Share Your Favorite Concert Experience

“What was the best concert you ever attended?”

If you ever find yourself in a situation where no one’s talking and it’s getting awkward, just ask that question.

Recently, I tried on a jacket at a nearby clothing store. The salesman was doing his thing and we were polite to each other. And then it came up that I was buying the jacket for an upcoming gig. The conversation shifted to rock and roll. In less than a minute the guy was telling me how many times he’d seen Led Zeppelin, as well as Robert Plant playing solo. The stories kept coming for about fifteen minutes before he remembered he was working.

For me, three concerts come to mind. I had seventh-row center seats to The Who in Cleveland in 1970 when the opening acts were Joe Walsh and the James Gang, and James Taylor. The second was the Atlanta International Pop festival (also in 1970) that included groups like Procol Harem, Bob Seger System, Grand Funk Railroad, Johnny Winter, Ten Years After, Richie Havens, Mountain, and a lot more. The memory that always comes to mind first is Jimi Hendrix playing the “Star Spangled Banner.” (And one of the house bands—NOT on the main stage but set up at a small venue on the grounds—was The Allman Brothers. That was the first time I heard “Whipping Post.”) The last concert, and they are in no particular order, is Desert Trip (2016). You know, the one with Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones on night one, Neil Young and Paul McCartney (playing 35 songs) on night two, and The Who and then Roger Waters finishing things up the final night.

Desert Trip 2016

Desert Trip 2016

Derek C., Pacific Palisades, Ca.
Desert Trip? You know, the one with Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones on night one, Neil Young and Paul McCartney (playing 35 songs) on night two, and The Who and then Roger Waters finishing things up the final night.

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Led Zeppelin Barefoot Fantasy

Led Zeppelin Barefoot Fantasy

Diana D., Health and Fitness, LA
Robert Plant sees me in line and picks me out from a crowd of concertgoers waiting in a long line to get into the theatre. I’m thinking, “Why me?” He calls me over to him and takes my hand and leads me back to sit on the couch (in a room behind the stage) where he will be relaxing before the concert. Here he takes a warm wash cloth, he washes my feet and with lotion caresses and massages them while being totally focused and present with my feet…oh, so dreamy… I look up. “What?” The noise of thousands of young people in a very long line woke me from my dream and the realization that I was the only one with no shoes on hit me. I tried not to be noticed but there was nothing I could do about it.

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The Who and…

The Who and…

H.C., Mystery writer, LA
In June of 1970 I was working for a company that distributed hippie paraphernalia. One of our clients gave us (myself and my two partners) tickets for The Who concert in Cleveland, Ohio. 7th row CENTER seats!

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