What is your most fond musical memory.

Because I got into Hi-Fi at a relatively early age, I didn't attend a lot of live concerts. But being from Chicago (well, Evanston), I have strong memories of seeing Al Jarreau live a couple of times at Blues clubs near Wrigley field. This was in the mid-'70s, around the time that he released his first album, so he wasn't widely known yet, and the performances were in intimate settings.

The combination of his unique style, outstanding talent and remarkable enthusiasm, had a real impact on me, and I won't forget the experiences.

In 1966 I was a high school freshman at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara,Ca. The school faculty told the Concert Committee that they could select any group to preform for a school fundraiser ( BIG MISTAKE ) as we booked Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention ! Needless to say the faculty was freaking out when Zappa opened with " Getting Nasty on the White House Lawn" followed by Susie Cream Cheese. LMAO looking at their horrified faces.

The other great concert for me was early 70s when Rare Earth played in Anchorage, AK.

I don’t know which would be the "most."

I sat in the front row center of a general admission 500 capacity club to see Emmy Lou Harris when she was touring Wrecking Ball. That made an impact on me.

The first time I saw Lucinda Williams was the same seat at the same club when she was touring Car Wheels and that also had a profound impact on me.

The first time I saw Stever Earle was at the same venue when he was touring El Corazon, but this time sitting on the floor right next to the stage. I was pretty much blown away by the experience.

The second time I saw The Cowboy Junkies was at an outdoor venue when they were touring Open. Before the sun had receded I had made my way up and was leaning against the front of the stage and I remember the feeling I had when they covered Thunder Road . . . I must have been grinning ear to ear and then I caught Margo Timmins’ eye and she winked at me . . . chills and goosebumps on a sweaty June evening in Pittsburgh. . . .

Just remembered another one.

Understand I used to play the drums. I'm on a plane, when in walks Ginger Baker, strolling down the isle. I was a starstruck young doofus, so I say..."You're Ginger Baker". He replied, "And you're not!".

Why he wasn't sitting in first class escapes me.

Great thread.

I’m not sure I didn’t post this before, but in a lifetime of really good musical memories, one standout is four or five nights in a row of Sinatra at Radio City Music Hall. I had ’met’ him before at the Carnegie Hall stage entrance back in the early eighties. I was in school a block away during those years and I always watched his coming and going. One night during those years, we made eye to eye and he gave me a happy ’big guy’ pat on the shoulder, but by the time this Radio City run came around in 1994, he’d already collapsed on stage a few weeks before and I thought it would be best to take in as much Frank as I could because it doesn’t look like he’s going to be doing this much longer. Subsequently these were his very last New York shows IIRC. 

As mentioned, there were four or five shows and I got tickets to all. I was second on line outside the box office the night before tickets went on sale at the Radio City box office I was between 3 & 7 rows center of the stage for every show. One night I sat a couple of seats away from Bennett and I was a few seats away from Barbara Sinatra twice (and she was lovely). He was sick for one of the shows and had to do a makeup show. I believe that show took place on a Sunday night and he wore a blue suit and tie. No tuxedos on Sundays. That was a particularly great show because he was really on the ball & didn’t trip too badly over any of the lyrics. He did a particularly nice intimate set with just a small band and a stool. I was able to move up to the front row about midway through the very last show. I had gotten his cigarette butts outside the venues a few times through the years and as mentioned, stood next to him outside Carnegie Hall a time or two in the ’80s, but on this night I got his ’Angel Eyes cigarette’ right off the stage and stood under him as he wept because he got emotional and didn’t want to leave the stage while Junior kept trying to shoo him off with ’all right pop, all right pop’ . He stood right above me taking it all in.

I can also go into seeing Elvis in July 1975 and getting up close for a couple of minutes. You haven’t seen anything till you’ve seen f’ing Elvis sparkling- but that- that would definitely be overkill.

This was a really good thread. 

I've been so lucky to be who I am and where I was in pop music time. I've essentially met of my music heroes with the exception of Elvis, who I was blessed enough to see pretty closely back in 1975. I've been really close to Sinatra a few times and took a pat on the shoulder from him back in the mid 80s. It was really a little thrill standing right behind him listening to him as he was speaking to someone he knew outside Carnegie Hall and hearing The Voice you've heard thousands of times through the years in person right next to you, in the open air and not on mic or on a record. 

My best friend and I met Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. We met all of them a number of times through the late 70’s 80s. All 3 of them knew us by sight. Once back in the very early 80s, it's too long a story but we were getting kicked out of Madison Square Garden for smoking a joint- at a rock and roll show. Security was pushing us out through an exit behind the stage and as we were pleading our case to not get kicked out, we turned a corner and there was James Burton. Elvis' James Burton.

Fk security- I stopped the whole shuffle and told my friend 'Dude! It's fkng James'! We stop to kiss his ass and security is impatiently trying to jostle us out when Jerry Lee Lewis appeared asked what the problem was- I told him they're throwing us out for smoking a joint and he told them if he got thrown out for every time he did something he wasn't supposed to do, he'd never be allowed back anyplace- he said let these boys go back to their seat- and they did.

We met both him and James at a small club gig in NYC called Trammps (sp) years later and he (of course) didn't really remember the little story about how he/they saved the day but he was fairly amused by our telling of it all. I'll try to find some of the corresponding photos to post.

Losing my virginity in a sleeping bag on the lawn during a summer outdoor Detroit Symphony Concert

The ARMS Charity concert to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy research in honor of Ronnie Lane. This was held in Los Angeles in 1983 and featured an incredible roster of British Rock royalty. Imagine seeing Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page performing together onstage. Other performers included Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, Paul Rodgers, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Kenny Jones. This was hands down my most memorable concert.

I’m not the most sentimental or nostalgic man but 1988 Monsters Of Rock concert disputes this. Was 23 and several close friends had turned "Young Country" and basically I had nobody to attend Monsters Of Rock at the Pontiac Silverdome. Was working in a restaurant as waiter/bartender and a few of the busboys knew I loved metal. They needed a ride and they would get me a ticket. I was 23 going on 43 and told them no smoking in my car(1986 Buick Somerset Limited) and not buying any alcohol, they shockingly agreed. Had one the best times at any concert, paid for all the hot dogs/soda etc. for the 2 guys and 1 girlfriend they thought I was a king. After the show we went to Denny’s and of course I covered the bill. Needless to say, I was the coolest "old" guy they knew. I hope all is well with them!