. That was in 1988. Let me tell you, the guys from DM made an impression. I thought they were the coolest thing ever. I went out the next day (or rather had my mom drive me to the mall) and bought their Black Celebration album on cassette. No CDs back then.



I started dressing in all black and listening to bands like The Cure, New Order, and The Smiths. I remember one summer I saw Heart, New Order, and Erasure at Southern Star. At fifteen, I was a little surprised to see a man in a pink tutu on stage (Erasure), but for me, anything could happen at Astroworld. It was a place of discoveries.

I never did see The Smiths. I guess they didn’t come to Southern Star or maybe Morrissey was on his own by then. I would have liked to hear “Meat is Murder” live. That was my favorite song and one reason I became a lifetime vegetarian.



My musical tastes now run more toward the newsboys, TobyMac, and Chris Tomlin, and if you were to peek in my CD player in my car it would probably have a Baby Einstein lullaby CD in it. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten those days of black lipstick and Depeche Mode.

What about you? Any concerts you wish you’d seen?

Comments

  1. I had never seen a concert until after my son was a toddler and then we got to see the old Beach Boys. It was fun! Although I couldn't hear anything for hours afterward!!!

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  2. LOL! I've only heard of two of those bands you mentioned, and, of course they were REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick!
    The last concert I went to was Nickelback. We were in the mosh pit under the speakers. The hearing in my left ear will never be the same, though I think my friend screaming in my ear is more to blame than the band.
    Hmmm, concerts I wish I'd seen? That would have to be the last time Train was in Indianapolis.

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  3. I would LOVE to see a Newsboys concert! Actually, my husband and I are trying to figure out if we can get on the KLOVE cruise. haha My first concert was at age 7, I believe, and it was Garth Brooks. But this year I'm hoping to get to a Carrie Underwood concert not too far from here. :)

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  4. I love concerts. As a teenager, I was a regular at the Mann Music Center (an amphitheater) in Philly, the Tower, the Spectrum AKA the rectum (because the acoustics were so terrible).

    I managed a band whose leader is now a multi platinum album songwriter. I was at Live Aid, friends of mine were playing, when they told me, I was like "Yeah, right!" boy was I shocked when they got on stage!

    When I moved to Boise a friend had lifetime seats to the Pavilion so we went to every concert that hit town. I recently went to see the Goo Goo Dolls at the 9:30 Club, Landon Pigg and I can't wait to see Jamie Cullum. Sigh...I love him!

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  5. Jeanette, I have seen the Newsboys twice. One time from the front row because I won tickets. They were so awesome! If you can see them, go. I can't wait until my daughter gets big enough to see them.

    Cheryl, I bet Nickelback was really loud.

    Robin, how cool that you were at Live Aid!

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  6. It's me, showing my age again! I was such a Beatle fan growing up but never got to see them in concert! Now I love Il Divo, Russell Watson and all the tenors! The last concert I saw was Il Divo. Those guys are so good-looking I could just feel them melting in my mouth like divine chocolate! Wow!
    Amelia

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  7. It's me, showing my age again! I was such a Beatle fan growing up but never got to see them in concert! Now I love Il Divo, Russell Watson and all the tenors! The last concert I saw was Il Divo. Those guys are so good-looking I could just feel them melting in my mouth like divine chocolate! Wow!
    Amelia

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  8. I live for concerts! That's probably why I write hot, hot, SUPER hot romances about yummilicious rock stars.

    I've seen so many bands in concert, I can't possibly list them all here. I went to one last weekend, actually--Janus, Sevendust, Chevelle and Papa Roach. Great fun! Buckcherry was performing, too, but we left before they came on stage.

    The first band I saw live was Styx. In Germany. I was six and I still remember it. Another one that stands out in my memory is Whitesnake and Motley Crue. I saw them when I was 16. Wild, wild time. My mom took me and a couple girl friends. No way would she let me loose at a Motley Crue concert in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

    Who do I regret not seeing? Ozzy Ozbourne when Randy Rhodes was his lead guitarist. Randy Rhodes could play some mean guitar. I wish I had seen him play live before he died. Also, Nirvana. I LIVED in the Seattle area when they were big and never saw them. Now, it's too late.

    There are lots of contemporary bands that I WILL see. I just have to wait for them to go out on tour.

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  9. Awesome post! I am a wee bit older than you, Shana, so my memories of early concerts are different.

    I can't actually remember which came first as I saw so many starting when I was somewhere around 9th or 10th grade.

    Journey (several times), Def Leppard, Foreigner, Stevie Nicks, John Mellencamp (when he was still John Cougar), Bryan Adams, Santana, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benetar, Eddie Money, Jackson Browne, Joe Walsh, and probably more that I can't recall. I grew up smack between LA and SF so concert going was fairly easy!

    The last concert I went to was with my daughter and we saw The Newsboys (Christian rock) in Fresno. It was fantastic! A couple years prior to that my hubby and I went to see ZZTop (so unbelievably good but talk about crazy!) and then John Mellencamp (now truly Mellencamp) who was as fantastic as he was when a Cougar.

    Man, now I am feeling the urge!

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  10. Olivia, you reminded me of the time I saw Whitesnake. It was on a date with this guy I liked only as a friend. Oh, my gosh! I seriously could not hear for 2 days afterward. I don't think we went on another date either. I was kind of snobby about my music back then.

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  11. Telling my age, my first concert was Credence Clearwater Rivial. But I also remember being really impressed when I toured the Jack Daniel's Distillery, where they have an REO Speedwagon in fully working order in the envent of a fire. I have to admit, I'm a Beach Boys, Cher, Jummy Buffet fan, who also loves opera and Andrew Lloyd Weber.

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  12. Shana! TobyMac and Third Day will be in my town in October!!! I'm so excited. And the Newsboys will be in K.C. in September along with ten other bands. My all time favorite right now is Kutless.

    Besides, Captain & Tennille, the first concert I saw was Robert Palmer-Simply Irresistible with my aunt and cousins. My first grown up concert without parents was AC/DC and Poison.

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  13. Renee, I saw Kutless open for the Newsboys. They were awesome.

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  14. Mary, I would give anything to have seen Creedence! My best concerts ever (here comes that age giveaway) were Springsteen in the seventies/early eighties - ten times! I saw Bryan Adams in an acoustic concert in Denver recently (fantastic!), and Scrape and I go see the Bodeans whenever we can. He discovered them when he was living in Madison, and I love them!

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  15. Joanne! I can't tell you how many times I saw Springsteen! It was like a law in those days. I also took care of Rick Springfield when his coc habit forced a need for a rhinoplasty. We put him in the Elvis suite in the old Baptist Hospital before it was torn down. And of course, I dated a resident who was in the ER when they brought Elvis in. After working on him over an hour, the resident wanted to call it, but Elvis's attending arrived and made them keep working. The resident snidely told the reporters outside the ER that Elvis was stable,which is is how the rumor got out that he might survive. At the board review, they couldn't fault the resident. Elvis was about as stable as he was ever going to get..

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  16. Heart is one of my favorite groups, and their song 'Magic man', inspired my hero! Fun post, Shana!

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