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In reply to the discussion: Best concert you ever saw? [View all]Loge23
(3,922 posts)I have been fortunate to see many, many great shows over the last half century or so.
The first show I ever saw was right up there with the best overall - Johnny Cash headlined at Carnegie Hall. I went with my big sister - it was '66 or '67. The Statler Brothers, Carter Family, the great Carl Perkins, and June and Johnny.
My sister brought an album for Johnny to sign and we waited outside the back stage door for the artists to exit. June and Johnny - looking a bit glassy eyed as I recall, were swept out by handlers quickly into a waiting limo. One of the last to exit was Carl, carrying his guitar in its' case. He was gracious, stopping to chat with us (I was 13) and signing my sister's album (hope she still has it!)
He then ambled down 56th street on foot carrying his guitar - can you imagine!
We were big JC fans back then and I would spend many an evening in my sister's room listening to records.
In later years, I would take the subway to the Fillmore East - a few stops from the High School I went to in Brooklyn and buy tickets for some shows. I saw the Airplane there, the Youngbloods, Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsy show on NYE, Blood, Sweat, and Tears & the Allman Brothers on the same bill, Humble Pie, and many more I just don't remember.
But one very memorable show there was Jethro Tull in the Spring of either '70 or '71. I remember it well because I had a big test the next morning and it was already morning when we left the Fillmore. Tull was introducing their new record, Aqualung - which hadn't yet been released - on that tour. Ian Anderson came out on a darkened bare stage save for a stool. He sat down and began to strum the opening chords of My God. He explained as he played that he and the "lads" had a "bit of a row" backstage and they left so he would carry on alone. The place gasped! He went into the tune - new to us, on an acoustic guitar- and when it got to the part of the band coming in the curtains flew open and there was the band in full fury! The place went nuts and stayed that way through the entire show, encompassing most of the first three albums and all of Aqualung. What an unforgettable night that was!
Nowadays, I no longer attend the arena shows - too nuts for me. But I'll take in a small theater show anytime for the right act.