Gone are the days when I would search out the summer concerts, well not really I still keep an eye out. Just finding the time and justifying the money a concert cost is hard to do these days.
I thought I would start off with my first concert ever. Being a huge Led Zeppelin fan this was a big concert for me to see. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant touring to support their MTV Unledded Show.
Sorry for the crappy picture, my scanner is buried right now.
But I like to keep the tickets for the shows I have seen in the case of the CD of the music they are showcasing, doesn't always work that way, but mostly it does.
Ah, Tuesday, October 24, 1995. My senior year in High School, traveling to a place I have never been, The Spectrum in Philadelphia (sponsored by the hot bank at the time, Corestates?). Bought the tickets when they went on sale at the Ticketmaster located in the local Boscov's, had to get there early to wait in line, oh how I love the internet, no more of the waiting outside early in the morning. I know it might be hard to see, but the cost of the ticket was $25.00. Don't see all of those fees do you? I think there was a fee, but it was like one dollar, fair in my mind.
5 tickets were bought. I bought two, one for me and one for my older brother. The other three were purchased by 3 other friends, two were mine, one for my brother (eventually became more of a friend to me). We packed all 5 of us in an Isuzu Impulse, similar to the one found here on flickr. That was a tight squeeze. I know on the way back our one friend rode in the back part of the car, so they could sleep. We also took probably the longest way to get to the Philly for us, the PA Turnpike. Later in life, we found a more direct route, which was a lot faster and easier. Live and learn kids.
I do not remember who opened for them, because we got there a little later and had to rush in, ignoring all the parking lot antics and missing a lot of it I'm sure. And here is one of the moments of the many that my brother screwed me over. I bought my tickets to well, sit next to him and watch the concert. He wanted me to switch so he could sit with his friend (his friend was 21, he wasn't), I agreed, kind of made sense, but I wasn't there to chit-chat with buddies I wanted to watch the show. Well, I got screwed, jumping ahead a little the three people in front of us, decided to stand the whole show. Nothing wrong with standing at concert, but when you're sitting in the upper level, you really don't need to stand to see the show, while the seat I purchased had everyone sitting down around them, oh and they got drunk and were assholes later. Actually my one friend who was 16/17 at the time purchased a beer, they didn't card him.
Well, we got into the venue as the opening band was finishing up, so we missed that, but again we were not there to see that band. All the lights are on, and the three people in front of us are not there yet, so I have not realised that I would have to stand the entire concert. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the show, then the lights go down, oooh it's about to start and the smell of marijuana fills the entire venue, this was the last time I experienced that at a show, the crackdown of smoking came once all the newer venues were built and people decided to start taking their babies to concerts. Oh, they go into their first song, The Wanton Song, the 3 assholes finally get to their seats and proceed to start dancing around. One danced like Beavis and Butthead, the other two, just danced like idiots. My friend keeps trying to talk to me, saying how awesome this is, I really just wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up, I know it's awesome, I'm watching it.
Oh, and then the 3 people in front us had some friends come down and sit in the aisle. Next to me. This was also a time people could smoke cigarettes freely and this piece of shit sitting in the aisle, next to me, decided the best way to get rid of his cigarette is to flick it off our level, so it would fall onto the people below. Well, one angry drunk didn't like this and flicked his cigarette at the P.O.S., well that almost hit me. Awesome. Worst part is, there was an "usher" down there the whole time.
Overall the concert was great, although some of it felt scripted because of the Unledded CD and their work with the symphonies, especially the encores. They were exactly like what was on the CD, Black Dog and Kashmir. I wish I could go through more of the songs, but that stuff hits me in flashes, Whole Lotta Love was awesome. Plus I was hoping to have the set list, because I remembering reading it on the Tight But Loose web page, but it appears they took it off. They only go back to 2000 now. Bastards.
Now. On the way back, first we got lost going to the turnpike, because two drunk assholes, well were being assholes and made us go the wrong way. We wound in Delaware, a cop helped us find our way back, but the two assholes in the car almost spoiled their trip. Looking back now, I wish I would have let them. That would have ruled. Back on the PA Turnpike we stopped off at one of their food stations and indulged in some Roy Rogers. Two sleepy heads fell asleep, we could not wake them up so no food for them. After the pit stop, I took over driving duties back home. A good hour and a half. All the rest of the passengers fell asleep, while I drove. Bastards. After getting to someones house, I stopped the car and screamed GET THE FUCK UP! Abruptly ending their sleep.
The next day was a school day, I made it there, my two friends did not. It was a rough day, but a great moment came in Sociology Class. The teacher asked where my friend was, I said I guess he couldn't make it in, too tired. The teacher asked if maybe he got a contact high. I just laughed.
Great show, great story, well at least to me and my friends.
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