a life well lived

So, I was commenting to a friend how I am pretty much over concerts. I hate the entire concert industry... the business of it. How I hate $40 parking, $7 beers, and $125 tickets. I hate EVERYTHING about Ticketmaster.  Of course, I have written about that here.  I still love the music, but it just isn't worth the trouble anymore.  You could compare it to flying.  They have put so many hurdles up, it just isn't worth it, anymore.

I go about once a year. I mean, I can't just stop all concerts. I live in the same town as Red Rocks. I got to see Van Morrison play Red Rocks. I mean... holy shit!  Nights like that (which is ANY night at Red Rocks), I am reminded how much I love live music... and how much it means to me.

I was thinking about the shows I have seen. This is my 27th 32 year (?) of going to concerts (am 37 now,  46 now)- I saw the Police farewell tour when I was 10). This is the stuff I have gotten to see with my own eyes over the years. Some, more than others.

Ø Tom Petty sing Free Falling

Ø Bruce Springsteen sing Born to Run

Ø Levon Helm sing the Weight

Ø Robert Plant sing Going to California

Ø Allman Brothers sing Blue Sky

Ø Eric Clapton sing Layla

Ø James Taylor sing Fire and Rain

Ø Paul Simon sing the Boxer

Ø Grateful Dead sing Touch of Grey

Ø Crosby, Still, and Nash sing Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

Ø Tom Waits sing Ole’ 55

Ø Tool sing Sober

Ø Snoop Dog sing Gin and Juice

Ø U2 sing Beautiful Day

Ø Van Morrison sing Moondance

Ø John Prine sing Sam Stone

Ø Tracy Chapman sing Fast Car

Ø Toad the Wet Sprocket sing Walk on the Ocean

Ø Steely Dan sing Aja

Ø The Police sing Every Breath you Take

Ø Rush sing Closer to the Heart

Ø Spinal Tap sing Big Bottom

Ø Janes’ Addiction sing Jane Says

Ø Red Hot Chili Peppers sing Under the Bridge

Ø Nirvana sing Smells Like Teen Spirit

Ø Pearl Jam sing Alive

Ø Pink Floyd sing Comfortably Numb

Ø Ozzy Osbourne sing Crazy Train

Ø Metallica sing OneNeil Young sing After the Goldrush

Ø 10,000 Maniacs sing What’s the Matter Here

Ø Kid Rock sing Batiwidtaba

Ø Joe Cocker sing You are so Beautiful

Ø Don McClean sing American Pie

Ø Motley Crue sing Smoking in the Boys Room

Ø Jethro Tull sing Aqualung

Ø Iron Maiden sing Run to the Hills

Ø BB King sing When Love Comes to Town with U2

Ø Edie Brickell sing What I am

Ø Bob Dylan sing Times they are a Changing

Ø Ronnie James Dio sing Rainbow in the Dark

Ø Cake sing The Distance

Ø Butthole Surfers sing Pepper

Ø Brad sing ‘The Day Brings’

Ø Blues Traveler sing But Anyway

Ø Big Head Todd sing Bittersweet

Ø Beastie Boys sing Sabotage

Ø Dwight Yoakum sing ‘Guitars, Cadillac’s…’

Ø Willie Nelson sing ‘On the Road Again’

Ø the Cure sing ‘Pictures of You’

Ø Bad Brains sing Sacred Love

Ø Ac/Dc sing Back in Black

Summer 2019 - some additions since I posted this

         Ø Jimmy Buffet sing 'Come Monday'

         Ø the Eagles sing 'Hotel California'

         Ø Guns & Roses sing 'Rocket Queen'

Ø Bad Brains sing Sacred Love

I was reminded of this last night when I read an article linked by CNN on the 'top 30 live bands'.  I was very pleased to have counted seeing 15 of those bands live.

* you may notice those seem slightly alphabetic. True, I used my iPod to coax my memory.
So, who have I missed? What do I regret? I never got to see Guns & Roses, Johnny Cash, or John Lee Hooker. Those omissions bum me out.

*** update June 2017 > going to see G&R this summer.  I absolutely refused to see them during the interim years when Slash and Duff were not part of the band.  That was not Guns & Roses.