Do today’s youth collect concert t-shirts the way we used to when we were young? If I were to go through my collection of old clothes, I would find piles and piles of those concert shirts, both regular t-shirts as well as those three-quarter sleeve jerseys, where the body of the shirt was usually white or grey, and the sleeves a different color. There’d be shirts from concerts I attended such as Sting or the Beach Boys, as well as t-shirts from concerts that I never made it to, such as Loverboy, which I imagine must have been purchased by friends following copious amounts of begging and cajoling.
Growing up in Upstate New York, we had several concert venues from which to choose. Summer concerts inevitably took us to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (where we preferred to stake out spots on the lawn or wander around the grounds to taking a seat inside), and sometimes even as far as Tanglewood, while concerts during the rest of the year had us trekking to places like the RPI Fieldhouse. It was here that I saw my very first concert. For the life of me, I can’t remember who I went with, but I I went with fellow Israeli blogosphere citizen and longtime friend Safranit (who clearly has a much better memory than I, despite being the same age), and can still remember being dazzled by the excitement of it all, not to mention how loud it was, due to the huge speakers.
The opening act was Marshall Crenshaw, an excellent musician in his own right, with songs such as “Someday Someway” and “You’re My Favorite Waste of Time“. (Two points for anyone who can tell me what famous rocker Crenshaw portrayed on the big screen, and what the name of that film was.) The night’s headliner was the equally brilliant Howard Jones, whose Dream into Action album was one of the most frequently played cassettes in my collection. With hits like “No One is to Blame“, “Life in One Day” and “Things Can Only Get Better“, Howard Jones was definitely one of my favorite 80s performers, and is still performing today. I have only vague recollections of what must have been a fabulous (though apparently not memorable, but I’m going to chalk that up to my advanced age) evening. And somewhere, of course, I still have the t-shirt.
So, do you remember your first concert?
What is Love?
Howard Jones
I love you whether or not you love me
I love you even if you think I don’t
Sometimes I find you doubt my love for you
But I don’t mind
Why should I mind, Why should I mind
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
Can anybody love anyone so much that they will never fear
Never worry never be sad
The answer is they cannot love this much nobody can
This is why I don’t mind you doubting
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
And maybe love is letting people be just what they want to be
The door always must be left unlocked
To love when circumstance may lead someone away from you
And not to spend the time just doubting
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
Well, I can tell you who you went with……Stan Kivort gave me a ride from Cobleskill, and I spent the night and went back with him in the morning. That was my first concert too…if you don’t include Wierd Al 馃檪
Ooof. I hang my head in deep, deep shame. I assume you spent the night at my house, and not at the Kivorts… What else do you remember about that night?
I rarely, if ever, include Weird Al… ;-P
Hmmm, yeah I did stay at your house….I had no idea who Marshall Crenshaw was before that night, but I was amazed how many songs of his I knew.
No one in Cobleskill had even heard of Howard Jones.
I know we weren’t there for the whole thing with Marshall Crenshaw, and I don’t remember who drove us…I know I bought a t-shirt, and if I were going to place bets, I think I still have it (I saved all my special t-shirts to make a quilt…lets see if that ever happens)
Funny you’re mentioning the concert t’shirts. Hubby just wore a shirt that we bought from the Billy Joel/Elton John show a few years back. He was laughing and calling himself (and me) old fogies! Not exactly AC/DC like the old days he said!!! 馃檪
If you don’t count the countless Peter Paul and Mary or James Taylor concerts that we went to with my parents at SPAC each year, my first “on my own” concert was Asia. Also at SPAC. End of 7th grade. There was a parental guardian, but where he/she was is beyond me, as it also turned out to be my first illegal smokable experience… obviously not a parent with my watchful eye? 馃槈
I found my U2 Joshua Tree t-shirt last week… unfortunately, that was a “can’t afford to go, but will you buy me a t-shirt” concert… sniff, sniff…
Hey all you 80’s fans…
I’m going to George Michael in Stockholm on June 29th!!! Hurra!!!
:-D!!!
FANTASTIC PICK! I adore Howard Jones and “What is Love” is my favorite song of his- I play it a few times a week.
Marshall Crenshaw…I have no idea who that is. You made me curious, so I just looked him up- and I still have no idea who he is! I do remember him from that movie, though (I won’t spill the beans in case someone who really knows the answer wants to jump in).
Crenshaw played Buddy Holly in La Bamba… Lou Diamond Phillips’ big movie hit…
First concert, humm. I think it was Depeche Mode or The Cure. Either way they were both great concerts. There’s something about live music, can’t beat it.
Howard Jones music has some relevance but I can’t remember what. I seem to think it’s associated with a milestone of some sort with a girlfriend but can’t remember at the moment.