For this one, we are not looking for "Wow, the band was great that night!" More like an unusual thing that happened to you at a concert. So, let's hear about some cool, unique personal concert experiences.

For example: In the late 90's, me and my wife went to the ticket window at show time for a Boston show at Merriweather Post in Columbia, MD. They sold us two front row center promotional seats. At end of the show, Rebecca was on my shoulders and leaned in toward Tom Scholz. He tried to give her a guitar pick, but she said, "No, gimme a kiss!" He gave her a peck and then bent down and handed me the pick. Just says "Boston" on it. Still have it today.

Another one is about a local band that almost made it big in the 70's called Good Rats. Me and Jimbo were huge fans. On a trip back to my home town (Oceanside, NY) in 1997, we stumbled onto a Good Rats reunion concert at a local pub. During the song, "Cherry River," the singer, Peppi Marchello, gave me the mic and danced while I sang a few lines. This was a powerful experience for me because of how hard I rooted for them to make it over the years. Last night, 20 years later, I found this video of that experience on YouTube. If it's not cued up to the right spot, fast forward to 36:55. BTW they use real crude language at times. (If you hit the full screen icon you can fast forward much quicker)

Saw Sha Na Na at Oakdale. After the show in took my date to Dinos, a place like Mels in Happy Days or American Graffiti.
While we were sitting there on the patio area at the take out, most of the band walked in and placed an order. I got up and thanked them for putting on a great show. At first they all stepped back...sort of afraid of what was going to take place. After I thanked them Lenny the sax player stepped forward and said that was great to hear and the always try to make everyone entertained.

At the 88 Springfield Zappa show everyone had to go through metal detectors, or at least the early arrivals. I walked away from that area to figure out what to do. I run into Ike Willis the lead singer coming out of the elevator. I ask him about his cd that was recently released, Venting the Krypton Gas...he seemed pleased that I asked him about it.
Btw, the recorder went back to thecar...i figured that when they returned later in the year I'd try again.
That was the last time I used it.
Lucky for everyone, someone there from the sound check recorded the entire show...also at least two others did as they had to bypass the metal detectors as the show was about to start so they gave up.

Last great story, Flo & Eddie at Toads Place New Haven...in the center of Yale. Lots of top notch folks played there...Dylan, the Stones
...
It is really just a moderate size club.
So between sets Flo and Eddie walk through the club to go downstairs to go to the bathroom...yes even Flo & Eddie have to go.
On their way back they walk past me.
I ask them if they could play Umbassa the Dragon...they both stop...Mark turns around with a giant smile on his face...he says "Wow no one has EVER requested Umbassa the Dragon".
They didn't play it...they did their parody of the Wall...named the Fence

Trent Reznor literally stopped a NIN show I went to in Dayton OH mid-song to comment on one guys incredibly loud voice near the front.

At a Skinny Puppy concert in Chicago I lost one of my shoes in the pit and while looking around for it I saw it on the stage in Ogre's hand. He was singing to it. I never got the shoe back.

Got to meet Jerry Only at a Misfits show in the 90s. He was behind a chain link fence and signing paraphernalia for people, who had to toss it over the fence, then he'd throw it back signed. I didn't get anything signed, just talked to him for a few minutes. Incredibly nice guy.

And you are properly placed in front of the stage!

I have a couple of moments that stick out in my mind.

The first was the time I saw the Blind Boys of Alabama at The Mint in Hailey, Idaho. (It was owned by Bruce Willis at the time.) Perhaps this happens at every small venue place the Blind Boys sing, but this was just a real joy. I don't remember what song it was, but it was so completely danceable and spiritual all at the same time that the dance floor filled up quickly. So my lady and I went to join the fun. During the song, lead singer Jimmy Carter stepped down off the stage and worked his way around the dance floor singing his heart out. It was outstanding. Before long, I realized he appeared to have no intention of ever heading back up to the stage as he continued to wind his way around all us dancers. It was incredibly fun and joyous. And he wasn't going to stop. Like ever. I noticed their stage manager was finally starting to look a little pissed off. After awhile he finally came down off the stage and pretty much hauled him back up. I truly believe if he hadn't done that, we would all still be there on that dance floor today.

Another memorable experience happened at an alcohol-free blues festival. (Pretty unusual in its own right.) There were some big names there like Philip Walker and Little Charlie and the Nightcats, but the highlight came in the early evening when Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers took the stage. Not long into their set, the weather started to get stormy. There was lightning in the distance and rain began to fall. Bummer. I was really looking forward to them. Musicians on the stage and behind the stage started to get nervous and were soon bailing out. It started raining harder. Yet through all of that, front and center on the stage, pianist Honey Piazza just kept ripping up the keyboard with her happy and blistering boogie. Unfazed, she was soon the only musician left and she just kept on playing. Finally others realized she wasn't stopping and came to hold a couple umbrellas over her. I refused to take cover myself and got soaked. This was fun. Just standing in the pouring rain watching her pound the keys with that big happy grin of hers, long blonde hair wet with rain. What a moment. Very memorable.

Cheap Trick's 'Dream Police' tour at the Capitol Theater, NJ. I was in the 4th row and there was some bloke sitting in the front row right in front of Rick Nielsen with his arms crossed and with a body posture saying 'I'm not impressed'. You can see as the concert continued this attitude was really getting to Rick and between songs Nielsen was yelling at him and told him If your fuck'in bored get out or something to the effect. Zander was seeing what was going on and even came over at one point and tried to calm Nielsen down but to no avail. One song later Nielsen goes off stage and comes back with cash and throughs it at the guy and demands he leave. He does and everyone applauded. From then on the band became supercharged and played a great, great set.

Rage Against The Machine didn't play a note and stood nude with tape over their mouths and each musician painted with a letter spelling out PMRC.

This was in Philly for Lolapalooza '93.

I'd like to forget it but it was certainly memorable.

All four "members" were there.

Also, in 1986 we saw Julian Lennon at the Spectrum in Philly.

The venue held close to 20,000 and there may have been 2,500 there.

The opener was a juggler.

Yes, a juggler.

I heckled him (we were on the floor) and everyone could hear me because nobody was there.

He then said from the stage, "Some of us think they are real comedians out there. I'd like to see you have the balls to get up here!"

I then yelled, "Just throw me the ones you have and keep the two in your pants!"

Everyone laughed, but security had us move.

In my book, I won that one.

One about a Huey Lewis and the News show needs a little background info.

In the mid 80's on Long Island they used to release all the tickets for the entire Jones Beach summer series of shows the same morning at like 9am. My oldest brother Eddiie and me went down to the parking lot with a little tent, a hibachi, cooler and a ton of ice three days before so we'd be first in line. No one else showed for two full days. About an hour before the window opened a sleazy scalper guy showed up with two bruiser types and litterally tried to push their way in front of us. Luckily a cop showed up and everyone on line said we were first and the other guys were trying to cut in. After being caught he told us if we bought him whatever the maximum amount of tickets they'd let us buy above what we wanted he'd give us two bucks per ticket for us to keep. He had like thousands in cash on him. We ended up getting first row for every show and buying him like 225 tickets and we left with $450 extra. Shows included Rod Stewart, the Pretenders, James Taylor, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffet with the Neville Brothers, the Smithereens and, of course Huey Lewis and the News which was the last one of that summer.

So out of all the concerts that summer the only one the scalper guy comes to is the Huey Lewis show. All of a sudden he's all chummy with me acting like he's a big celebrity or something in the first row. Towards the middle of the show everyone is out of their seats and we're crammed against the stage. Huey is absolutely shredding a harmonica solo (I Wanna New Drug) and the crowd is going nuts. His eyes are closed and he is leaning out over the crowd sweating on us. As he finishes the solo and opens his eyes he notices the scalper dude whom he obviously recognizes. He takes his harmonica and pegs it around a hundred mph right in the middle of the scalpers forehead and gives him the finger just about touching his nose with it. The scalper looks at me and says "Did you see that? That was awesome!"

To me it looked like Huey knew he was a scalper and thought that was the lowest thing you could be. I was like "it's a good thing he didn't know I took money from the guy" or I'd be in line for a harmonica off the melon too.

Cool remembrance.

Thanks!

Reminds me of a story I head about a Harlan Ellison public appearance. I heard this a long, long time ago so I may not have the specifics exact, but the basic anecdote is this: Harlan noticed a guy in the audience who had a permanent scowl on his face, so Harlan was ragging on him. Finally, the guy stood up and said he was a veteran of the Vietnam war, and his face was disfigured in combat, resulting in the permanent scowl.

My cool experience doesn't involve any direct interaction. I was waiting on line at the Madison Square Garden box office in 2000 to see if any more Bruce Springsteen tickets had been released. I was next on line, and I overheard the people in front of me being offered tickets to an event, which they turned down.

After inquiring about the Springsteen tickets (they didn't have any), I asked about the tickets the people ahead of me didn't buy. Turned out they were for that evening's Tina Turner concert... not only that, but they were front row! So I bought one - spur of the moment decision - and that's the story of how I got to see Tina Turner from the front row.

WOW!

Maybe not a cool experience, but funny looking back at it.........

I had a single 10th row seat for Cheap trick and The Romantics (Met Center, July 21, 1979 Minnesota). My car had broke down, so my grandma lent me hers. It was an early 70's Buick Electra. Got that image now? That car and a rock concert?

After the show, I went out to the parking lot to leave. I got in, took off, and then the front left tire came off completely. Keep in mind, I was a scruffy (dorky) looking 16 yr old at the time. While I was trying (after calling my dad) to put the tire back on, the very guys that did this to me were standing over me, fucking with me and giving me shit.

Lo and behold, my dad shows up with a tire iron and chased the bastards off.... after connecting with one of them.

Sound like an outtake scene from 'Almost Famous'.

Steve Forbert spit on me at the Bottom Line. But not intentionally--we were sitting at a table right at the front of the stage, and I got hit with some stray saliva while Steve was singing. My friend Greg stole the set list off the stage at the end of the show.

Patti Smith grabbed my hand while leaving the stage at My Father's Place. She suddenly realized that I was not an employee of the venue, just a zealous fan, and pulled her hand away ASAP.

Pretty sure I've told this one before, but since this thread is a family affair: Dr. Jack and I saw Elton John at Nassau Coliseum in 1974. There were virtual hurricane conditions that night. During "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" the power blew in the arena. Once the emergency lights came on, Elton climbed on his piano, started clapping in rhythm, and singing "Saturday...Saturday...Saturday night's alright!" The crowd joined in and we kept it up for 15? 20? minutes, until the power was restored and the concert continued. Pretty awesome.

I don't remember that story Jimbo. What a trip. And '74 no less and the Nassau Coliseum no less? He was at the heights of his powers!

Because of the time that may have passed many do not comprehend or simply know how big Elton was!

He was THE top performer from the 70's in my book. What a cool thing for Elton to do to keep the energy 'electric'.

I also had all of Marillion sign my sneakers while I was wearing them in 1989 at the Ritz in NY when we met them outside.

I had nothing for them to sign and they were all in.

while casually walking through the mandalay bay casino in vegas a few years ago i noticed a poster saying that boz scaggs was playing there in the house of blues that night. i asked the wife if she would like to go and we agreed to check out the ticket situation. went to the box office (about 2:00 pm) and got front trow seats (the concert was sold out too). must have been comps that cancelled.

drove up to cleveland on a whim to what kind of seats we could get for dan fogelberg that night at nautica stage (figured if we couldn't get in we would go have a nice dinner in little italy). on the way there it started raining. ggot to teh box office (still raining) and got 4th row center seats. no one was there (nautica was not covered back then) it was like fogelberg was doing the whole show for us under our umbrella ( i always have one in the car and never use it!) he made eye contact and gave a smile with the 2 of us several times.

sitting in the front row (stage left , on the aisle) for a CSN show at the tower city amphitheater a few summers ago. as nash walked out on stage he looked right at my wife (wearing her jackson browne t-shirt) pointed and said "nice shirt' and gave her a big smile. made her night for sure.

just standing around waiting for the theater to clear at a CPR show in niagara falls one time when someone said "he'll be right out". curiosity made us stay and sure enough, with about 15 people left in the place out comes crosby, followed by pevar and raymond. i got to talk to crosby for about a minute and he reached into his pocket and handed my wife a pick. signed out tix, as did pever and raymond) and we never even took a single picture...what dicks we were. i have to say, i was star-struck, and that does not happen to me at all. but it was the croz! (nash also reached into pocket and gave my wife a pick at a book signing at the rock hall one time, and i have stills pick (with his name on it) that i caught when he flipped it into the crowd at blossom music center long ago. never got close to young

and lastly: steve perry was touring to suport "for the love of strange medicine" and he doing a radio promo at a local station (about 5 miles form my house) i had taught the station owners daughters and for the hell of it i gave him a call. he let s in the station and we sat and talked and had coffee and took pictures with steve perry for close to a half hour.he signed a coule of CD's for us and when he was leaving he asked dominick (the owner) why all those people were outside....dominick said they were there to see him, but he would get him out the back. perry proceeded to walk out the front door, signing autographs and taking pictures for almost an hour. nice guy, i have to say, very humble and soft-spoken.

I saw Jason and the Scorchers at a beer bash in Perham, MN in the mid-'80s. There were probably 300 folks in attendance. The band played so hard that they blew up their amps. They then proceeded to blow up their backup amps! They had to finish the show acoustically.