Chasing the Dragon live - 2 rock concert experiences that changed my life

There were two important events that happened to a very young Lono that pushed him to spend his life chasing live rock and roll.  The first –

My first concert was the Police.  It was their farewell tour. I vaguely remember that being known or understood at the time. It was peak MTV< and they were the biggest band on Earth.  They were touring on Synchronicity, which could be re-tited ‘Police’s Greatest Hits’.  So, they were big… and I was very young and impressionable.  It must have been about 1982, which would make be about 10.  I knew every song on that album, in my soul. So, that was amazing.  My specific memory which made it amazing was during ‘Every Breath Your Take’ when everyone in the audience lit their lighters.  This is common practice during ballads for all rocks shows.  I didn’t know that, though.  The band didn’t even have to say anything.  They just played the biggest song in America (exciting enough, especially to a 10 year old) but to look around and just feel that moment.  That everyone knew what to do, and when to do it.  Yeah, this would be my life.  They say a heroin addict spends his life just trying to capture that first high.   Yeah, I get that.

Ok, second show… Rush… around 1985.  Yeah, I did well with my first few concerts.  All credit to my big brother Johnny.  So, I am about 13 (again, math isn’t my thing)… and seeing a big rock stadium show.  This concert is at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which is where the Phoenix Suns played.  This is generally the biggest venue in every big city for a national touring act.  They are mostly called ‘center’ now:  Staples Center, Pepsi Center, Sprint Center…. Etc etc.

Before the show, we are all filing to our seats.  It is about 18,000 of us, and people are excited.  For some odd reason, as we sat, all the house lights were on.  Don’t worry, it worked out REALLY well for your author. 

On the other side of the arena from where we are sitting, we began to take notice of a gal.  She had a huge chest, and was wearing the sparkliest and tackiest gold top you can imagine.  How can I put this gently?  She was clearly an attention whore.  Thank god!  Soon, it seems the whole stadium was watching her.  She picked up on this, and faced the crowd and wiggled her boobs in the top.  We were all watching her, as when she did that you heard 18,000 pubescent males cheer like their home team score the winning goal.  We all kinda felt this feeling that something was going to happen.  So did she.  A few seconds later, realizing that 18,000 people are watching her and this will probably never happen again… she took her top off!  Free boobs, in person!  At that age, I may have never even seen boobs in person.  What a night!  Then, Rush came on and just killed it as they always did.

For years, I would meet people in AZ who were at that show.  I would ask them if they remembered ‘golden girl’ and every single one of them did.  Usually, at the very mention, we would high five.

That.. in a nutshell, is why I love rock