CONCERTS THEN AND NOW

Last week we went to the California State Fair in Sacramento. When we attend, we try to choose a night with a performer we both want to see – often old rockers. This time it was George Thorogood and the Destroyers. He did not disappoint. We had both seen him before at least 25-30 years ago.

George Thorogood is about a month older than me. He never complained about his age or made concessions for his 73 years like many of the old rockers do. It seemed to me that he still saw himself as a 40 year old sexy, bad boy. Actually, he was quite full of himself but it came off as kinda cute, not obnoxious. We both had a great time and he played all of his old songs – “I Drink Alone”, “Bad to the Bone”, “Who Do You Love” and “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer”.

It got me thinking about my first concert and how different rock and roll performers were way back then. The very first group I saw live on stage was “Paul Revere and the Raiders”. Yep, I was madly in love with lead singer, Mark Lindsay. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had all four of my walls covered with photos of him from the teen magazines of that era. I was working on the ceiling when I finally got over that obsession.

Anyway, I was probably 15 (back in 1965) because I didn’t drive yet. A few of us got tickets for the show. We had a friend who was 17 who thought she was hot stuff because she drove us to the Oakland Auditorium (long gone now but near the site of the current Oakland Museum). I didn’t care how I got there but I was thrilled to see Paul Revere and the Raiders” or more specifically, Mark Lindsay. He had long, thick dark hair in a pony tail, long, lanky legs and was sexy as hell.

Back in the day, bands never started on time. They were a minimum half an hour late or longer taking the stage. There were no metal detectors or bag checks to enter. We had floor seats and everyone was allowed to walk up to the stage to take photos. Remember this was long before cell phones were even conceived so you had your little Brownie camera with the flash cube on top.

Once the concert started the entire audience stood up. Being 5’4” tall, I couldn’t see over anyone. I stood on my chair but soon everyone stood on their chairs. Same problem, couldn’t see anything. There was a cute guy in the row in front of me. Being emboldened to get glimpses of Mark Lindsay in person, I asked if I could stand on top of the back of his chair and hold onto him. He agreed. I was much more agile back then and watched most of the performance standing on the back of a chair holding onto a cute stranger.

All of these memories had me comparing the differences of concerts then and now. George Thorogood started right on time, not a minute late. People would stand up and dance at times but usually sat back down soon. Remember the average age of an old rocker concert is probably above 60 but occasionally you see younger people which warms my heart. Their parents raised them right.

There was one man in the audience who must have thought he was special or invisible because he stood up most of the show. The only person to be constantly standing and, of course, he blocked my view of the stage. Halfway through, I had to really bite my tongue to keep from yelling, “Sit the fuck down!”

They did an encore but the band members came back on the stage less than a minute later. In the old days, it would take forever of screaming, yelling and clapping for the band to grace you with their presence once again.

With all of my teenage years being in the 1960s, I have been and always will be rock and roll when it comes to music. I was 14 when the Beatles arrived in the U.S. Any girl of my era had a favorite Beatle, mine was Paul. I did go through what I refer to as “my country phase” in the early 70s for a few years but then all the 80s rock and roll grabbed me again. Thanks to my granddaughter and late night TV, I do know some current music. Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga are great and I do enjoy some Post Malone (Sunflower) and Imagine Dragons (Believer).

Maybe it is because I’m getting old – but much of today’s music all sounds the same. I just don’t believe that today’s kids will be getting out of their seats at the fair in 50 years and rockin’ out to “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo.

I totally agree with Bob Seger.

“Call me a relic, call me what you will.
Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill.
Today's music ain't got the same soul.
I like that old time rock and roll.”