John Kelly's Washington: Your first concert

_______________________

John Kelly: s the review of the show that ran in The Post the next day:"Get The Knack." "Forget The Knack." "Nuke The Knack." One thing about The Knack -- no matter what your opinion is about the group -- there is a T-shirt or bumper sticker to match.A small army of pro-Knack concessioners were out in full force at Lisner Auditorium last night as a sellout crowd of believers gathered for The Knack's first D.C. appearance. Even The Knack's detractors -- those who find their lyrics sexist or their Fab Four image contrived -- can't deny Doug Feiger's ear for air play. Feiger has equipped his best songs with hooks strong enough to hold a side of beef.And the band's finest moments came last night when they capitalized on his quirky rhythms and lean instrumentation. Visually, The Knack hasn't advanced beyond its first album cover, but musically, it has made strides forward. Under the constant glare of three dozen spotlights, the group fired off 17 songs, avoided their weaker material by exploring rockabilly and Tex-Mex areas.If anything, The Knack is less offensive in concert than it is on your car radio. The lyrics were largely unintelligible, and few people in the young crowd probably would have recognized The Knacks final encore as being a Beatles tune anyway.ve been to many memorable concerts since then--Squeeze and Elvis Costello at Richie Colosseum, the Selector at the Bayou, Springsteen at Cap Center--but that first one will always have a special place in my heart. How about you? Tell us about your first concert. Or talk about anything else on your mind.re just a few Beltway pileups and Metro crashes from complete transportation collapse? Anyone else care?s not a day to wear a toupee, is it?

_______________________

Cleveland Park, Washington, DC - First Concert: My first concert was February 4, 1977: Queen with opening act Thin Lizzy at Cole Field House. Still have the ticket stub and a couple of pictures taken by a high school classmate who also attended the show. As I recall, it was amazing.

John Kelly: I read an article about Thin Lizzy's drummer in a recent issue of Modern Drummer. He was hailed as a sort of unknown genius, and I think they're right. The wonderful thing about YouTube is you can see all these things again--of course it's not the same on your computer screen.

_______________________

John Kelly: Sorry, we were having some technical difficulties. (Damn roadies.) But we're up and running now.

_______________________

Washington, DC: My first concert was Third Eye Blind in Feb. 1998. I was 15, and dragged along 7 of my best friends up to Baltimore to see them. My parents kindly drove, and somehow we stuffed 9 people (all with seatbelts) into their Ford Taurus station wagon and made the trek up. I ended up getting separated from my friends sometime during the second band (I think it was Smash Mouth), but I was so close to the front that I decided to stay there and look for my friends later. This was before cell phones were the norm, and so my friends spent some time worrying that I had been trampled down. Luckily, it all worked out at the end and we now have a story to tell.

John Kelly: Having a story is the important thing. We went with our girls to see Arctic Monkeys a few months ago at 930. They both immediately took off for the main stage while my wife and I went up to the balcony where things were a little calmer.

_______________________

Electricladyla, ND: First chaperoned concert: Eighth-grade school trip to Carter Barron to see Peter, Paul, and Mary. The opening act was Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band. Bonus. First actual concert: May 18, 1969. My parents had taken me and my buddy from across the street (let's call him Eddie) along with them on a trip to New York City. We were 14. They wanted to park us somewhere while they went out to dinner, so that afternoon my dad walked across the street with us from our hotel to Madison Square Garden to see what was on. We looked up at the marquee: CAT MOTHER AND THE ALL-NIGHT NEWSBOYS/BUDDY MILES EXPRESS/JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE Dad looked down at us: "Jimi Hendrix. You guys like him?" Second-to-last row. Real live hippies everywhere. Eddie was never the same.

John Kelly: The rest of the story: "Eddie" was Eddie Van Halen.

_______________________

Your first concert: Hi, John: My first concert was August 15, 1966 to see the Beatles at D.C. (now RFK) Stadium. I was 14 years old. I'll never forget it! I still have the program which I think cost a dollar. I saw the same program on the Antiques Roadshow a few days ago and it's worth between $100 and $200! I'd never sell it though. Gwen, Landover, MD

John Kelly: My 12th grade English teacher at Rockville High School, Mr. King, was at the show at the DC Colosseum, the very first performance in D.C.--and in America. He said he could barely hear a thing because the girls in the audience were screaming so much. It was like a jet engine.I have a DVD of that show and it's amazing how young and underfed the Beatles were. Plus they had these tiny little amps and, since they were playing in the round, Ringo had to turn his drum set around on a little riser every few songs.

_______________________

Beastie Boys!: What a great topic. My first real concert was the Beastie Boys at the Capital Centre in Landover during the "Licensed to Ill" tour. I think it was 1986 or '87. Sadly, this was also the height of Tipper Gore's PMRC crackdown on "vulgar" music and censorship of practically all popular music, so -- apparently because of the promiximity to D.C. and increased scrutiny -- the Beastie Boys were not allowed to include their 20-foot tall inflatable penis prop or their go-go dancers and were fined $100 bucks every time they cursed on stage. Or so they claimed. Thanks, Tipper Gore. Thanks a lot. P.S. Opening Band -- the Junkyard Gang ("Sardines and Pork and Beans!") -- Your Post.com cousin Liz

John Kelly: You've got to fight...for your right...to [expletive deleted]!

_______________________

Random Metro/Kid's Question: Hi John, I know this is off-topic, but hoping as the former Kid's Post guru, you can help! We're visiting D.C. this weekend with our 4-year-old train enthusiast son, and promised him a train ride. I remember from visiting as a kid that parts of the metro are above-ground. What is the best stretch to take for a view other than the tunnels?

John Kelly: in the distance. He also might get a kick out of the Yellow Line into DC from Alexandria. It goes over the Potomac and you can see the Lincoln Memorial and Mall. Have fun.Any other suggestions?

_______________________

Might as Well Admit It: Styx. At the height of their Pieces of Eight/Cornerstone fame at the Capitol Center in '79. I was fourteen years old and totally enamored with Dennis DeYoung's awesome perm and 'stache. God, it was good times. Admit it. You liked them too, even though it wasn't cool to say it.

John Kelly: I did. I have one of their albums. Which is the one with the trippy trompe l'oeil cover, with a horse going through a forest or something?You know who really likes them? Jack Black. It explains a lot.

_______________________

First Concert: My parents took me to see John Denver at Oral Roberts University around 1980. So surreal to think of that combination today.

John Kelly: John Denver was very big in Washington because he used to play with the Chad Mitchell Trio at the Cellar Door in Georgetown. That put him in touch with Bill Danoff, a doorman then soundman there, who co-wrote "Country Roads." The rest is history.John Denver was big in my house because his father was in the Air Force, as was my father. Any band that had an Air Force connection was welcome. Who else had one? America, it turns out.

_______________________

Your Articles: Good morning John, Can you tell me which days you generally post your best articles ? I don't want to read all of them. thanks.

John Kelly: No problem. I post them on days ending in "y."

_______________________

Your blog: John Kelly's Commons : What happened to your blog? The last entry is 1/11/2010.

John Kelly: Er, I have a confession to make. Not enough people were reading it so The Powers That Be killed it. I'm in the process of cooking up something else. It probably won't get many readers either, however. I mean, I'm not the Capital Weather Gang.

_______________________

Richmond, VA: Favorite concert: The Clash. Best perfermances year after year: War.

John Kelly: And how about worst? I saw the Police at Cap Centre with the Go Gos opening. The Go Gos were awful. I mean embarrassing, which is too bad, since I like their records. I was very dismissive of them, then I started playing in a band and realized how hard it is for the opening band to sound good. There's some kind of switch on the sound board that is only thrown for the headlining band. Poor opening bands don't get it (or much time for a sound check).

_______________________

richmond, va: How can y'all remember the DATE? I know the first concert I saw was Boston, and I was in high school, so it was some time before 1979, but I'm lucky to remember the year, much less the month and date!

John Kelly: Well I cheated: I knew I could look up the info in The Post's archive.

_______________________

plumbing update: Thanks to whoever suggested the roof vents during last week's chat. However, the entire Snowpocalypse was a red herring, the 3 feet of snow outside my apartment merely a clever decoy. The REAL culprit, discovered Saturday, was a broken sewer ejector pump, which is about as much fun as it sounds. For those in basement apartments: when black sewer water starts rising from your drains like ooze from a B horror movie, check the sewer ejector pump.

John Kelly: Ewwwwwww. My condolences. Although "Broken Sewer Ejector Pump" sounds like a good name for an album. Or maybe just Sewer Ejector for a death metal band.

_______________________

First Concert: My first concert was Bob Marley at the Cleveland Public Music Hall in May 1978 on the Kaya Tour. I was 14 at the time and went with two friends. When a joint was being passed down the aisle, I put up my hand and said "no thank you, we don't do that," to which my friends said "we do." A lesson in music and in life. Marley never returned to Cleveland. However, that kicked off a barrage of concerts for me that year, including Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Springsteen (three times), among many others. I spent most of my spending money on concerts, including the Knack on the same tour you saw them. They put on an energetic, frenetic show. I went because my girlfriend wanted to see them, and left a fan. I was saddened to see that Doug Feiger had died, but was delighted by your column. It brought back a lot of those great shows from my youth. I had the privilege of seeing Stevie Wonder last night at the Kennedy Center. At almost 60, he put on a fabulous show. I'm so glad I got to see him live.

John Kelly: I picked up Stevie Wonder's greatest hits LP "Musiquarium" (I think that's what it's called) for a buck at the Wheaton Library book store. Lotsa good stuff on there. He definitely had a sound then. They keyboards are so funky.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Is there any talk about a regional evaluation of the snow removal effort? Personally, I don't think it was worse than it should have been, given that we had two major storms in 4 days. The real question our government officials should be asking is: Are we spending the optimal amount on snow removal equipment. Even if governments are concerned only about the levels of taxing and spending, it's a basic cost-benefit analysis. The government should determine if adding additional equipment and training addtional personnel would cost more than the reduction in lost tax revenue from clearing the roads faster. It seems like this would be a worthwhile effort and it would give government officials something to hang their hat on when constitutents complain about how slow the snow removal process is.

John Kelly: From what I saw I think they did the best they could with the roads. I do fault them on sidewalks. Once the roads are relatively passable why not send people out with shovels to clear them? Readers had several suggestions: mobilize the Army (probably not too popular with the Army) and incent the unemployed.

_______________________

Wet Papers: My Post deliveryperson puts the paper in one plastic bag and tosses it into a puddle. By the time I pick it up, the entire paper is waterlogged. It literally takes days forit to dry, and it's imposible to read. I don't want to get her into trouble, but is there any other option? I'm old and largely housebound. and she comes before I get up. I've tried leaving notes, but she delivers by car and hasn't seen them. I don't know her name or phone number. Do you have any other suggestions? This is not a one-time occurrence; it has happened almost daily since these mounds of snow started melting, with no end in sight.

John Kelly: E-mail me with your details (kellyj@washpost.com) and I'll pass them on to our Circulation folks. You shouldn't have to put up with that.

_______________________

...: Alan Freed used to put on rock and roll shows at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater (Anyhow, I'm thinking it was "Alan Freed," it might have been another DJ). My older cousin took me a few times and we saw Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley and the Comets, the Diamonds, Jimmy Clanton, Brenda Lee (as a young teenager, "Little Miss Dynamite") and several others all in one show. Around the same time I saw Smokey Robinson and the Miracles at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, four sets! My family vacationed there in the summer...

John Kelly: Wow, that's a pretty good run of talent.

_______________________

First concert: Poison, at the WVU Coliseum. The opening band was Warrant. You've never seen so much black eyeliner and ripped clothes in your life.

John Kelly: That's what I love about concerts: the tribes they attract. I like riding the Metro and seeing clots of people waiting to get out at Gallery Place and trying to think who might be playing at Verizon that night. One night it's people in blue jeans and cowboy boots (Kenny Chesney?), the next it's little girls in pinks with their cougarmoms (Hannah Montana?).

_______________________

First Concert: I tagged along with some older friends to a Styx concert in Roanoke during the Mr. Roboto tour. Can't recall the year, but it was early 80's. But the first concert that I attended that was of my own choosing? Rick Springfield. My poor teen brain could barely function due to Rick's perfect awesomeness.

John Kelly: Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mineBut lately something's changed, it ain't hard to defineJessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine....

_______________________

Getting votes for dental x-ray machine: John, why don't you post a link so people can vote for a D.C. dental clinic to get some equipment? You talked about it in your 2/25 column. I just voted this morning. Thanks.

John Kelly: Thanks for voting. And for reminding me. You can vote once a day and it's time for me to do it again. You can go to my column for the link or simply click here.

_______________________

First concert: It was Paul McCartney and Wings back in 1976, which was a total accident, since I went to the Capital Centre to get tickets to another concert when I saw the sign up for Wings tickets, so I bought those instead. I thought they were expensive at $8.50! We got there early. Not knowing entrances, etc., even though we were one of the first in, we didn't exactly try to sit way up front (something I never did again at a general admission concert). We did end up sitting behind three nuns, interestingly. The show itself was great and set the bar for how good concerts should be. It was probably around 2 1/2 hours in total, and the set was very clean, and extremely well recognized by the rest of the audience. I think I knew every song they played (if you expecting a list of Beatles tunes at this one, this wasn't the concert, they had enough Wings songs to play and even one from Denny Laine.) I wish I bought a t-shirt, but I did buy a program..... BTW, many years later, I was at a party, and I was talking to someone about concerts...turns out his first concert was also the same one.

John Kelly: I heard from three or four readers who were also at Lisner for the Knack show I wrote about. Luckily, they remembered it the same way I did. You never know after 30 years just how the memory will hold up.

_______________________

Washington, DC: Local H, Smoking Popes and Ednaswap at the late great La Luna in Portland, Ore., in 1996. Why is it the middle act is almost always the worst?

John Kelly: Hah! I guess they're trying to slip 'em past you.

_______________________

First concert...: The Who in, ummm, 81? 82? Their first "final" tour... Saw U2 on the War tour, just as they were getting big. Do you remember DC101's $1.01 concerts at The Bayou? Saw Joan Jett there, and The Ramones.

John Kelly: I saw Joan Jett three or four years ago at this outdoor thing out in Ashburn. Man, she was great. Rockville girl, you know?

_______________________

Duran Duran, April 2, 1984, Capital Center: I still remember the ridiculous outfit I wore with the White Capezios!! I don't think I ever heard the band for all the screaming teens, before they were called "tweens."

John Kelly: White Capezios! I think I'm having a flashback.

_______________________

First Concert and Wet Paper: My first concert was the Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers show at RFK in 1974 - my friend and I brought a whole watermelon, sandwiches and drinks into the stadium w/o any problem - traded half the watermelon for 6 tiny Miller beers! :) Don't remember much about the Dead show, though it was long! The Allman Brothers were great. As to the wet paper; shame on your carrier! I throw the Houston Chronicle and in wet weather, we MUST double bag the paper...that would keep that situation from occuring

John Kelly: Imagine doing that today: bringing stuff with you and bartering with it. Not with the patdowns they have at the gates these days. Although what would people even want? Maybe a quick charge for their iPhone?

_______________________

First concert: I would love to hear about anyone whose first concert was of classical music! ?There have been many historic concerts here in DC, such as Inaugural Concerts for several presidents. Or anyone who attended NSO Youth Concerts in Constitution Hall? Rita Shapiro, Executive Director, National Symphony Orchestra

John Kelly: Well folks?I appreciate people who can appreciate both high and low culture. Every time I go to a good symphony concert I'm blown away and tell myself I ought to go more often.

_______________________

David Bowie, Cap Center: I think it was 1984 or 1985 at the Cap Centre. My folks had a rule that we couldn't go to a concert until we turned 16 so my older sister took me to the concert as a birthday present. Fantastic show if you were a Bowie fan, probably pretty lame if you were not. Of course the follow on was the Greatful Dead and Tom Petty at RFK - not much of a dead head, but the freak factor at that concert was high. I almost ran over some idiot who was on acid who decided he wanted to sleep under my car because it was blue. Ahh, memories.

John Kelly: You've raised a good point with your Bowie memory: Good concert experiences really only work if all the people in the group you're with feel the same way about the act. If one of our foursome who went to see the Knack had thought they were lame, it would have pulled us all down.I saw the Grateful Dead at RFK too, with Bob Dylan (and Tom Petty? Is that possible?). I don't remember much except that it was like 120 degrees in RFK.

_______________________

Wet Newspapers: You're right, she shouldn't have to put up with that. I would like to add that my own deliverer always double-bags and/or knots the open end of the bag whenever there's the slightest precip. Unfortunately our Baltimore Sun deliverer (yes, we get both papers) is exactly the opposite. One bag, open, no matter how hard it's been raining or how long the rain has been predicted for delivery time.

John Kelly: Our carrier double-bags in moist conditions too. I love it, since it gives me one more poop bag. For my dog, not me.

_______________________

I miss the 90's : My first concert was Backstreet Boys "Black and Blue" in Charlotte, N.C. My friends and I all bought a limo and screamed all night long. It's not the Styx, or Queen, but it was a great night. I got wise later and started going to Weenieroast and Warped Tour during high school. Best concert? Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the House of Blues in Chicago. I have never danced so much in my life and I was at the front of the stage so the lead singer and bassist kept making faces and talking to my friends and me. GREAT show. I missed their show at Birchmere last year.

John Kelly: I took our girls to see N*sync at RFK close to 10 years ago, I guess. Pink opened. I don't think they really remember it. Then we saw Britney Spears at Merriweather. Well I know I saw her anyway. I think I took them, too.

_______________________

Oh yes...Metro at Concert Time: I used to live out on the eastern end of the Blue Line. One night, there was an N*Sync concert at Stadium/Armory. The trains were filled with those teeny-bopper/cougermoms. It was the most horrific commute of my life.

John Kelly: I was at that show!And you should have seen the parking lot at Merriweather for the Britney Spears show: wall to wall minivans.

_______________________

Watermelon: When we took watermelons to concerts, it wasn't for bartering them. We'd cut a plug out of one end, let the juice drain out (took several hours) then pour in most of a bottle of rum. Replace plug, go to concert, eat spiked watermelon on the lawn. Good times.

John Kelly: Man, the tool-making animal.

_______________________

new name for the rose: I couldn't believe that they want to change the name of the rose. What, are they drunk? I mean, could you imagine Shakespeare calling a rose by any other name?

John Kelly: would have done a little product placement deal.

_______________________

First concert: I saw the Beatles at the old Washington Coliseum on my birthday (Feb 11) in 1964. The interesting thing is that, many years later, I was in Paris and browsing the art stalls along the Seine when I saw a poster from that concert. I bought it. Concert tickets were $3 and $4!

John Kelly: You're not my high school English teacher, are you?Post columnist David Ignatius was also at that concert. He's written about it.

_______________________

First concert: My first concert was in September of 1993; I was a sophomore in high school. It was to see Meat Loaf. It was actually the dress rehearsal for his "Back Into Hell" tour. I went with mom--on a school night! She worked at the bank Meat and Mrs. Meat frequented, and he gave the staff tickets. It was a good time! At one point they had technical problems, and Meat swore...and then told us how he told his daughter he'd give her money every time he swore, and this wasn't a great start for that on the tour.

John Kelly: That's great! (But shouldn't they be Mr. and Mrs. Loaf?)Meat Loaf's another one of those Styx-like acts that you just have to suspend critical judgment about and get into the spirit of.

_______________________

Thanks: around Washington. The Bayou, The Cap Center, the Cellar Door - or is that just flash-backs? Thanks.

John Kelly: I cleared my mind when I saw down to write the column and tried to remember what that Peaches was like. What I remember was a very airy space: high, high ceilings, pretty bright, and, yes, those wooden crates of records.Back then I used to buy albums based on their covers. If the act looked vaguely 'new wave' (skinny ties, stripy drainpipe trousers) I'd give it a chance. Occasionally I got burned.

_______________________

First Concert: Primus opening for Fishbone at the Boathouse in Norfolk, VA. I remember I couldn't drive yet, and felt so cool because my older sister took me and I didn't need to bum a ride from my parents.

John Kelly: I don't think my parents ever took me to a concert, maybe because I didn't start going until I was 16 and practically had my license or knew people who did. Let's all say thanks to those moms and dads who did ferry us to shows they might not actually have wanted to be at.

_______________________

First Concert: Got taken on a date to see Sade at an outdoor venue. Spent most of the show making out on the lawn. We were not the only ones. Apparently that's what Sade is good for -- make-out music. I wonder if she minded...

John Kelly: Probably not. I wonder if the same could be said of Ted Nugent.

_______________________

Ellicott City - First Concert: My first concert was Elton John at the Baltimore Civic Center, don't remember the exact year but it was the early seventies. During the concert Elton asked that all the "Bobbies" (security people) leave the auditorium which they mistakenly did. After they left the audience rushed the stage and I turned to my date and said we better leave. The last thing I remember seeing was people jumping on the piano and on Elton John. I bet he never did that again!

John Kelly: I'm actually cracking up here at my keyboard imagining that: seeing those big rhinestone glasses disappear under a bunch of Baltimoreans. What was Elton thinking!

_______________________

Woodstocknati, ON: Not the worst, but the most disappointing was Joni Mitchell at Cole Field House in 197n. Long wait after the opening act (Tom Scott, I think). She came out for her first song ("Free Man in Paris") and spent the first half of it stepping away from the mike to argue with the drummer. I heard later that he was becoming her latest ex at that moment. Anyway, she put down the guitar, stomped offstage, and never came back. Saw her a few years later touring with the Persuasions. Great show except for the six obnoxious twits occupying five seats right in front of us screaming "JOOOOOOONIIIIIIII!!!!!" through the entire set. She's doing Mingus tunes, children. Shut up and listen.

John Kelly: As a drummer who has tried to play "Free Man in Paris" I have to say I'm on his side. It's a tough one.But Joni, you're supposed to be a pro!

_______________________

First Concert: By sheer luck mine was Paul McCartney, Giants Staduim, 1993. I was 15 years old. *Just* starting to understand The Beatles' awesomeness. So I can't say I recognized all the tunes I should have, but the sound was phenomenal for a venue that big. Crystal clear. My favorite memory: watching my mom dance and sing at the top of her lungs to "Lady Madonna", which I had never imagined seeing ever in my life.

John Kelly: Sometimes it pays for mom to go in, and not sit in the parking lot or the stadium's "quiet room."

_______________________

Dead, Dylan & Petty: You are correct, it was all three as I recall and yes it was like late June/early July so hot and gross. One of my roommates was the type of Dead Head who followed them around all summer. I think we were there for 5 min and he ate a bunch of mushrooms and never saw him again until 3 days later. He's probably in the Senate now.

John Kelly: Again, I am chuckling to myself.We could probably use more Deadheads in the Senate.

_______________________

John Denver!: My sister was 18 and I was 12 and she took me to see John Denver at the Portland Coliseum in 1976. The opening band was the Starland Vocal Band. I still remember feeling so grown up and so honored that she included me w/her friends. And John Denver was so great in concert, still takes me back when I hear his music.

John Kelly: The best concerts have that combination of performer, performance, venue and crowd. The people you go with have as much to do with making it a success as the act itself.

_______________________

FIrst concert: Fleetwood Mac, 1977, Capital Centre, Rumors tour, fun time.

John Kelly: Thunder only happens when it's raining.....Remember when that album was everywhere?

_______________________

First concert: Bryan Adams at the New Haven Coliseum, around 1984 or so. It was for the "Reckless" album tour, you know... "Summer of '69," "Heaven," etc. I was 13. My dad and my friend Lori's mom took us.

John Kelly: I have a feeling Bryan is still doing that same show.

_______________________

Vienna, Va: My first real concert was U2 at Constitution Hall in 1982 I believe. Went with a bunch of "new wave" friends. I had honestly never really listened to U2s stuff, but the concert was great. Too bad they seem like such sellouts now.

John Kelly: We watched "It Might Get Loud" the other night, the documentary featuring Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge. They had a little clip of early U2, back when they didn't really know what they wanted to be. They looked sort of Split Enzish. But then The Edge figured out his guitar sound and everything changed.

_______________________

First concert: Blood, Sweat and Tears. Hard to make the horns sound bad. It was a free concert somewhere in CT back in the early 70s. That's about all I remember.

John Kelly: Speaking of BST: One of the best rock books I've ever read is Al Kooper's memoir. Lotsa stuff about producing that band.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: My parents started taking me to concerts before I could even walk. We saw all the old hippie, folkie bands out at Wolf Trap. My first concert on my own though with my friends was to see New Edition at the old convention center in 85 or 86. The weird thing about it was that it was in the early afternoon on a weekend. Not at night. Never could figure out why.

John Kelly: Interesting. And I can't imagine the convention center was the comfiest setting, either. But perhaps they transcended their time and space.

_______________________

Classical?: Er...how about classic rock? I'm at the tail end of Gen-X, and my first concert, sometime in the 90's, happened to be Three Dog Night. The next one I went to was a Jazz Festival, featuring Little Feet and the Neville Brothers. To best of my memory, I really haven't been to anything since. Concerts just aren't my thing. Now, give me Karaoke, and the songs I know best are from the 60's, 70's, and 80's.

John Kelly: Hah! You were born too late.

_______________________

re: Dead + Allmans : 1973?(Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers Band)

John Kelly: We'll never see their likes again.

_______________________

First Concert: My brother (much older than me) took mom and I to a Tom Jones concert. I'm a woman and I absolutely don't see why women swoon over him.

John Kelly: He's got a certain kind of Welsh charisma. And what a set of pipes. He can belt it.

_______________________

Meat Loaf: The New York Times always calls him Mr. Loaf. That cracks me up. One of my earliest concerts was at JMU, when my roommates and I from UVa rolled "down the road" to see the Go-Gos (1983? 84?). You'll be happy to know it was fabulous, still one of the most fun concerts I've ever attended.

John Kelly: Good. I felt bad for them on that Police tour. Glad to hear that when they were the headliners they brought their A game. (I wondered who opened for them?)

_______________________

First concert: was The Police Synchronicty tour with REM opening. We had no idea who REM were, and didn't at all appreciate the show. My older sister, a "responsible" teenager chaperoned us. Lucky for us she didn't accept a toke from the guys in front of us! The Police were awesome, by the way.

John Kelly: And they just finished making a ton of money on their last tour. And I think it really was their last tour. I don't think Stewart Copeland gets along with Stingo (as the drummer calls him).

_______________________

Also UVa in early '80s...: Saw Wynton Marsalis. He was such a jerk, telling the audence we didn't appreciate jazz and were cocooned elitist adolescents. I've never thought well of him since.

John Kelly: Weird. What a way to alienate an audience. I confess I'm not a huge jazz fan, which I finally decided was okay, especially after reading that John Lennon hated it.

_______________________

Alexandria: My first concert- an older cousin took me to see the Steve Miller Band (this was 1992ish). The first concert I went to un-chaperoned was Metallica (a year later). Both at Merriweather. Very different experiences

John Kelly: And aren't you glad you had them?

_______________________

Bryan is still doing that same show!: I saw him here in DC recently at the Warner Theatre. Great show.

John Kelly: I love the Warner for shows. I saw a great Marshall Crenshaw show there some time in the late 80s/early 90s.

_______________________

Not the first show... Maybe the best.: Sometime in, oh, 87 or 88, in Houston. A place called, IIRC, Powertools. Sort of Houston's version of The Bayou. I was in the Army, at Ft. Polk. Don't remember why the 4 of us went to Houston for the weekend. We hanging there, listening to the house dj, when management stopped letting people in. Then ZZ Top came out onstage and jammed for a coupel hours. It was awesome.

John Kelly: I was at the Bottom Line in NYC seeing this guy named Asa Brabner, who used to play with Robin Laine and the Chartbusters, when management stopped letting people in and up to the stage came...Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon. Wasn't quite the same thing....

_______________________

I win: The Band, 1970.

John Kelly: Worth the weight?

_______________________

First Concert: August 1973 - Kansas (who were they? WOW!) followed by the Eagles (2nd album just out) followed by the Beach Boys (who could still sing). It never got any better than that.

John Kelly: But you need to keep going to concerts, just in case it does.

_______________________

DC 1966: The Rolling Stones (with the late Brian Jones), Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles and maybe the Impressions at the Washington Colisium in 1966.

John Kelly: Another great lineup.

_______________________

Every time I go to a good symphony concert I'm blown away and tell myself I ought to go more often.: I am that way about Opera: it can literally bring tears to my eyes it is so powerful. I love LIVE classical because you can feel it. I love punk and alt-country AND highbrow opera.

John Kelly: Feeling it is what it's all about. It's hard, of course, when tickets are close to $100, a far cry from the $6.50 I paid to see the Knack 30 years ago. But don't forget that bar bands are sweating it out for your entertainment at all sorts of places. These musicians often lament that "people don't see live music anymore." They play anyway, because they love it and because--occasionally--they make a connection with the people in the audience.Thanks for sharing your memories today. Maybe we'll see each other bopping away at a show some day.