Live Music and My Desperate Need For It!

My first memories of rock music were on TV.  There were reruns of The Beatles a cartoon made in the 60’s.  Weekly shows like The Monkees, The Partridge Family, The Osmond Brothers Show, and Donny and Marie.  I remember walking around as a little kid singing songs by The Beatles and The Monkees.  Music became part of my life blood and it cared for me when I was blue.  Like most kids growing up, I went to school concerts and events.  In 7th grade, I went on a trip to a Broadway show, Beatlemania, and for the first time, saw live rock music.  It wasn’t the real Beatles, but I had never had the opportunity to see the group perform live, so this was the closest thing I could get, and it was transformative!

In 1983, I saw my first concert at Jones Beach.  My friends and I saw the Stray Cats, and we had fun.  We knew all the songs, we danced around, and just basically had an amazing time.  This was the first time I attended a show at Jones Beach Theater, and it wouldn’t be the last.  Going to the beach, seeing the stars and the moonlight, feeling the warm summer breeze, it’s perfect for rock concerts.  I would return dozens of times to my “Electric Church” and the altar of rock and roll.

I could talk endlessly about concerts by The Who, Jeff Beck, and Sheryl Crow.  But instead, I will do my best to rate the seven greatest concerts I have seen in my 35 years of concert going.

1.       Jeff Beck.  Each time I see him, he just keeps getting better!  The last show I saw at Jones Beach and I was lucky to have my wife there, to see him for the first time.  Guitar set to stun!  Tasty licks, perfect timing, and a long list of amazing songs.  In my mind there is no equal to Jeff Beck, and I could not even start to try and pick a best show.  Every show is the best show!

2.       The Who at Shea Stadium.  My first “Who” show and for me and the last “power” concert for this 60’s classic band.  It was loud, the stage was huge, and the band was on.  The Who had lost something when they lost drummer Keith Moon, but that night they found it one more time.  After that tour, The Who changed.  Pete Townshend called it a cabaret act, but I thought it was a bit more than that.  I stopped seeing The Who - the band they tour with now is not my Who, but I’m glad people are still enjoying the music.

3.       Don Henley. I saw this Eagle’s founding member in 1993 and I was blown away.  The set, the lights, and the music were all theatrical and created a mood I have never seen repeated.  The concert opening featured adobes in the background, a Mexican sunset landscape backdrop, and dancing girls coming out dancing to “Dirty Laundry.”  The crowd at Jones Beach collectively gasped.  They had created a perfect moment and we, those in the audience, appreciated it.  I’m not a big fan of The Eagles or Don Henley, but that night - perfection!

4.       Sheryl Crow at Jones Beach in 1994.  I have been a fan of hers from the very beginning.  I like the music, lyrics, and her beauty.  I was not expecting her to be a musical virtuoso.  I saw her on her first tour and that night on stage she played 8, yes 8, different instruments.  Each song was a gift to us, the audience, and she gave us her all!  I have seen her on subsequent tours, but nothing compared to the energy of her first.  Still, she is one of the best!

5.       Pete Townshend-Psychoderelict tour.  I add this show at Jones Beach, because this was wholly a “Pete Townshend” moment, and not a Who moment.  My wife, Shana, and I went to this concert when we were dating and we were given back stage passes along with 3rd row seats.  Pete was on, Shana was amazed, and I met my rock idol, good night!  Oh, and the concert was amazing too!

6.       David Bowie- Serious Moonlight Tour in 1983.  I was not a Bowie fan, but I was at Syracuse University as a freshman, and we were able to get tickets for cheap.  David Bowie was godlike! He played one instrument after another; we lost count after 6.  The band was tight and the concert atmosphere was electric.  David Bowie was truly one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time.  He showed it that night.

7.       Joe Jackson -Jones Beach in 1989.  There was bad weather in the area and it rained before the concert, but by show time it was clear.  The crew had only set up a bare bones set, only the basics.  Few lights, less gear, the show felt smaller in some way.  Then the band took the stage, and blew the doors off the back of the theater!  Joe Jackson and his band, with little help, rocked the crap out of the house that night.  The musical variety was amazing and the band could play it all, I still rank Joe Jackson as one of music’s greatest rockers.

Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll!

I absolutely love rock music.  Not a day goes by that I don’t listen to a old favorite or some mix of music on YouTube.  I attended my first concert at Jones Beach and saw David Gilmore.  The Pink Floyd guitarist lit up the night with soulful licks and perfect pitch.  Funny thing is that my knowledge of music was limited at 16, so I didn’t fully appreciate who he was and why he was one of the best.  The Stray Cats was my next concert and this one was really fun because I knew the music and my friends and I danced around all night.  MTV’s coverage of the Stray Cats’ videos and live performances added to my total enjoyment of a live show.

A lifetime later, I have attended a shit ton of concerts, seeing my favorite musicians and bands multiple times.  I believe I have developed a more refined taste for live music.  YouTube keeps adding amazing live shows and I believe there are just too many for any one person to view in a lifetime.  I will gladly share with everyone my favorite live bands and festivals that rock-n-rollers need to be on the lookout for.  There is no particular order, but I say without hesitation that my favorite musician is Jeff Beck.

The first time I saw The Who at Shea Stadium, I was given tickets by my sister.  She had purchased them while I was away working for the summer.  At that time, The Who was my favorite band and this was my first opportunity to see them, albeit without Keith Moon.  My mind was blown!  Since then, I have seen The Who 11 times and Pete Townshend another 3, but I will discuss Pete on his own later in this piece.  No band comes close to the power, quality, and sheer rock prowess.  This concert featured the legendary Townshend’s guitar smash and Daltrey’s mike acrobatics, with the thundering Entwistle bass in the background.  Few Who shows compare, mostly because I’m too young to have seen The Who at their peak.

Jeff Beck is my favorite musician and he just keeps getting better, I swear!  Each show seems to top the one before and, each time I’m able to worship at the electric church of this virtuoso, I thank the universe.  Perfect is the only word that describes this former Yardbirds’ guitarist.  Each note from his guitar is beyond tasty and always placed at the point of maximum impact.  I can’t remember a show where I wasn’t visibly sad when it was over.  Amazingly, each new album gives me a chance to see my favorite musician play new material, and each time it has been sublime. 

The Crossroads Guitar Festivals are all brilliant.  Featuring a list of who’s who of the music world, these three festivals showcased the best guitarists in the world.  Both young and old masters shared the stage to create the most memorable festival concert ever witnessed.  Unfortunately, I was only able to view the DVDs, but that did allow me to see artists from all 3 days of each of the shows.  Eric Clapton was the mastermind of these concerts and he was featured prominently in each festival.  I re-watch the DVDs once a year as they are just that good.

I saw David Bowie’s Let’s Dance tour and it was the only time I was lucky enough to see him.  Bowie’s band, his set, and his performance was done at an unbelievable level.  Bowie played 8 different instruments during the concert, each one better than the last.  His vocals were perfect, even with the crappy acoustics of the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.  During “Serious Moonlight” they let out giant glow balls for fans to bounce around the dome, really cool!  Bowie always gave a great show.

I have seen Sheryl Crow many times, starting with her first tour “Tuesday Night Music Club.”  I have seen her a half dozen times since.  Her talent is breathtaking and she performs her songs with skill and passion.  Her band is solid and she has been playing with the same group for over 20 years.  Crow sports different instruments during her shows, demonstrating her wide range of musical talent.  I have not been lucky enough to see her over the last few years, but i hope the Heart reunion tour where she is featured comes close to my home. That’s a show I would love to see!

My greatest concert experience was when my sister, who was working at a local radio station, gave me tickets and backstage passes to Pete Townshend’s “Psychoderelict” show at Jones Beach.  I took the woman I love (now my wife of over 22 years!) to the show.  She had never seen The Who, but had listened to a crapload of it since starting to date me.  She was really excited, but we were both not ready for what happened next!  The concert featured a stage play alongside the live music.  My girlfriend loved Broadway so this made her giddy with excitement.  Townshend played the whole Psychoderelict album and then played a bunch of old Who songs, I was blown away.  And this was not even the best part!

We used our backstage passes.  There, talking to a group of people, was Pete Townshend.  My girlfriend guided me to the line of autograph seekers and well-wishers.  With sweaty palms and a Mount Everest sized lump in my throat, I walked up to Pete and introduced myself and my girlfriend.  As we were walking away my girlfriend was smiling at me, she said I that was great and she was impressed with my interaction with my idol.  I smiled, it would take minutes to review the whole discussion in my mind.  I recalled that he was a kind man and thanked me for my personal connection to his music.  This was my rock-n-roll fantasy!

Live music is a energy shot to your soul and a way to change the mood of your day.  I have been to too many concerts to list them all but, I still feel a thrill every time I see music performed.  I always find myself singing along with the music like my friends from the Stray Cats were there.  To be part of the live music in some small way is a way to touch happiness, the momentary nature of it is what cleanses our souls.