Thursday Thirteen #5
Thirteen Musicians I've Seen in Concert and the stories that go along with them...
1. U2
Three times. The first time was a date I didn't realize I was on. Ooops.
2. Sting
Twice. I would have seen him three times, but I was in Washington DC on a camping trip and didn't want to leave early enough to get home for the concert the next day. Can you say...I lost $50? When you're just out of college, that's a lot of money.
The last time I saw him, I was 9 months pregnant with my third child. I kept going up and down the stairs in the arena, hoping to put myself into labor. Unfortunately, this was my last child, a girl, and she was already torturing me by being the first of my three children born late.
2. Sting
Twice. I would have seen him three times, but I was in Washington DC on a camping trip and didn't want to leave early enough to get home for the concert the next day. Can you say...I lost $50? When you're just out of college, that's a lot of money.
The last time I saw him, I was 9 months pregnant with my third child. I kept going up and down the stairs in the arena, hoping to put myself into labor. Unfortunately, this was my last child, a girl, and she was already torturing me by being the first of my three children born late.
3. Bob Seger
Three times. I'm a Michigan girl, so take this with a grain of salt--but, damn, those were some of the best shows I've ever seen. Ever.
And, one time, my girlfriend and I got there early enough that we got asked to pass out flyers to concert-goers, and they gave us backstage passes for payment. Bob never showed up, but Alto Reed and the rest of the Silver Bullet Band did. They signed my concert program, and I have absolutely no idea where it is now. Bummer.
4. The J. Geils Band
When Centerfold was hot, and it was my first rock concert ever. My girlfriends and I were so giddy we got high from red kool-aid. Good grief...I can't believe I actually admitted that.
And then we got together again and saw them for their reunion tour in 2002, I think it was. The only bummer was that the drummer, Stephen Jo Bladd, wasn't with the group then. He was the one I had the crush on in high school.
Oh, did I mention that was the beginning of my writing career? We wrote stories about us hanging out with the JGB. (I'm not the only writer who admits to having written stories about crushes on famous guys. Trust me.)
5. Johnny Cash
One word: Unfreaking-believable.
Best show ever. In a small venue, about two years before he died. His voice was as mellow and rich and smooth as it ever was.
6. The Village People and special guests KC & the Sunshine Band!
Wooohooo!!
We got free tickets to see them, my Music Man and I, about five years ago. We actually had a blast! Not only did we dance up a storm, but watching the people was a show in itself.
7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Great show. We saw it in an outdoor venue in Philadelphia when we lived there. No special story to go along with this show, except for the fact that another time we were driving to the same park at which this concert took place for a political rally (No, I'm not going to say for whom. Or what. We don't do politics on this blog.). We had our now dearly-departed German Shepherd dog with us in the back of my Music Man's white mustang.
Our German Shepherd Dog who like to eat its own feces.
Our German Shepherd Dog who got motion sickness whenever it rode in the car for too long, especially after eating its own do-do.
It wasn't a pretty sight.
So unfortunately, the memory of Mr. Costello (who is one of my very favorite musicians ever) is a bit tainted.
Moving right along....
8. Asia
Okay, how many of you out there went and saw Asia? Come on, admit it! It was the '80s! They were a hot ticket then.
I can't even remember one song by them, but I do remember that album cover with the bluish snake (basilisk?) on it.
9. Jimmy Buffet
I didn't know who Jimmy Buffet was. Honest.
I was dating this guy who was a big--what do they call them? Fish Heads?--and he had tickets and he dragged me to the show. And I do mean dragged.
And I actually had a good time. I didn't know any of the songs, though I had a vague sense of Margaritaville, but I'd certainly never heard of a song called Cheeseburger in Paradise. Sheesh.
(Oh, yeah, they were called Parrot Heads. Right. Like that's so much better than Fish Heads.)
10. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
I love Tom Petty--on his albums. I realized after seeing the show I don't like him live. It was the worst show I'd ever seen (it was the summer of 2005). Maybe he's getting too old. But, anyway, much as I love Breakdown (which he didn't do) and Last Dance with Mary Jane (which he did do), I won't pay to see him again. Sorry.
When I was in high school, my friend's brother had a friend who looked a lot like Tom Petty, who was still pretty damn hot and didn't look like he'd been run over by a truck four times. We used to have a code name for him.
TPLA: Tom Petty Look-Alike.
11. The Pat Metheny Band
Saw them in an outdoor venue on a summer night. It was wonderful. Those were the days when you could bring your own stuff in. We had wine and ate and lazed on picnic blankets and really soaked up the mood.
The guy I saw Metheny with was just a friend--or so I thought; see item #1 above--and he used to describe Metheny music, particularly the live track Are You Going With Me?, as "music to make love by."
Unfortunately, I never validated that--with him, at least. (Again, see item #1)
12. Yellowman
My Music Man and I went to see this reggae musician at a great bar in Ann Arbor called The Blind Pig. It was our first date.
At the Blind Pig, the musicians perform in an area where you stand to watch them. No seats, no reserved seating. So, my future husband and I were standing there in this crowd of people, drinking beer and jamming to great reggae, when this big guy gets in my date's face and starts yelling at him about standing in his girlfriend's spot.
I'm more than a bit freaked out. My date stands his ground, speaks calmly and gently to the man, and explains that, hey, it's dance floor. There's room enough for everyone.
The big guy doesn't like this reasoning (he'd had many many beers, if the stench of his breath was any indication), and he really got in my date's face. Yelling.
But he didn't push him. Or get physical.
And my date managed to calm the guy down and show him that there was indeed room enough for his girlfriend.
And later, the guy actually apologized.
And three and a half years later, I married my date.
13. Cesaria Evora
My Music Man, who has an incredibly eclectic taste in music, took me to see this woman from South Africa. We saw her in the tiniest of venues--nothing more than a little bar. This was on Halloween weekend, our first night out after having our first baby. We were dressed up for a costume party, but he had tickets for the show that also included a singer from Zimbabwe called Lokua Kanza, who I actually enjoyed more than I did Cesaria Evora.
I was dressed as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and my Music Man was a vampire.
Hmmm. Could it have been a portent of things to come?
Three times. I'm a Michigan girl, so take this with a grain of salt--but, damn, those were some of the best shows I've ever seen. Ever.
And, one time, my girlfriend and I got there early enough that we got asked to pass out flyers to concert-goers, and they gave us backstage passes for payment. Bob never showed up, but Alto Reed and the rest of the Silver Bullet Band did. They signed my concert program, and I have absolutely no idea where it is now. Bummer.
4. The J. Geils Band
When Centerfold was hot, and it was my first rock concert ever. My girlfriends and I were so giddy we got high from red kool-aid. Good grief...I can't believe I actually admitted that.
And then we got together again and saw them for their reunion tour in 2002, I think it was. The only bummer was that the drummer, Stephen Jo Bladd, wasn't with the group then. He was the one I had the crush on in high school.
Oh, did I mention that was the beginning of my writing career? We wrote stories about us hanging out with the JGB. (I'm not the only writer who admits to having written stories about crushes on famous guys. Trust me.)
5. Johnny Cash
One word: Unfreaking-believable.
Best show ever. In a small venue, about two years before he died. His voice was as mellow and rich and smooth as it ever was.
6. The Village People and special guests KC & the Sunshine Band!
Wooohooo!!
We got free tickets to see them, my Music Man and I, about five years ago. We actually had a blast! Not only did we dance up a storm, but watching the people was a show in itself.
7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Great show. We saw it in an outdoor venue in Philadelphia when we lived there. No special story to go along with this show, except for the fact that another time we were driving to the same park at which this concert took place for a political rally (No, I'm not going to say for whom. Or what. We don't do politics on this blog.). We had our now dearly-departed German Shepherd dog with us in the back of my Music Man's white mustang.
Our German Shepherd Dog who like to eat its own feces.
Our German Shepherd Dog who got motion sickness whenever it rode in the car for too long, especially after eating its own do-do.
It wasn't a pretty sight.
So unfortunately, the memory of Mr. Costello (who is one of my very favorite musicians ever) is a bit tainted.
Moving right along....
8. Asia
Okay, how many of you out there went and saw Asia? Come on, admit it! It was the '80s! They were a hot ticket then.
I can't even remember one song by them, but I do remember that album cover with the bluish snake (basilisk?) on it.
9. Jimmy Buffet
I didn't know who Jimmy Buffet was. Honest.
I was dating this guy who was a big--what do they call them? Fish Heads?--and he had tickets and he dragged me to the show. And I do mean dragged.
And I actually had a good time. I didn't know any of the songs, though I had a vague sense of Margaritaville, but I'd certainly never heard of a song called Cheeseburger in Paradise. Sheesh.
(Oh, yeah, they were called Parrot Heads. Right. Like that's so much better than Fish Heads.)
10. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
I love Tom Petty--on his albums. I realized after seeing the show I don't like him live. It was the worst show I'd ever seen (it was the summer of 2005). Maybe he's getting too old. But, anyway, much as I love Breakdown (which he didn't do) and Last Dance with Mary Jane (which he did do), I won't pay to see him again. Sorry.
When I was in high school, my friend's brother had a friend who looked a lot like Tom Petty, who was still pretty damn hot and didn't look like he'd been run over by a truck four times. We used to have a code name for him.
TPLA: Tom Petty Look-Alike.
11. The Pat Metheny Band
Saw them in an outdoor venue on a summer night. It was wonderful. Those were the days when you could bring your own stuff in. We had wine and ate and lazed on picnic blankets and really soaked up the mood.
The guy I saw Metheny with was just a friend--or so I thought; see item #1 above--and he used to describe Metheny music, particularly the live track Are You Going With Me?, as "music to make love by."
Unfortunately, I never validated that--with him, at least. (Again, see item #1)
12. Yellowman
My Music Man and I went to see this reggae musician at a great bar in Ann Arbor called The Blind Pig. It was our first date.
At the Blind Pig, the musicians perform in an area where you stand to watch them. No seats, no reserved seating. So, my future husband and I were standing there in this crowd of people, drinking beer and jamming to great reggae, when this big guy gets in my date's face and starts yelling at him about standing in his girlfriend's spot.
I'm more than a bit freaked out. My date stands his ground, speaks calmly and gently to the man, and explains that, hey, it's dance floor. There's room enough for everyone.
The big guy doesn't like this reasoning (he'd had many many beers, if the stench of his breath was any indication), and he really got in my date's face. Yelling.
But he didn't push him. Or get physical.
And my date managed to calm the guy down and show him that there was indeed room enough for his girlfriend.
And later, the guy actually apologized.
And three and a half years later, I married my date.
13. Cesaria Evora
My Music Man, who has an incredibly eclectic taste in music, took me to see this woman from South Africa. We saw her in the tiniest of venues--nothing more than a little bar. This was on Halloween weekend, our first night out after having our first baby. We were dressed up for a costume party, but he had tickets for the show that also included a singer from Zimbabwe called Lokua Kanza, who I actually enjoyed more than I did Cesaria Evora.
I was dressed as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and my Music Man was a vampire.
Hmmm. Could it have been a portent of things to come?
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Colleen Gleason stepped onstage at 10/05/2006 07:06:00 AM
21 Comments:
Sting and Elvis Costello are my favorites.
I've seen Sting 4 times. His last concert I saw, with Annie Lenox, was awful. Annie rocked and he just was so-so!
I've had drinks with Elvis C. in a pub in the UK once. Very cool guy.
Great list. :) I haven't seen any of those concerts, but there are some I would like to see! Happy Thursday. :)
I would love to see Sting in concert! Your Yellowman story is endearing, loved your entire Thursday 13! I actually sat here, extracting memories from my mind about past concerts I have seen, or those that impacted me most. I would have to say back in the early 80's, I saw a band called Fool's Face...it was my first real concert, a sort of punk/rock band...skinny ties and fool's tails. The very next day I decided to grow a fool's tail and change my wardrobe from country frock....to wardrobe shock! LOL What a "fool" I was...but, then again...it WAS the 80's afterall...
Very cool memories. Where are the pics of you dressed up as Audrey H.?
You're list of concerts is much, much less ridiculous and embarassing than mine.
And you're right about writing stories about famous crushes. I have an entire spiral notebook full of a story about me and Joe MacIntyre. Let the embarassment flow. :)
Great concert list! My first concert was Heart with my Mom. I remember thinking at the time it would have been so much cooler to go with someone other than my mom. Heh.
I've gone to too many concerts where they don't sound nearly as good as their CDs (or tapes, back then).. what a dissappointment! I always felt like I should demand my money back. Unfortunately, I don't think that'd work.. on the grounds that they suck outside of a recording studio that can obviously work miracles.
Man, I've only gone to a couple of concerts. YOU sound like YOU'VE had some real FUN! Nice for Music Man to show you some different sounds, too. ;)
I've posted my Thursday Thirteen, too. Enjoy!
That is a great list. I would have loved to see Johnny Cash!
phew!
I didn't appreciate Johnny Cash until after I saw the movie...I kind of liked some of his music, but wouldn't have gone to see him. Shame on me!
I saw Petty in 2005, too, but I thought he put on a fanTAStic show! Maybe he had an off night when you saw him.
Great idea for a list, btw!
Does Music Man like your new perfume?
I've seen U2 in concert twice, too. I think they but on an excellent show. I was not as impressed with Tom Petty, either, but it may have been because I went with my mom in high school. Sorta lame!
Happy TT!
I love Cesaria Evora! And she's actually from Cape Verde, off the western coast of Africa.
I saw Johnny Cash about...hm, about 15 years ago, I guess. It was in a small venue, too, and was awesome.
I wrote my fiction about Ben Orr from the Cars (the bass player). Sigh.
haven't seen a U2 concert but i think that would be awesome, tho i am not a really really big fan. i only have watched free concerts mostly =.( and i know it's pathetic. hahaha. my TT is up, drop by if u can =)
Wow! Great list!
I've only been to a couple of concerts...Depeche Mode in high school and Sarah MacLachlin in college.
Whoops! Forgot going to see The New Kids on the Block in highschool. My best friend got free tickets, and it was crazy, packed with screaming pre-teens and their parents. We both labeled a mistake.
I've been away all day, on a quick trip to Ohio with my dear Music Man who does have great taste in music and has broadened my horizons.
Megan, thanks for the correction re: Cesaria. I knew I was wrong when I was writing the blog post, but I was too lazy to check on it. Plus I was testing you. ;-)
Those of you who mentioned concerts with their mom, and other embarrassing choices....note that I didn't mention the three or four (eek, FOUR?) times I saw Barry Manilow with my mom.
And I loved it every time. So there.
Gotta run again...back later for more chat. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my TT.
OH, and Janet....my MM loves my new perfume. And I like it on him, too. ;-)
Oh, Carl, forgot to tell you...I'd definitely post pics of the Audrey Hepburn/vampire costumes if I had a scanner to scan the photos. I have to see if I can dig one up. They're actually pretty good!
Great T13! I loved your stories. I would love to see a bunch of those concerts. Starving newlywed though...
Have a great Thursday!
Asia... Only Time will Tell and Heat of the Moment. Never saw them though. They were MTVd to death.
Back in the day I would have gone and seen Sting or U2, I have many albums. Probably not today.
Wwe have an open air venue that I use to go to evey summer. But they changes their rules about what they allowed in. It got pretty sad seeing people, guys mostly, downing a six-pack of beer outside the gate because they didn't allow cans in. Pat Methany would have been a great show to see.
If you get a chance stop by my Thursday Thirteen If I had an iPod Disco Edition
LOVE Sting!
My list isn't cool. At all.
And all of a sudden I smell cig smoke and cherry vodka. (Icky memories.)
Totally cool story about your fisrt date... and the kind of man you married. Don't know if you remember but I met both of you in New York at the RWA conf.
Post a Comment
<< Home