Concerts - How Many Have You Seen?

Last weekend, we went back in time about 50 years.  We drove to Oxford, Alabama and saw Herman’s Hermits live and in person.  I know many of you under the age of 50 are saying, “Who or what are Herman’s Hermits?” Well, you sassy young readers, just go Google them. Herman’s Hermits were a major force in the British Invasion; not as big as the Beatles mind you, but in the mid-60s they were probably on the same level as the Rolling Stones. Although their flame burned brightly for a relatively short period of time, it did burn bright.   The facts speak for themselves. Between 1964-1967 Herman’s Hermits sold over 40 million records. In 1965 they placed more songs in the top 10 than the Beatles. They even did The Ed Sullivan Show 3 times, complete with screams that rivaled the lads from Liverpool.  I personally remember several appearances at the Shower of Stars concerts in my home town of Birmingham. 

“Herman” was a young lad whose given name is Peter Noone. He was the lead singer of the group - at the age of 15. His crooning and schoolboy good looks made him a big hit with the girls. My wife Carol was quick to point out to me that as a teen she not only had their albums, but a big poster of him on her bedroom wall.  

I think by now you realize why I went to this concert.  A few weeks ago when I casually mentioned to my wife that Herman’s Hermits were going to be playing nearby, she jumped off the couch like a copperhead was beside her. 

“When? Where? What time?”, she asked intently. I was doomed. 

I must admit, the concert  was enjoyable.  Herman looked very good. I suppose he and Paul McCartney have the same plastic surgeon. And while he didn’t hit all the high notes, he smoothly navigated about 90 minutes of their greatest hits, mixing songs with lots of audience banter. 

My wife knew every word of every song, and loudly sang along. I suppose old teen crushes die hard. 

On the way home, the couple we were with (yes, I did hijack two of our friends to go along) began talking about all the concerts we had seen. All of us agreed that our ages created perfect timing to see some truly great ones.  Incredibly, Carol told us her first concert at the tender age of 12 was Jimi Hendrix at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.  We were wowed. 

My first concert was also at the age of 12, and while it wasn’t Hendrix, it wasn’t bad. It was The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones headlining at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.   It’s hard to believe that my Mom dropped me and a friend off and let us attend alone.  Oh, how times have changed.  Now you’d need a police escort and a Kevlar vest. A couple of years later, I had front row seats to see Vanilla Fudge and the Young Rascals - later to become the Rascals.  I won those tickets in a radio contest.  I remember bringing along my trusty Polaroid camera and taking several pictures. Back then, the only phone anyone had was tethered to a cord. 

But college was the treasure trove of concerts. The acts were cheap, plentiful, and awesome.  What a line up I saw in my four years in Tuscaloosa.  People like James Taylor, The Who, Linda Ronstadt, the Allman Brothers, The Beach Boys, Neil Young, and The Rolling Stones.  I even forged a ticket to see Elton John. Took a piece of paperboard backing from a new shirt, cut it to the exact size, and then used a pencil to draw the the black lettering and gray tones.  I handed it to the ticket taker as the crush of the crowd pushed me past him and he didn’t look twice.  Hmm. I hope the Statute of Limitations has passed.  

For whatever reason, I missed a few big acts in college, including some I rue to this day; Led Zepplin, Rod Stewart, the Eagles, and most notably, Elvis.  My wife was a huge Elvis fan, but I didn’t want to see a huge Elvis. Huge mistake. I should’ve gone. Needless to say, I’ve still never lived that one down. 

Adulthood cut back on my concert attendance, but I did manage to add a few more notches to my belt -   Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Bob Seger, Poco, The Grateful Dead and many others.  As a comedian, I opened for BB King, Chicago, and the Temptations & The Four Tops.  Saw them perform from backstage - that was nice.  On the other hand, my seats to see Paul McCartney were so high up that I required an oxygen mask and a Sherpa to seat me. 

Live concerts have changed over the years.  Prices are different, meaning much higher. Tickets to a big name artist can require a second mortgage. The older performers know that the people who saw them as teens are now Baby Boomers with good jobs and portfolios. So many of them are more than willing to shell out several hundred bucks to get in a time machine for a couple of hours. 

Back in the day, concerts had no alcohol for sale.  No $14 beers; instead you smuggled alcohol in just like a football game.  Of course, the giant smoke cloud that formed inside the venue meant that a lot of people were smuggling in something else. 

Tickets aren’t paper anymore; instead they are on your iPhone. So for goodness sake, make sure it’s fully charged before you head inside. 

There was no reserved seating either. For the most part, it was first come - first served. This created a frenzied crush of fans as soon as the doors opened.  I used this surge to get in Elton John’s concert with my fake ticket.  However, this practice abruptly ended in 1979 when a crowd stampeded at a Who concert in Cincinnati and killed 11 people. Now all tickets are reserved and you go thru a metal detector in an orderly fashion before you’re admitted. As a result, it took us an hour to get in the McCartney concert. 

But regardless of age, price, and hassles, concerts are a special experience. From small auditoriums to large stadiums, nothing can replace the energy, anticipation and joy of  seeing one of your musical heroes performing live. 

And as all of us know, it’s more than just listening to live music. It’s creating memories. 

What’s the best concert you’ve ever seen?

Find more of Joe’s stories on his blog: https://mylifeasahobby.blogspot.com/?m=1. Also, follow him on Facebook at: Joe Hobby Comedian- Writer