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Let’s play.

44 Comments

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It won’t take long.

And you are already here.

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I think it was 1976…

Kean College, New Jersey.

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I told my parents I was at a sleepover with my girlfriend, but we really hitched a ride with her older brother who had extra tickets.

Bruce… and The E Street Band.

The Born To Run tour.

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It was early days and Bruce was just starting to make a name for himself. The venue was small but Clarence was in fine form and I loved every minute of it. (Having a crush on my friend’s older brother may or may not have had something to do with my enthusiasm.) It was a short concert by today’s standards… but I’m a Jersey girl born and bred.

It was epic to a 13 year old.

And it’s still my favorite Bruce Springsteen album. Thunder Road. Jungleland. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out….

It doesn’t get better than that.

How about you? Share your first concert experience with us…

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44 thoughts on “Let’s play.”

  1. I’m not sure that it was my first, but it is the first I can remember. I persuaded my parents that I would be ok in London and that I had somewhere to stay overnight (I didn’t). I went with a friend to see Bowie and did eventually find somewhere to sleep which matched our budget (we took it in turns on a railway bench). I saw Bowie many times afterwards, but this first time has never left me.

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  3. Bon Jovi Dec 1985 Stabler Arena Bethlehem Pa, I was 15 my buddy “Cabbage Head” won 2 free tickets off the local rock radio. Touring their 2nd album 7800 Farenheit, their Next album Slipery when wet would really put them on the map. At that time I had no idea who Bon Jovi was, I went because it was a free ticket 😁

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  4. The Zombies – and I think I was fourteen. Also a small venue … very smoky, loud and rowdy and I had to sneak out the bedroom window and meet my buddies. Got caught sneaking back in window but it was worth it– “Well no one told me about her….”

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  5. Queen 1977: A Day at the Races– St John Arena, Columbus Ohio. Tickets from my older sister for my 15th birthday celebration! a good time was had by all …

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  6. ELO, 1978, anaheim Stadium. Festival seating… we were in line at 4am with ELO going on after 9pm. Amazing day and amazing show… stormtroopers having a laser battle that stopped freeway traffic, helicopter bringing the “spaceship” over the stadium, hot air balloon with fireworks. And some little unknown band as opening act… Journey.

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  7. Allman Brothers Band, Joe Walsh and the Marshall Tucker Band, June 28th, 1974, Texas Stadium. Walsh stole the show. I’ve seen plenty of acts since then, but Bruce Springsteen is just head and shoulders over them all.

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  8. Not completely sure, but 1964/1963. The University of Winnipeg — The Hollies. We wanted “I’m Alive” but one on stage remembered how to play it. Made us think they weren’t the real Hollies. A riot ensued. Wild times in Winnipeg!
    I watched from the wings.

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  9. The Monterey International Pop Festival. June 18, 1967

    Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix, Simon & Garfunkle. And many others.

    Loaded to the [deleted] with recreational drugs when Ravi Shankar sat down to play. He was so slow starting that I thought I’d take a nap in my seat, but then his raga sucked me in and I went into a new deminsion. I didn’t recover until 1974 …

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    2. Now I’m jealous. We never heard of Monterey up in Canada until it was all over. (Same wih Woodstock! Winnipeg was passed over by most of the big bands.)

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  10. February 23, 1982, I was also 13 and went to see Ozzy Osborne in his Diary of A Mad Man tour here in my hometown. I also had a friends sister, who was six years older than us get us tickets and drive us to the concert, and told my parents I was sleeping over. It was also my friend, myself and a bunch of her sisters friends, driving in a caravan of four cars to the concert, having the time of my life. That’s also when I had my very first taste of Jack and Coke and of course my very first hangover 😵‍💫.

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  14. Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation tour, 1990. Mountain View, CA. Row 13, because my ex-wife was a huge fan. It was phenomenal.

    I’ve been to many, many concerts since, including Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band twice. Their 2012 concert remains my all-time fave. As much as I love “Born to Run,” my favorite is “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” Those are two of the greatest back-to-back albums ever released IMHO!

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  17. Wow. The Boss! What an amazing memory to have and I also loved Clarence. My girlfriend Kelly met him somewhere years ago and said what a sweetheart he was.

    My first was Adam Ant in downtown Atlanta, at the Fox Theater. I think I was fourteen? Fifteen? My friend’s (who was a year younger than me) mom dropped us off and picked us up after the show. In downtown Atlanta. By ourselves. It was an amazing show and Scandal opened up for him. Do you remember them? They had a few hits later on.

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