Heroes And Villians

The first concert that I ever bought tickets for was the Grateful Dead. Matt and I went to get bracelets after school and the following Saturday we gathered with all the other DeadHeads in front of the Toy Box, as families with small children gathered in the park across the street to play tee ball and soccer. The Toy Box opened up just before 9 and asked us all to wait on the sidewalk till our number was called at 10. The employee came out and called a number as we all nervously looked at our list. I remember my number sucked. I was like the last one on line but Matt got a good number, so I passed my dough off to him and he went in to get the tickets.
Now even though this was the first time I went to a concert it wasn't the first time I had seen live music. Once a week we'd go to see free concerts at the Flint Park bandshell. Some random cover band would play as I would run around the lawn and try to get my parents to buy me ice cream.
The only other time I saw live music was at Yankee Stadium. My little league team celebrated the end of the season by going to a Yankee game. My father managed a building near by and arranged for us to park there. It was a glorious afternoon game and afterwards the coach took a survey, who wants to go and who wants to stay and see the Beach Boys? Home meant the official end of the season and staying meant hanging on a little longer. We all wanted to stay and watch the Beach Boys. They set up the stage in centerfield, which was good for us because we were situated over Dave Winfield's shoulder there in Right Field. The Beach Boys came out and played like five songs and we danced in the seats and aisles, singing, "Bermuda, Bahamas come on pretty mama."

This is the anniversary of the only time the two California bands, the Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead collaborated. Of course this collaboration took place in New York. Download the SBD HERE and HERE.
If I had a dime for every time my mother said to me, "Enough with those dumb concerts," I'd be a wealthier man. She went to Woodstock. She said she used to go to the Fillmore East every weekend till it closed, but when she had family she settled down and left those days behind. That hasn't been me. I have the itch and I can't live without the exhilaration in my life. One of the most live wired I ever saw my dad was at the one and only concert I dragged him to, Paul McCartney. I got six tickets; my parents, sister and husband, Matt and I went to the Garden. Our seats were side stage and after two hours of Sir Paul's music, he left the stage before his encores. I remember my dad yelling over to me with a huge smile "The only thing left for him to play is Hey Jude, he has to encore with it, he has too." When Paul came back to the stage without a guitar in hand, he walked over too the piano and my father jumped out of his skin with excitement.

I: Truckin', Mama Tried, Bertha, Next Time, Cumberland, Bobby McGee, Loser, Hard To Handle, China Cat, Rider, Casey Jones

II: Sugar Mags, Deal, Uncle, Bird Song, Playin', Dire Wolf, Searchin'*, Roit in Cell Block*, Good Vibrations%, I Get Around%, Help Me Rhonda*, Okie*, JBG*, Sing Me Back, Uncle Johns, Lovelight

* With The Beach Boys

% Only the Beach Boys

For all those worried. Bobby was seen out at dinner last night in Greenwich CT and as of now there has been no cancellation to the Furthur gig in Atlantic City.