My First Concert
I was barely 16, in Seattle with friends. They opted to see "M.A.S.H.", just in theaters. I wasn't old enough to get in, so I decided to head to the Moore Theater, where instead, I saw Frank Zappa and the Mothers. Holy crap! Was there anything in "M.A.S.H." that was worse than anything I heard on stage that night? I don't think so -- this was Frank in the first run of the 'Flo & Eddie' years, the tours and albums that resulted in critics dumping on FZ for "teen porn" -- this was the tour that featured lurid tales of band/groupie interaction involving sea creatures at the Edgewater Inn in Seattle. Yikes!! A few years later, I saw Frank with his Grand Wazoo band, his own version of a (small) big-band outfit. They were legends, fully equipped to pull off Frank's complicated charts -- but the calls for "Mudshark" kept coming, and Frank was actually pained -- "Oh, you don't want us to play that, do you?" But the calls continued, and Frank, obviously embarrassed, told the band "It's a blues -- just follow me.."
Footnote: I saw FZ probably 3 or 4 more times. At one show (it may have been the Moore Theater one), some drunk comes on stage, brays for a while playing the piano (how did this guy get on stage? Why does he have access to a piano? Oh Frank, such a clever guerrilla-theater moment!) until he's subjected to audience harassment and leaves the stage. Many years later, I realize he was Tom Waits (he and FZ shared the same manager).
Other Concerts (and an Amusing Disaster)
Working in a record store, I got a lot of free tickets. Promoters thought a full house (even though 1/4 were free) was better than a sparse audience.
So I got to see whatever the record companies were pushing at the time: The Boomtown Rats, Rachel Sweet, XTC (great), the Police (boring -- we left after 3 songs), and my favorite, Rubicon. They opened for the Rats, I think, and it was a total mistake. They were touted as a super-group of second and third line players -- the most famous was Sly Stone's sax player. They played bad (as in terrible); eventually, the sax guy complained that we were a bad (as in terrible) audience. At that point, the front rows (all record store people) taunted him and the band by acting as if Rubicon was the ROCKIN'EST BAND EVER!! Whenever the singer would point to the crowd, they'd point back, meanwhile fake-dancing up a storm, disco moves, total rock abandonment -- they did it all. It was like 'improv theater as revenge' from the audience. Totally awesome! (Rubicon left the stage soon after.)
Best Concert(s) Ever?
The late, lamented Rainbow Tavern in Seattle. My girlfiend/now-and-always wife see Loudon Wainwright III ( around the release of the album "Unrequited"). It is incredible. When I first mention this blog post about favorite concerts, she says "Oh, Loudon". He's hilarious, he's moving, he's utterly captivating. Show's over, we're outside, and we both say "Let's stay for the second show!!" Back in line, in for free, another hour or so of greatness.
Best Bonding
Dazzled and enchanted by John Fahey, guitarist, folklorist, magician, once again at The Rainbow. Long, long, mesmerizing medleys and improvisations built on blues, folk, Russian classical music, and John's own fertile brain. I take a restroom break. Guy at next urinal: "Isn't he just so great??"
Men do NOT talk to each other in public restrooms. Side-by-side urinal use does NOT mean a bond has been formed. Yet, this night, whether beer has been involved or not, broke the rule. Who knows, if my bladder had cooperated, I could have been standing next to John Fahey instead...
Next: Elvis Costello, John Martyn, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Van Morrison again, and Jethro Tull on the Monorail!
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