What concerts have you attended? What concerts would you like to attend?
We ate supper last night with Keely and Taurus (her boyfriend.) The conversation turned to concerts and music stars. Keely asked an interesting question:
If you could see anybody in concert,
whom would you choose?
whom would you choose?
She named some bands of the past that she wished she could see -- the Beatles, the Beach Boys in 1970, Guns N' Roses, and others.
I've been thinking about that. I don't follow popular music at all. But of the musicians and groups I like, who are still performing, I'd choose Asleep at the Wheel.
Some musicians of the past whom I'd like to see in concert are:
- I agree with Keely that it would be fun to see the Beatles, and I think 1966 or 1967 would be a good time.
- I would like to see Steve Goodman.
- I'd also like to see Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys during the 1930s or 1940s.
- And I'd enjoy seeing the Blackwood Brothers when Wally Varner was playing the piano and J.D. Sumner was singing bass -- maybe about 1960.
Here's a list of some people and bands whom I did see in concert (back in my younger days.)
- Mac Davis in 1970 or 1971, in Chadron, NE, when I was a college student in that town
- Henson Cargill, also at Chadron. Actually, he played at a dance, not a concert.
- the Beach Boys in the late 1970s at the Missouri State Fair, an unforgettable experience
- Neil Diamond, twice in Kansas City (1977? and 1983?) and once in West Berlin (1990?)
- Linda Ronstadt, in Kansas City (1980)
- Kris Kristofferson in Kansas City (1984)
- Arlo Guthrie, in Kansas City (1985)
- John Prine, also in Kansas City (1985). (Arlo Guthrie was his warm-up act.)
Of this group, Linda Ronstadt was the only one that I organized a trip to see. She has a great voice, and I really liked her music (up to that point.) But at the concert, Linda sang only a couple of her past hits. She was in the process of changing from country/rock style (Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits Volumes I and II) to punk rock.
I was a little disappointed by that concert, but it foreshadowed Linda Ronstadt's future style -- eclectic. Through the years since then, I've enjoyed only a small number of her recordings (most notably, those with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton). However, I suppose she has enjoyed her musical adventures, even without me.
My husband was the organizer of the trips to see Neal Diamond. I had a great time at the concerts even though I am only a lukewarm Neil Diamond fan. (I like his music OK, but I've never bought an album.) He is a dynamic performer. If anyone ever offers you a ticket to see him, you should take it.
What concerts have you attended? What musicians or groups (from any era) do you wish you could see?
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9 comments:
In college I made a list of the groups/artists that I wanted to see in concert. I completed my list:
James Taylor, Sting, U2, John Denver (so much fun), The Neville Brothers, Chicago, Bon Jovi, and Joe Jackson.
As for groups I wish I could have seen? The Eagles in their heyday. Elvis, dressed in black leather with an acoustic guitar. Yep, Elvis.
Sarabeth, I almost listed the Eagles myself. Elvis -- well, I wouldn't turn down the ticket.
I don't think the possibility of seeing bands in concert even seemed real to me when I was in college the first time. Bands didn't come to western Nebraska. Mac Davis and Henson Cargill were scraping the bottom of the barrel when they were out there.
My concert going days are far and few between, with the cost of a sitter as much or more than a pair of tickets and parking making a night out a very expensive proposition. I still catch Richard Thompson whenever he's within an hour and half from where I live, usually at the Iron Horse in NortHampten, MA or the Egg in Albany, NY. Not to be missed whenever he comes around.
I saw lots of Grateful Dead shows in the mid 1980s. Saw and enjoyed R.E.M. with 10,000 Maniacs as the opening act in 1987. I recal the Amnesty International benefit concert in Philly as a big deal, with Joan Baez, Sting, Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen, among others. Saw Stevie Ray Vaughn before he died. Saw Pink Floyd sans Roger Waters in that same period. Caught a great New Year's Eve concert by Maceo Parker, too.
As for acts I'd love to have seen...
Monterey Pop Festival, 1967 (a year before I was born).
Led Zep, around 1973.
James Brown's opening act in 1966 that totally blew away The Rolling Stones on their first American tour.
Bob Dylan going electric at Newport in 1965.
I'd like to have heard Bessie Smith accompanied by Louis Armstrong live.
And Marion Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial.
That would do it.
Stevie Ray Vaughn. I really liked him. That should have been a great concert. I like your "wish-you-had-seen" list. They would have all been great.
I went to some concerts at stadiums in Kansas City in the '70s including Crosby, Stills, Nash,the Beach Boys,the Eagles,and the Rolling Stones.
My sons and I also wish we had seen Stevie Ray Vaughn in concert. He died shortly after we moved to Texas.
I've shared some fun concerts with my teen sons in recent years including Santana, Steely Dan, Wynton Marsalis, and Eric Clapton's Guitar Festival at the Cotton Bowl.
Turkey, Texas is the home of Bob Wills and a local museum about this career and music. The town has a Bob Wills festival every spring. http://www.lone-star.net/mall/txtrails/turkey.htm
If you have a fondness for small towns and scruffy landscapes, Turkey is worth the trip.
Wow, the Eagles... Eric Clapton... I'm definitely jealous.
Collagemama, really, need you ask if I have a fondness for small towns and scruffy landscapes? I would definitely visit Turkey, TX, and the Bob Wills museum if I were anywhere in the vicinity.
We had a dear friend (sadly,who died young from diabetes) who was a tremendous fan of Bob Wills. He got me interested in Bob Wills, and I've come to enjoy and respect his talent. He was one of a kind, but he was great!
I went to a Neil Diamond concert many moons ago, when he came to Australia. I can't believe he's still going strong at the age of 66.
Regards
Peter McCartney
Sydney Australia
Thanks for stopping by, Peter. Yes, Neil Diamond is amazing. He has worked hard throughout a long career, and he should take pride in the many, many albums of great music he has produced, and the enjoyment he's brought to people around the world.
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