First Concert Experience

[JoeThePop]

I didn’t find a specific thread for first concert experience so I thought I would start one.
This was inspired by @mpholland’s comment in the Musical Humor (humour?) thread that his grandparents dragged him to a Lawrence Welk show when he was about 6, making it his very first concert experience. Something I find absolutely hilarious. I suffered through many episodes of Lawrence Welk but never had the pleasure of seeing him live.

Anyway here’s mine. My parents used to load us three kids into the 1964 Dodge Dart and take us to Belle Isle in Detroit to see the Detroit Concert Band perform. I don’t have very clear memories about this because this was in the 1960s when I was quite young. I distinctly remember the band shell and either sitting on benches or lawn chairs, many times covered by blankets as the evenings could be cool on the Detroit River.

 

[Thermionics]

I think my first concert was also classical - I have no recollection of what it was, but it would have been the Oregon Symphony.

 

[Sean Regan]

I'm going back to 1956 when I was fifteen and still at school.
I and a friend went to see Louis Armstrong at the Empress Hall in London.

 

[JoeThePop]

I'm going back to 1956 when I was fifteen and still at school.
I and a friend went to see Louis Armstrong at the Empress Hall in London.

Now that’s a first concert to remember!

 

[mpholland]

I just mentioned this the other day in a different thread. Lawrence Welk, through no fault of my own. I can't even remember the first concert I chose to buy tickets for. I went to at least 100 between 1983 and 1984. I am sure it was probably a hair rock band. Could have been anyone from Ozzy to Twisted Sister, or Judas Priest to Aerosmith. None of those were my first, I do know that much, but it was somewhere in that area.

 

[JoeThePop]

First paid concert I still remember. Van Halen my graduation year, 1979. The Masonic Temple theater in Detroit. They only had their debut album out so they basically went through the whole album.
I still remember the girl from about 3 rows in front of us that I fell in love with. Yeah, she didn’t know I existed. But I was smitten.

 

[dfoulk]

My first concert was when I was maybe 2nd grade. It wasn't a paid concert, but the music teacher lead
us to the cafeteria/lunch room. Up on the stage was what I think was perhaps a string quartet?
I had never seen such, but they played some music while we kids listened. I remember thinking
to myself, it sounds like a record!

 

[Tables_and_Tubes]

I think my first concert was also classical - I have no recollection of what it was, but it would have been the Oregon Symphony.

Same here. First concert would, undoubtedly, have been the Oregon Symphony when they used to perform at the State Fair. I also remember Seafood Mama/Quarterflash at the fair.

First "real" concert, once friends got vehicles, was Journey at the Memorial Coliseum.

Dan

 

[Wntrmute2]

The original Woodstock. At a summer camp near there and the camp took a bunch of us wee campers to attend not knowing the debauchery that would ensue.

 

[Lucky Pierre]

I am pretty sure my first concert was the Beach Boys at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. This would have been around 1975 or '76.

Second concert was Chic at Hudson Valley Community College. 1978 on their C'est Chic tour.

 

[Thermionics]

Same here. First concert would, undoubtedly, have been the Oregon Symphony when they used to perform at the State Fair. I also remember Seafood Mama/Quarterflash at the fair.

First "real" concert, once friends got vehicles, was Journey at the Memorial Coliseum.

Dan

I think my first "real" concert was either The Fixx or Eurythmics at Memorial Coliseum.

 

[Thermionics]

The original Woodstock. At a summer camp near there and the camp took a bunch of us wee campers to attend not knowing the debauchery that would ensue.

This explains so much.

 

[airdronian]

Mine was April Wine with opening act Heart in May of '76.

 

[JoeThePop]

Mine was April Wine with opening act Heart in May of '76.

I was a big April Wine fan back in the day.

 

[SPL db]

Mine was none other that Ted "The Sledge" Nugent

 

[Olson_jr]

@JoeThePop

There is a group putting on small concerts on Belle Isle.

They are also trying to raise funds to refurbish the historic Remick Bandshell.

MObig — MOBIG

 

[Olson_jr]

Mine was none other that Ted "The Sledge" Nugent

My first concert was The Amboy Dukes featuring Terrrible Ted at an MS Benefit.

Rode my bike to the show.

 

[Lucky Pierre]

Did you know Journey to the Center Of The Mind is *not* about drugs?

 

[Wntrmute2]

This explains so much.

My first introduction to mind altering substances. Weed, hash and a hit or two of microdot. It was a start down a difficult path.

 

[Olson_jr]

My first introduction to mind altering substances. Weed, hash and a hit or two of microdot. It was a start down a difficult path.

Was it the Brown Acid?

"The warning that I received, you may take with however many grains of salt you wish, that the brown acid that is circulating around us, is specifically not too good. It's suggested that you do stay away from that; of course, it's your own trip, so be my guest." ~ Chip Monck