Your Fantasy Concert

DEBORAH CROMBIE: We just scored tickets to see James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt, here in Dallas (Frisco, actually) on July 31st. JT!!! 

The theater is new to us, and looks fairly intimate. I hope so, because no way could we afford front of house seats. Yikes!! We are talking thousands!

But we are huge James Taylor fans, especially Rick, who I think can play every single JT song on the guitar, but we've never seen him play live, so this was a must! We've seen a lot of rock-n-roll legends. My first-ever concert was the Beatles in Dallas in 1964. Not that you could hear them, mind you, but it was an experience (as in mass hysteria...) But a few years ago, I got to see Paul McCartney on tour in Dallas. It was the last stop of his tour, and when he walked out on the stage you could tell he was exhausted. But then he seemed to just suck up the energy from the audience and he played full on for THREE hours. Amazing.

We've seen the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young reunion tour. We've seen the Police on their reunion tour. (Man, I wish I had seen them in the day. I have a huge crush on Andy Summers.) We've seen Sting with Annie Lenox.

I did see Led Zeppelin in the day (maybe 1970?) It was a stadium concert, and I don't remember much other than the sweltering heat and the sound of Jimmy Page's guitar.

There is one more long-time idol I would really really really love to see in person, and that's Paul Simon. I think he is the singer/songwriter/genius of my generation, at least.
How about you, REDS? Memorable rock concerts? And who would you want to see that you've missed over the years? (I want to see Green Day, and they are going on tour but not coming to Dallas:-( Not that I know who I could drag with me...)

JENN: Concert lover here! Like you, Debs, I’m married to a musician and the Hooligans have gone musical, too, so we are big time concert goers. Guns n Roses was last year’s big concert for us, this year it’s Dead and Company (formerly the Grateful Dead) but I’ve heard grumblings that we’re going to see Metallica, too. My first concert was my junior year of high school and it was Rush at the New Haven Coliseum. In college, I was a bartender at Toad’s Place, also in New Haven, which is a live music venue, so I got to watch and meet everyone from the Allman Brothers to Cyndi Lauper to the Stray Cats, oh, and my fave band was the Ramones because they played there all the time since they lived in the area and were friends with the owner. Those were definitely some of the most fun years of my life! Hub went on to be the music editor for our local paper so I got to be his plus one for years and was giddy to see so many great shows like Aerosmith, George Strait, Madonna, Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard. Wow, this really makes me realize how important music is in my life. Here’s a question, I tend to use music to help my writing, especially when I’m stuck. Does anyone else do that or do you need silence?

INGRID: I loved going to concerts when I was growing up, and I saw some amazing artists.  One of my sisters was an avid concert-goer, and that’s how I got started. No joke, I think Prince may have sweat on me when I had second row seats to his show.  I also saw Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, George Michael, Elton John, Duran Duran (yes, I was a tween in the 80’s), James Taylor, Billy Idol, Tears for Fears, Erasure, Squeeze, Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd,) and Howard Jones.  I haven’t been to any concerts lately, but I would love to see Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars, although huge stadium concerts seem too big unless you’re right in the front, spitting (or sweating) distance from the stage.  As much as I love listening to upbeat pop music, I can’t listen to it when I work.  Anything with lyrics is too distracting for writing, but it’s just the ticket when it’s time to unload the dishwasher!

RHYS BOWEN: When I was growing up it was really the Golden Age of rock and roll. I saw the Stones when they were brand new and so amateurish. I saw the Beatles before they went to America and became super stars. In my staid and boring adulthood I have opted for people like Harry Connick Jr, who is an amazing performer. I've never seen Billy Joel, but I would have liked to. Frankly I don't think I would want to be involved in that seething mass of humanity at a concert. But I've a good concert story. I was in Australia visiting my mother. My daughter Jane was visiting people in South Dakota for whom she used to babysit. She was about fifteen at the time. John called me and said that Jane had asked permission to go to a concert and he had said yes. When I got home I found out it was Def Leopard and she had gone alone! And John couldn't understand why I freaked out. Jane said everyone was very nice to her and lifted her over their heads to get a good view.

HALLIE EPHRON: It's so embarrassing to admit, but rock music and concerts isn't my thing. Ask me about dance or art and I can offer up opinions. So... most memorable concert for me was WAAAAAY back -- Joan Baez on tour, and her warm-up act was an unheard of singer, Bob Dylan. I thought he was awful. I also saw Big Brother and the Holding Company and Janis Joplin at the Filmore West and thought she was... inscrutable. Like I say, I've got no sense at all when it comes to popular music.

LUCY BURDETTE: Oh Debs, I love love love Bonnie Raitt. Have seen her several times and would go again in a heartbeat. Also Emmylou Harris and many bluegrass bands back in my Tennessee days. Jenn, Toad's Place!! I wonder if we overlapped in New Haven? I moved there in 1984...

Did you see that Paul Simon just announced a tour? We did see Art Garfunkle a couple of years ago, but he'd lost his voice and it was embarrassing. Also saw James Taylor and Carole King--wonderful. Oh, and Traffic in NYC, back in my wild college days:). And a little bit of Kenny Chesney right here in Key West. But I'm with Rhys, the great big crowds put me off so we don't do too much of it these days. I'd rather go to a Broadway show!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, you KNOW I will go to Paul Simon..any time any place. We saw the Beatles in the 1964, I'm sure no one could hear a word over the screaming.  In college, we sneaked away form class and drove to Chicago to hear Crosby Stills and Nash (maybe 1968?) and after a few songs, they said--"we're thinking about adding someone else to our group, let's bring him out and see what you think." And then out came Neil Young! And if that wasn't amazing enough, the out came Judy Blue Eyes herself.  Jonathan and I went to a Judy Collins concert a year ago--wow, forty-five years later?--and she was still amazing.
I went to a Linda Ronstadt concert in maybe--1999? And sat in the front row. She was amazing. AMAZING!  I've been to several James Taylor concerts at Tanglewood--he's a local boy--and I am always so happy afterward. (I'd adore to hear Carly Simon, too, but never have in person.)
And Bruce Springsteen at Fenway Park. Blew the roof off the place. Well, there's no roof, but he would have. LOVE The Boss.
Now--I'd love to hear Bruno Mars or Justin Timberlake or Adele. But Jonathan would never go. Agreed--I'm not a fan of HUGE concert events.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Ross and I went to a concert for the first time in years this past summer  we saw Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. We had a great time. The audience was multi-generational, and we talked and sang along with the folks seated around us. Buffett played for over two hours, which at his age I think constitutes good value for the money. We saw Three Doors Down a few years ago after winning four tickets - the most memorable thing about that was the beautiful location on a pier in Portland. We could watch the ships coming and going and the sun setting while drinking beer and occasionally tuning in to the music.

When I was young? First concert was Barry Manilow when I was a junior in high school. My best friend and I went and we both had SUCH a crush on him. The most memorable thing about the Grateful Dead concert I saw was discovering AFTER I had gotten inside that my boyfriend had stashed his weed in my purse! I saw the Who during their farewell tour in England, after a mad dash from London to Birmingham to reach the venue.

On the smaller live band front, we've seen Robert Earl Keen several times. If he and his band come to your town - and they might, they're a touring band - I highly recommend them.  I'd drop dough for Harry Connick Jr. in a New York minute, but overall, I'm much more likely to pay for seats at the symphony than at a rock concert. 

DEBS: Well, you have all put me to shame, and I have an embarrassing confession to make. When we've been to rock concerts the last few years, I've had to wear ear plugs. How lame is that? But I have a bad ear (nerve damage) so that much noise is really painful. But, as much as I love classical concerts (and I was a season ticket holder for the Dallas Opera for more than twenty years) and Broadway or West End shows, there is nothing like the energy and experience of a rock concert. I was too young for Woodstock--now that must have been something.

I'm adding to my fantasy concert list. Having just recently become a huge Bruce Springstein fan (I know, totally dopey, but I listened to ENGLISH bands...) I would love to see him. 

And I'd love to see Bruno Mars. There is just a huge amount of joy in his performances.

So, readers, what about you? What's the fantasy concert you've always wanted to see? (And, yes, we will accept non-rock:-))

PS: Jenn, I cannot listen to music when I'm writing. Unless I'm in a coffee shop, and then it's fine. Isn't that weird?