A blog by demand

Ok...so I've been told...I must tell you about the concerts I've been to...I will tell you this...every show I've been to is in the Pittsburgh area...cos this girl...does not travel to concerts...

Now where shall I start?

Let's see...the very first concerts that I ever attended were the Monkees...during the 20th Anniversary tour..both shows were at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh...I was in junior high at the time..if I'm correct cos this would be 86 or 87...but I've since seen the monkee about 2 or 3 more times.. Let me tell you this though...They are really the original boy band...but these guys..no matter how old they are, are talented...No one can ever say that there singing wasn't their own...even though they didn't play their own instruments at the time...In their fifties..these guys still sound much the same as they did back in the 60's...which makes for a great show...and well Davy Jones is still the cutest little man...I just love him..

The best part of a Monkees concert is the humor...these guys make the shows fun and funny...and well you'll see every age at a concert...I saw them last year...at the ribfest in Pittsburgh..it was a free concert and my friends and I were right up against the stage...It was fantastic...and all the women still swoon when Davy sings Daydream Believer...they are a band well worth seeing..

Let's move on from there though...the next concert I went to would have been Eric Clapton...In my younger days..as you can tell I was heavily into the music from the 60's and 70's...can you believe that? Again...this concert was at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena...our seats were in peanut heaven...but that didn't matter any at all...Eric Clapton is a fantastic performer..and this was when he was still being a kick ass guitarist...and not playing the unplugged crap that mtv made popular a few years later...I think I would have freaked if he had done Layla acoustic at that show...The only disappointment was Eric had an opening act of Buckwheat Zydeco at the show..and god...it was awful...Dammit...Legends should not have bands open for them...EVER

Next on my list...is the songwriting god himself..PAUL MCCARTNEY. This was true luck on my part now that I think of it...I saw Paul on one of his 2 nights in Pittsburgh...The Civic Arena..for the tour for Flowers in the Dirt...the album that Elvis Costello did some writing on...I was in tenth grade at the time..and it was truly the highlight of my life..to see a Beatle perform..The show was incredible..with Paul doing his usual mixture of Beatles classics and highlights from his new record..and from his Wings career..I remember squealing in delight when he did the song "This One" off Flowers in the Dirt...Which to this day is one of my favorite ballads ...It's terrible not being able to recall much about shows..but hey this was..13 years ago..so don't expect much...

I think next in line would be...Def Leppard...and again this is at the Civic Arena..I dragged an ex-boyfriend off to this concert..because..well I love the Leps always have..and they are another band that never...and I do mean never disappoints..If you like the Leps..you will love them in concert..Joe Elliot just has a stage prescence like no other..The shows are fun..and they always energetic. This band always gives you your money's worth...I saw them again on their Adrenilize tour..in 2000. I rank their concerts as some of the best I've ever seen...

If I'm correct the next show I saw was Tom Petty...I can't really determine if this show was before or after the Def Leppard show..and I can't find my t-shirt with the dates on it...but this was at the AJ Palumbo center...aka Duquesne University's gym...or as I like to call it..the worst venue an artist can play in Pittsburgh. This was the Full Moon Fever tour that I saw...and it was a disappointment to me..cos at the time..I was a rather huge Petty fan...and I thought my seats were close..only to find out they were awful when we got there...The Replacements opened for them...which was great now that I look back on it...only at the time..I wasn't completely familiar with their music. The heartbreakers did put on a fantastic show...and I don't regret for a moment going...

Let's see the next band I went to see was Duran Duran...I've seen them twice...both times great seats..and both times..I have to say..the concerts while energetic..and great sounding...were something I didn't want to repeat...yet I did ..in 2000 when they played IC Light..For a band that's based on synth pop...Duran Duran..is a killer live show..They know what the fans want to hear..and they play it..Unfortunately the venues..don't appreciate cameras and what not..and that's just sad...The first Duran show I saw was in 93 and the Cranberries...were the opening act...(allow me to gag please...they are still lingering to this day...pun intended) That in itself could ruin a concert goers experience..but Duran more than made up for it...

If you asked me what some of my fav concerts were...I'd say the Costello show I saw this year at the Palumbo...which as I've said before kicked some major ass..and since I met the man afterwards it was truly memorable...but that aside...3 shows stick out..and they were all in small clubs...Metropol and Rosebud...sister clubs in the Strip District of Pittsburgh...Who were they?

Love and Rockets with James Hall opening...(met James afterwards..he was a sweetie)
Cheap Trick...Caught Rick Nielson's guitar pick!!! Wish I could have caught Robin Zander...god he's a sexy one..
The Devlins...An Irish band that was opening for Paula (I don't shave my pits) Cole...who skipped out on Pittsburgh to play SNL...the guys had nothing better to do...so they played a 5 dollar show at Rosebud..that kicked some serious ass!

The saddest concert experience...Bowie/Nin in the time around Outside...He played Star Lake before the album release..and did mostly songs from the new cd..which no one had heard...As Elvis Costello says..it's hard to fall in love with a song you've never heard from the 90th row..NIN rocked..but most of the audience was there for them...and they left after NIN finished...what ignorant stupid bastards..to miss out on hearing a legend perform...

Other oddities in my concert going ....The Great Rewind...with Culture Club..Howard Jones..and the Human League...I was in heaven at that show...3 of my favorite 80's bands all in one place..Not a bad set was played....Howard Jones is as good today as he ever was...Phil Oakey still has that fabulous voice..and Boy George..well what can you say about the Boy? He does a mean version of Bowie's Starman!

I've also had the opportunity to see Cher...which was something not to be missed...it's like being in Vegas...And her opener...Cyndi Lauper!! How kick ass is that...And Cyndi is just flipping fantastic..it was great to hear the old stuff live...cos I never thought I'd see her...The shining moment to Cher's set..Dove L'more...and it was such fun..cos there wasn't a straight man in the audience! LOL!

Guilty Pleasures...

2 Poison concerts...they are just a fun band...and Phil Collins...way back in 89 or 90 as well...

Cultural Stimuli...

The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber Shows...both times with Michael Crawford...that man has a voice of an angel...and a spectacular stage prescence...you didn't even need the scenery when he sang Music of the Night....



Now I need to listen to Phantom