Thursday, September 27

Bad Animals and first concerts

The image to the left, my friends, is the cover of Heart's 1987 album Bad Animals. While it might seem an unlikely topic here, there is good reason to acknowledge good ol' Ann and Nancy Wilson.

MSNBC contributor Dennis Hensley has a story today about first concerts, and Heart's Bad Animals tour was mine. "Alone" and "Who Will You Run to?" were all over the radio, and I begged and pleaded with my mother to take my cousin and me to see Heart in Indianapolis. I was still in elementary school, but for some reason she agreed. It's hard to believe that was 20 years ago.

Details of the show are sketchy, but I do remember they played the hits and there was an extensive rain delay before the set due to fears of electrocution. I also recall being incredibly nervous, and to this day I'm not quite sure why. Perhaps it was the idea of seeing a live band fried to a crisp on stage. Either way, that show sure was the start of something.

Heart - Who Will You Run to?

That, by the way, is a song just begging to be covered and reinterpreted.

Shortly thereafter I saw Alabama with my parents at the Indiana State Fair. Sweeet.

What about you, dear readers? Care to share?

14 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

First Show...Poison and Tesla at The Omni. I was in 6th grade. Stood on my seat the entre show and screamed.
Brilliant.

2:07 PM

 
Blogger Emily said...

I went to bluegrass shows with my parents when I was little, like Doc Watson, but I don't remember them. My first real concert--real meaning memorable and I was the one who wanted to go--was Hootie in the Blowfish in St. Louis when I was in 8th grade. I was there with all older people: mom, aunts and uncles. It was their tour for Fairweather Johnson, I believe, and I knew all the words to everything. I do remember it being awesome.\

Emily

2:08 PM

 
Blogger Rich said...

Poison? Soooo jealous.

Em, I saw Hootie on that tour. Went with my dad, because he had season passes to Deer Creek that summer. John Hiatt opened, which was cool.

2:12 PM

 
Blogger AmyM said...

I saw all the Motown artists with my parents when I was very young, but James Taylor was the first with my girlfriends.

3:12 PM

 
Blogger Patrick said...

Freshman year of high school saw the Dead Milkmen in support of Beelzebuba in Chicago. It was also the first time I saw (and was pushed & shoved by) honest-to-goodness skinheads.

3:24 PM

 
Blogger Amanda Mae said...

The Monkees at the 9:30 Club in D.C. with my mom and best friend back in ninth grade. We were pretty close to the stage, and my mother and I did that swaying Marcia Brady dance from the movie, and Davy Jones saw us and did it from the stage with us!

6:24 PM

 
Blogger indietodd said...

Aerosmith, on the "Permanent Vacation" tour, 1987. I went with my dad. It was cool for so many reasons, including all the women who flashed their tits at the band. Ahh, eighties rock shows....

7:02 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

First rock concert...1979, Toto on the Hydra tour. Excellent show, they did a killer medley of 60's standard rock tunes at the end.

7:51 PM

 
Blogger Rich said...

I had to sing "Africa" in middle school choir. Still remember the bulk of the lyrics, I think.

7:59 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Eels at the Whiskey in L.A. back in ought two. My mom was ten feet behind me and I sang everyword to "It's A Motherfucker." Maybe that wasn't the best idea.

5:09 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I drove from Maretta down to Columbus, GA to see REM play at the Civic Center right after they released the Document album. Pylon opened up, and the whole night was amazing (as were the girls we met there). Later that year I saw my SECOND concert, U2 at the Omni. Not a bad start!

12:09 PM

 
Blogger James said...

Dude, Alabama was my first show! Nice.

12:42 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

James and Texas at Six Flags Over Texas (ironically enough), June 1995.

7:26 PM

 
Blogger Rich said...

I saw James once at HORDE... maybe '98? If memory serves, the singer was wearing a neck brace. Odd.

7:40 PM

 

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