Rankings of concerts I've been to...
My memories and the stories.
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​1) My first concert -
July 4, 1980 - Foghat at Alpine Valley, WI. Here's a story I did on that adventure:
2) Last concert I attended -
Sammy Hagar and the Circle - May 26, 2021 - Downtown Orlando. This was a disappointing show. We got there late because the group I was with, were much more interested in drinking at the bar down the street than to be at the actual show. What I noticed immediately was that every song they played, was tuned down a whole step from the original, even the old Van Halen songs. It really was not worth the money that was paid by my buddy to get such expensive tickets for such a crappy show. At least I got to see my bass guitar hero, Michael Anthony.
3) Worst Concert -
August 7, 1987 - Boston at Alpine Valley, WI. I remember that there was a fairly large group of us that went to this concert. I'm guessing at least a dozen people. It had been raining and kind of miserable. When we finally figured out where our seats were, we discovered that they were way, way, way up the hill, about a quarter mile from the actual stage. If you've ever been to Alpine Valley, I'm sure you know what I mean. We could not see the stage at all. We waited and waited for the show to start. Then we heard the crowd near the stage, cheering as if the show had started. There were no speakers of any kind for us to hear the concert. We tried to move closer to the stage to no avail. It turned out to be the biggest rip-off concert I had ever attended. After about a half-hour of trying to hear the concert, we gave up, walked back to our cars and went home.
​4) Loudest concert -
That would definitely have to be the "Motley Crue" show at the UCF auditorium​ on November 2, 1997. The show was played at the same volume at an indoor facility, as if it were played at an outdoor arena. It was extremely loud! Many people who were there, spent the entire concert with their fingers in their ears to shield the ultra high decibels from damaging their hearing. I was no exception. I'm a musician who has played in numerous rock bands over the years, and for me to cover my ears, that should tell you just how loud the concert actually was.Â
​5) Best concert -
This is a very tough one to answer. I have seen many fantastic concerts, but I'm gonna have to go with Gloria Estafan - Evolution Tour concert I saw at the old Orlando Arena (Orena) on September 17, 1996. I was there with my very good friend, Brigid, her husband and her sister. The show started and I was immediately blown away by the level of musicianship from the band. Just an absolutely fantastic concert.
​6) Seen the most -
​Strangely enough, I'm going to have to admit to seeing .38 Special several times. I grew up listening to .38, I have four of their vinyl albums, and I used to practice guitar and bass guitar to those albums all the time when I was a kid, but I never thought in a million years that I would ever see them in concert. Now, I really don't mean to "name drop" here, but I must tell the story. As it turned out, way back in 1999, I was the bass player for a newly formed rock band called Rule of 7. We needed a really good drummer. Our lead guitarist, Mike decided to ask a long time acquaintance of his if he might consider joining the band. This acquaintance is very well known in Central Florida. He has played drums with everyone in town. I saw him play many years ago when he was in a local band called Son's of Doctors and then again when he played with Fade to Black. Gary has been the drummer for .38 Special since the mid 1990's. Gary joined us in our band project and became our drummer too. Having Gary as a band member and friend, I was invited many times to the .38 shows and to hang out back stage. It was always a great show. .38 is still on the road.
7) ​Most surprising -
Mike and I drove over to the west coast of Florida to see Kip Winger do an acoustic solo show. Mike and I have been huge fans of Winger since the beginning. Seeing Kip do a solo show would mean a much more intimate venue and a much more personal experience for both of us to hear this amazing rock legend. We were not disappointed at all. Kip is one of the most under rated musicians of our time. Mike and I were both completely blown away by the show. Here is an article I wrote last year July 2022, with a highlight of Kip Winger.
​8) Happy I got to see -
Oh, there's no contest. I am a gigantic fan of Joyce Cooling​. She and her band played the main stage at the Winter Park arts festival on March 21, 2004. It was a pretty big turn out. I was so excited to finally see and hear her play. After the show, she did a CD signing. I actually got to meet her, shake her hand and get a couple of pictures with her. Four years later, she played an outside concert at the Mall at Millenia on May 2, 2008. I got a chance to say "hi" to her again. She was as nice and as charming as could be. As much as she is a very attractive woman, she is an absolutely fantastic jazz guitarist. I was very happy to see her. Here is an article I wrote last year May 2022 about Joyce's second album that finally made it to the radio. It was the first music I had ever heard from her.
9) ​Wish I could have seen - ​
Dan Fogelberg a few more times before he died. Fogelberg was one of my all time favorite musicians. I became a better acoustic guitarist, because of his music. I used to practice several of his albums all the time. Like Kip Winger, Dan Fogelberg was one of the most under rated musicians ever. His story-telling songs painted endless pictures and created worlds most people only dream about. I was very lucky to see him play two different acoustic shows. I remember feeling as though I was in the presence of greatness. I can only imagine the hundreds if not thousands of songs he took with him to the grave. Here is an article I wrote last year May 2022 about Dan Fogelberg.