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How Far Would You Travel For a Concert?

Maybe I'll ask this as an Off the Cuff question. I dunno. I seem to end up asking a lot of music questions though.

My friend Doug called me from Coloroda tonight. He flew there to see Robert Plant/Allison Krause, and T-Bone Burnett at Red Rocks. An amazing venue to see a show if you've never been.

He paid $200 for 2nd row seats. The show at Humphrey's sold out in about 15 minutes, with tickets going for around $100, if I remember right.

I think the fartherest I ever flew out for a show was Phoenix. A buddy of mine had just moved there, and he told me to fly out on a Saturday to see AC/DC, so I did.

I recently flew to New York to see one of my favorite songwriters, Stew. But that was in a play, not really a concert. So that doesn't count.

I've driven to L.A. for a lot of concerts. Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, too many to name. And many I've forgotten. The worst is when you drive up there for a show, because they aren't coming down there. Then, on the second leg of the tour, they do make it here.

When I was 14, Steppenwolf and the Guess Who were playing at the Bacchanal (remember that place?). I was too young to get in. But for some reason, around that time, I was addicted to the song Monster, by Steppenwolf. I had to see that band in concert.

I kept calling the venue, assuring them I wouldn't touch any alcohol. The dude finally got sick of me calling and said, "Look kid, they play the Wiltern Theatre the night before. That's an all ages venue. Go see them up there."

I talked a friend of mine that was 16 into driving. So, off to the show we went.

We find parking, and walk over. A tall black guy in a long green Army jacket opens his coat and says, "Wanna buy some drugs?" We said no, as we then started sprinting to the venue. For some reason, we thought he'd tackle us, and stick a needle in our arm or something.

The show was amazing. I didn't realize, though, that the Guess Who no longer had the talented singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings (it wouldn't be until he jointed Ringo Starr's band and they hit Camp Pendleton seven years later that I'd ever see him). Steppenwolf did have lead singer John Kay. And they did play Monster.

I was a happy camper.

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Maybe I'll ask this as an Off the Cuff question. I dunno. I seem to end up asking a lot of music questions though.

My friend Doug called me from Coloroda tonight. He flew there to see Robert Plant/Allison Krause, and T-Bone Burnett at Red Rocks. An amazing venue to see a show if you've never been.

He paid $200 for 2nd row seats. The show at Humphrey's sold out in about 15 minutes, with tickets going for around $100, if I remember right.

I think the fartherest I ever flew out for a show was Phoenix. A buddy of mine had just moved there, and he told me to fly out on a Saturday to see AC/DC, so I did.

I recently flew to New York to see one of my favorite songwriters, Stew. But that was in a play, not really a concert. So that doesn't count.

I've driven to L.A. for a lot of concerts. Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, too many to name. And many I've forgotten. The worst is when you drive up there for a show, because they aren't coming down there. Then, on the second leg of the tour, they do make it here.

When I was 14, Steppenwolf and the Guess Who were playing at the Bacchanal (remember that place?). I was too young to get in. But for some reason, around that time, I was addicted to the song Monster, by Steppenwolf. I had to see that band in concert.

I kept calling the venue, assuring them I wouldn't touch any alcohol. The dude finally got sick of me calling and said, "Look kid, they play the Wiltern Theatre the night before. That's an all ages venue. Go see them up there."

I talked a friend of mine that was 16 into driving. So, off to the show we went.

We find parking, and walk over. A tall black guy in a long green Army jacket opens his coat and says, "Wanna buy some drugs?" We said no, as we then started sprinting to the venue. For some reason, we thought he'd tackle us, and stick a needle in our arm or something.

The show was amazing. I didn't realize, though, that the Guess Who no longer had the talented singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings (it wouldn't be until he jointed Ringo Starr's band and they hit Camp Pendleton seven years later that I'd ever see him). Steppenwolf did have lead singer John Kay. And they did play Monster.

I was a happy camper.

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