I am not a people person. I know. You are shocked. Heh. Let me clarify. I love people. All people. Just not when you stick more than three of them in a room with me all at once.
Crowds freak me out. I start to sweat and twitch and my left eye develops a nervous tic. I generally end up standing alone in a dark corner, with my eyes squeezed shut and my arms hugging my body while rocking back and forth humming soothing lullabies to myself in order to block out the chaos.
I tend to be a LOT of fun at weddings and parties. Ask my husband. Heh. That’s me, the life of the party.
For this reason, I do my damndest to avoid large crowds. I don’t go to fairs, I don’t enjoy public sporting venues and parades? Well, they just freak me right the fack out with all the partying people and blow up balloons dancing in the streets.
There is one thing that can draw me out of my private little sanctuary and entice me to brave the crushing throng of a crowd and ignore the hordes of people around me.
That one thing is a good concert. Which is now only slightly ironic, since I’m technically half deaf and can’t hear the actual music over the din of roaring fans.
Still, music is a passion of mine and it’s the one thing guaranteed to pull me off my arse, off the couch and into a stadium.
Not that I’ve been to a lot of concerts. I have to be really enticed to get off said arse, shower, slap on the ole war paint and elbow my way through a packed stadium to pay disgusting amounts of money for the pleasure of being jostled, stepped on and hollered at to attend a concert.
There have been some memorable concerts though. The very first concert I ever attended was with my mother. It was a folk/country artist playing at a small venue. There was no screaming fans, no tossed panties. But the intimacy of being able to reach out and touch a live performer while he wove his magic with song and music for the audience charmed me and forever cemented my love for live music.
My first real rock concert didn’t happen until I was 14. My best friend and I twisted our parents arms into buying us tickets to watch Janet Jackson thrust her pelvis all over center stage. I don’t remember much about the actual concert, I just remember the intoxicating feeling of feeling grown up enough to sit in a packed stadium without our parents and watch this famous chick shake her little booty around the stage.
There have been other equally memorable concerts I had the pleasure of attending. Each one magical in their own way, each one knitting their magic into my subconscious and leaving behind sweet memories after the lights are turned up and the crowd slowly exits from the building.
One concert will always mean more to me than all the rest, one concert alone will always captivate and enthrall my memory. I had been waiting more than half my life to see this person live and in person and I began to despair that it would never happen.
Just when I was about to give up hope, life nudged me, winked and tossed me a bone.
Elton John was coming to town. I tend to be a laid back type of gal, but let me tell you, when I managed to get a hold of two tickets to his concert in a nearby city, I squealed like the young school girl I once was, discovering the magic of Tiny Dancer.
My parents were equal parts amused, ashamed and slightly horrified by my teenage crush on a flamboyant 70′s piano man. While other kids my age were rocking out to New Kids on the Block, I was sitting alone in my room belting out the chorus of Bennie and the Jets.
What can I say? Sequins, big glasses, small hands and a piano do it for me.
Since my discovery of Sir Elton, no other musician has been able to hold a Candle in the Wind next to him. (Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.)
His music has coloured the tapestry of my life like no other artist. So the excitement to see him perform just mere meters in front of me was well worth the annoyance of fighting the throng of traffic, getting raped for parking, having my feet stepped on, enduring the people behind me kicking my seat repeatedly and smelling the manly odour emanating from a rather large man sitting next to me who very obviously was unconcerned with the length of his ear and nose hairs.
It was a sweet moment in my life, those two hours and forty minutes I caterwauled along with the crowd while trying not to spill my beer. While it may not have been the flashiest concert I’ve attended, it will always be the best concert I had the privilege to attend.
The only thing that could have made the evening more enjoyable, other than Sir Elton gazing out into the audience, locking eyes with me and dedicating his entire play list to his number one fan Tanis, while beckoning for me to sprawl out on his piano as he pounded out the tunes, was if I had remembered to bring my damn camera.
(Hey. Everyone has a fantasy. Don’t knock mine.)
I own four freaking cameras. All very expensive cameras, including one highly coveted and worth more than my life, DSLR. Yet, did I remember to bring even my tiniest point and shoot?
No. Did I remember to even bring my damn camera cell phone along? No. I blame this on the panic attack I had shortly before leaving for the concert and realizing it wouldn’t just be me alone listening to the sweet crooning of my favourite piano man. Damn you other Elton fans for not allowing me the luxury of a private serenade. Daaaaammmmmn.
But because I am thoughtful, and I know people who know people, I want to make sure my blog readers never experience the same crushing disappoint from realizing they forgot to smuggle a camera past concert security thugs and come up empty handed when reaching for a camera to immortalize a magic moment for themselves.
While I can’t guarantee you will remember to bring the damn thing, I can provide you with one. Drop me a comment, tell me about your favorite concert moment or simply just say hi and you will be entered to win one brand spanking new, never been out of the box, Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS digital camera. Retail value approx. $199.00 USD.
*Accessories, battery and memory stick not included. Sorry folks. You’re on your own for that.*
The contest will remain open until Midnight, mountain standard time, Sunday, September 21, 2008. After such time I will randomly draw a name out of a hat and ship the camera, which has been sitting on my coffee table for a week now, off to the lucky winner and out of my damn house.
Please note, I will not be held responsible for any dirty photos or badly angled shots exposing double chins or nose hairs taken with said camera.
But I wouldn’t mind if you showed them to me. Wink.
Good luck! And don’t forget to include your email address so I can contact the lucky winner!
toyfoto
Well, it’s not the best concert memory but it was the most memorable one:
I was dating a guy who made concert going (and beer drinking) his entire reason for living, though, I really don’t think music was that interesting to him oddly enough. Not that it matters, but this is how my stories usually go. Not much of the information I supply really has anything to do with the jyst of the story anyway.
… Where was I?
Oh, yes. Concerts. You know how you get a ticket, and the ticket says ‘ROW D seat 18?’ Well, no one ever stays in ‘ROW D seat 18;’ they move forward to ‘ROW C seat 18,’ and then to ‘ROW B seat 18′ and then ‘ROW A seat 18′ until they find themselves mashed against the stage, with ROWS E, F and G (more people from seats 18) all crowding into their ass.
In my case, when the lights finally went up after the show some jerk in seat 18 from (probably) ROW Z was too ansty to get to his weed in the parking lot as we were crammed into the stadium like sardines. And evidently ittle old me was in his way. So he picked me up and tossed me back over the three rows of chairs.
ouch. OUCH!
And where was the guy I was with? hmmm? Blinking maybe? See, I didn’t even NEED him for story at all.
Amy
I would love a small camera to keep in my purse!
My fav concert (multiple times over) has to be Jimmy Buffett! It is an all day affair that is always sure to lead to fantastic pictures!
Carolyn
I have two. The first was taking my daughter to High School Musical a few years ago when they toured the very first time and before everyone was sick of them. I got really good seats. She was ecstatic and the happiness on her face was soooo worth it.
But the best by far was going to see Aerosmith a couple of years ago. They have been a favorite of mine forever…. I forked over the big cash to get good seats and ended up about 6 feet from the stage. I took picture after picture and got one of Steven Tyler looking directly at me. Swoon……
toyfoto
Of course the show? Which I forgot to mention? Bad Company.
Amy
My favorite concert was Garth Brooks. They gave out these little wrist bands a couple of weeks before the tickets went on sale. You had to keep the wrist bands on until you got the tickets. The wrist bands decided where you got to stand in line. It was November up north and I got pneumonia standing in line trying to get the tickets. But I got them! Row 13 center stage- it was great!
Jen
My first concert was Charlie Daniels. I was 7. My daughters first concert was Charlie Daniels. She was 9. My son’s first concert was Charlie Daniels, he was not even a year old. Have to keep up the tradition. Now my favorite concert? Bon Jovi, slipperty when wet!!!! Oh those 80 hair bands, gotta love it!!
Colleen - Mommy Always Wins
Wow. I’ll leave my fave concert moment, but I actually already have the SD1000. Just so your readers know, it FREAKIN RAWKS for a point and shoot!
My fave concert memory? Scoring FREE tickets to Cheap Trick/Aerosmith, 14th row, 15 seats in from the catwalk and going with one of my very bestest of friends. We were BOTH pregnant at the time. We like to call those kids of ours the “rock babies”. (And? Added bonus? People in looooong lines at the women’s rooms let preggo women skip!)
Vickie
My first concert was Boys to Men with Montel Jordan, Okay concert – it was fun!
Love your Blog!
Sydney
I’m a loser. I’ve never been to a concert =[
laura
Not exactly a best but I was at a Winona Judd concert, (Friend had free tickets, don’t blame me) and as I was coming down the bleachers to go to the restroom for the 4th time (hello 7 1/2 mo pregnant)…I slid down the bleacher stairs IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. I thought I was going to die of embarassment! I landed on my backside so I knew nothing had gotten shaken up in the oven but whew what a great time..geez, I’m a clutz.
Tali
Um yeah – I too have a secret crush on Elton. Guess that’s not a secret anymore!
Jaye
this last year I went to a Kelly clarkson and Reba concert in West Virginia. I had such a great time. Not Elton good time but still it was something to do for the night.
Kym
Best concert I ever seen was Bon Jovi!
K
Beth
Delurking for the camera. Best concert moment? Taking my little sister to see Beastie Boys and than spending the entire concert with my hands over her eyes and saying “la la la” in her ear. Man were they raw. 2nd best? Taking my little sister and her friends to Guns & Roses/ Aerosmith concert in a limo with complimentary champagne and I was the only one old enough to drink it. I chaperoned a lot after that.
Kaila
I have seen more concerts in my life than I can even remember. My first concert ever was Leif Garrett! I was in love with Shawn Cassidy, but I settled for seeing Leif live on stage.
I’ve seen everything from Rick Springfield to Anthrax – quite the spectrum – and sadly – no photos.
Mickey
Ok, I had to delurk for this one! I’ve been to several memorable concerts- the top three were:
1. Garth Brooks in Chapel Hill NC where my best friend and I were the only non-caucasians in the venue (much love to the trucker who slapped the taste out of the mouth of the one racist who objected to our presence)
2. Rick Springfield @ Caesar’s IN (and I’m going to see him there again next week!) where he stood on a chair in front me and sang 3 songs. I was too stunned to even try to cop a feel- all I could do was stare at him. He sent security out after the show to bring me backstage so he could see if I was OK- apparently I looked like I was going to faint. What a sweetheart!
3. Duran Duran @ Louisville Palace. I was the only woman sitting in the aging queens with young boytoys section. I was also one of 5 people in the place with a lighter to hold up during “Save A Prayer”. Simon Le Bon thought it was so funny that he asked us all to stand on chairs after the lights came back up so he could say a proper hello to us. The boy brigade hoisted me up before I could climb up on my own (guess they thought Simon might actually come offstage to see us)- Simon looked at me, cracked up, and said “Bloody hell love, are you their date?” I yelled back “No, but I’d gladly be yours!” (Simon has always been my favorite) John Taylor jumped in with “Don’t encourage him!” Didn’t get any closer or backstage, but I’ll remember that night forever!
liongoddess@gmail.com
Pam
I got to see Garth Brooks at a local county fair the year he became very famous, I think it was in 88 or 89. After that, no more county fairs for him! I also got to see Foreigner in 1984 for my golden birthday. That was a really cool concert, my first if I remember correctly. These posts are bringing back lots of nice memories!
Dutchess of Malfi
I must be your oldest fan–my favorite concert was Peter, Paul & Mary when I was 16! Saw them at Baylor University in Waco
daysgoby
I loooove me some Elton.
My favorite concert moment? Probably the night Don Henley sang Desperado just to *me*
(Well, he was looking right at me)
Shug
I went to see Elton the last time he came to Boston. I’m not a huge fan Elton but like a lot of his music. I wasn’t expecting to like the show has much as I did. He ROCKED!
–
Shug