Sic Semper Tyrannis

A Concerted Effort

Ok, faithful readers, if you’re still out there. We’ve been ignoring each other for long enough. Let’s gossip!

I’ve been thinking about the band Wilco lately and today I was reminded of how great their concert was when they came and played at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center… last year was it?

Anyway, that got me to trying to think of the best concerts I’ve been to. Now I’m not a heavy-duty rock n’ roll-type person. I haven’t been to just hundreds of shows or anything, but I do have some pretty strong memories…

Van Halen 1993 at the OK State Fairgrounds—it was in the middle of the summer, hot as Hades. I was in summer band that week and it was so great to leave early and meet all of my friends in the parking lot of the arena and have a tailgate party, drinking warm Shasta. Being surrounded by all of that bare concrete hours and hours before the gates opened, with the sun beating down, it left a pretty indelible memory. I remember we played the song “Ice Cream Man,” really loud on the car stereo in honor of the guy in the Ice Cream truck who came and parked near us. Vince Neil opened the show and that was pretty horrible. But when my heroes took the stage, I was mesmerized. To see Eddie up there in real life--pretty amazing. They played this song “Rockin’ in the Free World,” which I had never really heard before then.

Pink Floyd 1995 in Dallas with my oldest brother-- Even though it was the Roger Waters-less version, I didn’t care. I felt so adult flying down there alone.

Blink 182 in Dallas—that was back in the days when they were still uber-popular. They were crazy energetic, opening for Bush. I was just amazed at all the running around they did. I saw them a few years later in an outdoor setting, opening for Green Day and it wasn’t nearly as good. I think they got lazy and relied on pyro too much. Green Day, however, was quite impressive at that show.

Elvis Costello at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas—Phantom Planet were the openers and it was a good time with good buds who couldn’t have loved E.C. nearly as much as I do. I was impressed with his endurance. He just kept going with encore after encore, definitely worth the money.

Wilco in Bricktown—like I said before.

King Crimson in St. Louis—the great LOST Concert. I had a ticket and everything, but it was just one big snowstorm from here to there. So I would up having to miss it. Still upset about that one.

So, what say you? What are your top concerts?

What was your first concert? I’m pretty sure mine was Kenny Rogers at the Savannah Civic Center when I was just a little tyke. I was young enough to get my dad confused with Kenny.

posted by Mike @ 3:01 PM