Live In Concert: A Memoir

While attending my latest live music experience this past week...Tears For Fears at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga,CA...I began to recollect on all of my past concert experiences. I had attended only one concert this past year, which is an aberration as I generally see/listen/both at least four or five concerts per year. To this point I was jonesing for any type of live music..and hey, if a 1970's or 80's iconic band/singer is in town playing at the greatest concert venue in the country (the aforementioned Moutain Winery, shameless link here )I'm in.

In my annual blog posts, I try not to get too 'deep' in my meanderings. I stick to what I know best...sports, music, alcoholic beverages...you know, the simple things in life. Or one or two could be considered vices, but hey, we all have our faults. Anyway, snapshot back to me at the Tears For Fears concert listening to excellent live renditions of their 80's classics, feeling the energy of the small, albeit enthusiastic crowd, singing along/butchering the songs...even if you aren't watching your favorite band or hearing your favorite song played, when live music is done 'right' there aren't many experiences that compare to it. And when you get those sensations or memories etched in your brain, it's really hard to put a price tag on it.

Which bring me to my 'point'. Everything (more or less) is comprised of energy. And vibrations (keep it clean, please). That rock over there? Sure, it appears solid, but what is it really? Energy vibrating at a high degree. What are we as humans? Energy vibrating at different degrees. So when we hear harmonics or melodies or frequencies within music, it really resonates to our base core. A few notes of a song can bring a rush of vivid memories more so than anything else. Whether it's the lyrics of song that touch or connect with us or it's the actual music itself connecting, when it's done at a high level in a live setting, it's a feeling that's hard to compare with anything else.

Now with that mumbo jumbo out of the way, the real reason I wanted to write this blog is for my own edification...listing all of the concerts I've ever attended. When I began to run them through my mind while at the concert last week, it really struck a chord with me reliving those memories..where the concerts were, the setlists, what was going on in my life during those periods of time.There are some concerts here that weren't my idea to attend (I'm sure you can figure out which ones on your own), but that doesn't mean I didn't have an appreciation for some the shows afterwards.

And now, to the best of my recollection....

1989- Yes                               Orange County Speedway, Middletown,NY
1991- Steve Miller Band      Orange County Speedway, Middletown,NY
1998- Tool/Snoop Dogg       Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
1998- Ben Folds Five           The Warfield, San Francisco,CA
1998- Ben Folds Five            Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
1999- Earth Wind & Fire      Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
1999- Duran Duran               Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
1999- Freedy Johnston          Noe Valley Church, San Francisco,CA
2001- Radiohead                   Madison Square Garden, New York,NY
2002- Pete Yorn                     Bowery Ballroom, New York,NY
2004- Rush                            Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
2004- Madonna                     HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2005- Depeche Mode            HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2005- Coldplay                      Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountian View,CA
2006- Rufus Wainwright       Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2006- Grant Lee Phillips       Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco,CA
2007- Muse                    Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco,CA
2007- Rush                             Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
2007- Buffalo Tom                Great American Music Hall, San Francisco,CA
2007- Pete Yorn/Crowded House     Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2007- Squeeze                       Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2007- Neil Young                  United Palace Theatre, Harlem,NY
2008- Billy Joel                     Oracle Arena, Oakland,CA
2007- Stevie Wonder              Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
2008- The Eagles                  American Airlines Arena, Dallas,TX
2008- George Michael          HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2008- Chris Cornell              Cynthia Woods Pavilion, The Woodlands,TX
2009- Wilco                          Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2009- Yes                              Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth,TX
2009- Duncan Sheik             Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco,CA
2010- Grant Lee Phillips/Glen Phillips      Freight & Salvage, Berkeley,CA
2010- Billy Joel/Elton John           Oracle Arena, Oakland,CA
2010- Foreigner/Styx/Kansas        Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
2010- The Eagles                 HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2010- Muse/Silversun Pickups      Oracle Arena, Oakland,CA
2010- Brandon Flowers        Fox Theater, Oakland,CA
2010- Rush                           Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
2010- Roger Waters              HP Pavilion, Concord,CA
2011- Buffalo Tom               Slim's, San Francisco,CA
2011- Tears For Fears          Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA

Due to my recent onset of senility, I'm sure I've missed a couple here or there that I will happily add once I'm either reminded by a friend/family member or I actually remember any others at a later 'A-HA'(nope, haven't seen them) moment.