Looking forward to Stevie Nicks' w/ The Pretenders 24 Karat Gold Tour, reminiscing back to my first, The Beatles at Shea, & all in between

Have never seen Stevie Nicks, nor Chrissie Hynde. Am so excited to watch these formidable, iconic female artists perform in early December.





It hit me, though. While thinking ahead, I thought of the first band I ever saw -- The Beatles at Shea Stadium. Although sounds of young women screaming were dominant, to be in the same venue was for a 14 year old who adored them since their debut album, Please Please Me, I (and my friends) died and went to heaven. I'd never seen or heard anything like it since, or so I thought.

...until I saw Ziggy Stardust with my then boyfriend/ex-husband at Madison Square Garden. While we were dating, Terry kept saying, "we've got to see Ziggy! we've got to see Ziggy!" So a few of his friends and I did. I was 22 in 2003. It was love at first hearing/sight until his passing.

Ziggy Stardust

 

  

 

My goal was to see three more of my heroes: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and The

Moody Blues. I wouldn't see The Moody Blues until 1981, but until then blessed to see:

Bruce Springsteen and his E-Street band invaded Rutgers University in 1970 while I attended Douglass College/Rutgers U. I was born to follow since. They performed at Max's Kansas City (an intimate venue) in Manhattan in 1973. But would you believe who opened for them? Bob Marley & The Wailers, they're first ever New York appearance! Tom, a dear college friend & friend to this day, sat in the second row of this small, intimate venue. Met them all after the show. Unforgettable! Again, have become lifetime followers of these greats.

 

 

 

 

Bob Marley, Max's Kansas City, 1973

 

When I saw Bob Dylan whom I adored since my father's introduction to him & his song, Blowin In The Wind (1962/63), I got to see two greats for the price of one at Madison Square Garden early 1974 -- Bob Dylan and The Band. Another highlight of my live musical experiences. I was still 22. Incredible!



Have also seen Bob Dylan 2x more at the NJPAC. His Masters of War blows me away, but live? Nothing like it, and him! And as of 10/13/16 a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Ole!

  

After such immemorable moments, my life had focused on getting married, marriage, home, career but always hoped to see The Moody Blues which would happen on their Long Distance Voyager Tour at the end of 1981 at the Brendan Byrne Arena/Meadowlands. I heard them first in my sophomore year at college. After hearing On a Threshold of a Dream, again, it was love at first hearing. Their music had an ethereal quality. It was the time of the Viet Nam War, and like us, they too asked "The Question"s.

 

 

 

It was around this time, my husband and I bought our property and moved to the Catskills New York. Thoroughly enjoyed the location, every weekend traveled to Woodstock, a locale I idolized since the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 I always wished I'd been able to attend.

 

It was around 1985, my husband and I separated. I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for the year. During that time of reflection, I made some incredible friendships with whom I was blessed to share moments which helped me to sort things out. Music was always a part of my life during the good and the bad times. While in Great Britain, traveled to Liverpool and saw The Beatles' Museum, visited Penny Lane, and traveled all over Scotland and much of Ireland.

 

But as I mentioned, music was always there to calm me, to sate me. Two musical acts, now very famous, I saw in their infancy were R.E.M. and Sade. I think one knows when a new musician is great & will become a force to reckon with.  Another two incredible moments.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

When I returned, I asked my husband for a divorce. It was heartbreaking, but our relationship had been deteriorating for a long while. So, it's at this time, those music acts I had seen afterward become a little muddled and will add them as I remember them.

 

Many metal bands were seen at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey such as, Motorhead.

 

Also, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Iris Dement. Will include when/where as I remember.

 

 

Another incredible night of music, Jerry Garcia while he was on his own from The Grateful Dead, on my birthday! So sooo good!

 

 

 

In 2002, at Lincoln Center/Avery Fisher Hall, another incredible experience. Prince! On his One Nite Alone tour. Amazing! His presence! He was shorter than I'd imagined but oh so tall when it came to performing!

 

 

 

 

However, of all the musicians I've seen, The Moody Blues I've seen most often; at the New Jersey Garden State Arts Center (now PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ), Radio City Music Hall (Manhattan), NJPAC (Newark, NJ) 2x, MPAC (Mayo Performing Arts Center) in Morristown, NJ 2x, and a couple Justin Hayward solo appearances. Quite a few for my beloved Moody Blues.

 

 

My last live concert was to see Leonard Cohen at Radio City Music Hall, Manhattan in 2009. Another musical hero am so blessed to have seen live. It was magic to experience Canada's Poet Laureate's genius set to music. Pure magic!

 

 

 

 Oh my goodness, do live streams count?

 

Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain, New York June 2016

Michael Franti, The Record Company, Courtney Barnett, Houndmouth, Gov't Mule, The Marcus King Band, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beck, The Avett Brothers, Umphrey's McGee, Train plays Led Zeppelin II, Thievery Corporation, Jason Isbell, Warren Hayes, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Nahko and Medicine for the People, The New Mastersounds, Third World, Marco Benevento & Superhuman Happiness, Turkuaz, Donna The Buffalo, The London Souls, The Ballroom Thieves with Main Youth Orchestra, And The Kids, Love Canon, Con Brio, Quilt, Darlingside, Elijah Wolf, Wild Adriatic, Jane Lee Hooker, Copious Jones, Madaila, The Suitcase Junket, Scott Sharrard, The Movement, Upstate Rubdown, Mikaela Davis, Yogarama with Bari Koral, Ratboy Jr.

 

PHISH Live from Red Rocks Ampitheatre Colorado, July 2016 

 

Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain, New York  June 2015

Robert Plant, Michael Franti, The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, Gov't Mule performed Dark Side of the Mule, Grace Potter, Moe., Big Gigantic, Rebelution, Joe Russo's Almost Dead, Railroad Earth, Lake Street Dive, Trigger Hippy, Shakey Graves, Benjamin Booker, Nikki Bluhm & The Gramblers, The Wailers, Dopapod, Rusted Root, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, The Budos Band, Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Bill Payne, Marco Benevento, Planet of the Abts, Simone Felice, The Mother Hips, Arc Iris, Spirit Family Reunion, Nikki Lane, Zepparella, Sons of Bill, The Mike & Ruthy Band, EMEFE, Simi Stone, Burnell Pines, Matt Andersen, The Compact, Jocelyn Arndt, Lions on the Moon Ft. Eric McFadden, Ratboy Jr., The Dharma Burns

 

Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well Concert, Chicago, July 2015





 

What do you think, a blessed gal?!

 

On to the Stevie Nicks' 24 Karat Gold Tour!

 

p.s. a few still on my wish list. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell,Tom Petty & the Hearthreakers, Dido, Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers, The Talking Heads, The Lumineers, oh so many more. Hope so! :))