Live and In Person
JennySlash and I were talking a couple of days ago about concerts we'd seen, in the context of what an abysmal venue the Walnut Creek Ampitheater is and how we'll never, ever, ever go see another show there. Despite being married for more than 20 years, until that conversation I had no idea that she'd seen both Bob Dylan and Randy Newman in concert (not together, of course). I knew about her Monkees/Jimi Hendrix thing, but for some reason Dylan and Newman had never come up. While her cool factor certainly needed no boost, she got one anyway.The only nice thing I'll say about Walnut Creek is that it did afford me the opportunity to finally see the last two bands on my "gotta see 'em before I die" list - The Pretenders and the B-52s. There's really nobody left now that is both still alive and that I'm really anxious to see that are still a band. I've managed to get to Springsteen, U2, Tom Petty, David Bowie, X, Elvis Costello, Little Feat (before Lowell George died), the Clash, Talking Heads, REM, Jimmy Buffet, Queen, English Beat, the Beach Boys, the Doobie Brothers, ELP, Squeeze, Guadalcanal Diary, the Violent Femmes, Billy Joel, the Police, the Replacements, Husker Du, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, the Dixie Dregs, blah, blah, blah over the years and really can't think of anybody else that I've just been dying to see that I haven't yet. [I originally wrote this a couple of days ago and in the interim did think of one band that I've missed that might not be beyond the realm of possibility - XTC.]
That being said, the recently-announced Rolling Stones show at Wallace Wade Stadium at Duke is damned tempting. I'm probably not going to try to go (tickets are going on sale Saturday and I'll be doing something much more fun than waiting in line, waiting on the phone or trying to get through to a jammed website). I've never seen 'em and I doubt I'll get too many more chances, although I'm convinced that Keith Richards will live forever, but this may be a show that I'll have to pass on. I haven't been to a stadium show since seeing U2 in the rain at Kenan Stadium in '83 (and then walking out on headliner Todd Rundgren because NOTHING was going to measure up to U2) and I've got to say that years of going to clubs has spoiled me for going to stadium shows (although I suspect this one could well be worth it). If any of you cats decide to go, though, give me a shout and I might just change my mind!
4 Comments:
I walked out of Kenan after the U2 set, too, TP. I bet there were probably about 2000 people watching, and I know of exactly one who stayed for Todd.
The big question: were you there for Grandmaster Flash?
Lex - kinda cool how many of those concerts we saw together!
PC - I was indeed there for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five but I think I was in the restroom for most of the Producers' show. A buddy of mine (whose name I won't mention since he's a judge now) was working security at the show and claims to have smoked a doob in the equipment truck with Flash and, after telling Bono as he was leaving the fieldhouse for the stage that we were all here to hear his words, got a "Bless you" from Mr. Bono Vox, which I figure is basically a "Get Into Heaven Free" card.
XTC has always been on my wish list, but I think it seems very unlikely they'll ever tour again, given Andy Partridge's legendary stage fright. I know they were on a bill with the Police in the early 1980s ... can you imagine?
My big wish for years has been the dBs ... they are reuniting and playing this fall. I have tix for Chicago, 17 Sept. So happy!!
I did see the Stones in N'ville in late 2003 and while I'm glad I did, once was enough (for my pocket book, as well).
m.
The dB's are doing reunion shows?!?! Awesome! I obviously haven't been checking their website lately. Looks like a couple of Chicagoland shows and a couple of shows at Maxwell's in Hoboken for now, but maybe more later. Very cool. I was fortunate enough to see them at the Cat's Cradle in CH and Viceroy Park in Charlotte around '82 or '83 and then opening for REM in the gym at George Washington University in '84 (I think that was just before Stamey split). "Black and White" is still one of my all-time favorite songs - I'd love to see them again.
Post a Comment
<< Home