Have you ever had the perfect (or near perfect) concert experience? And if so, has it ruined it for you to ever want to see that musician or band again? I've had two such experiences and they have kept me from seeing those musicians again, because how can you top perfection?
The first one was Garth Brooks in 1993. He made an unscheduled stop in our little town, at a country bar, totally unadvertised except for the name of his original band before he made it big. Those of us who were long-time fans and knew background story saw the name of the band on the marquee and questioned it. Could it really be him? We called the bar and they confirmed that yes, it was Garth Brooks and he was going to be performing there later that night. We called everyone we knew and got our butts down to the club, where we got in for $5. FIVE DOLLARS to see Garth Brooks, who, at the time, was the biggest performer in the world. Walked into the main room and there he was, on the little stage where the country cover bands performed every week, just a few feet away. Surreal. He and his band performed for well over two hours, talking to the crowd between songs, and having the time of his life. After the show was over, he stayed until after 2am, signing autographs and meeting the almost 1,000 people who showed up. He's taller than I thought. When I got up in line to meet him, he spent a few minutes talking to me, asking me about what music I liked, and sharing that he loved a lot of the same rock bands I did - KISS, Billy Joel, Motley Crue... His first wife Sandy was there as well, she was pregnant with their oldest daughter and seeing her made him seem more real, more human. Because of this experience, I have loved Garth Brooks (even more) and respected him as an artist and a human being.
My second experience was with the band KISS in 1996. I had seen them previously, in 1990, when they weren't wearing makeup and it wasn't the original lineup. That show was not memorable, as they left out many of their classic hits - Detroit Rock City, Christine, Sixteen, and Beth. But this time it was the original four members, and they were back in their iconic makeup. Our seats sucked, we were back in the nosebleed section of the auditorium, but with the big screens, we could see everything. But that's not what made it memorable. One of my all-time favorite songs is Beth. It is so simple yet so beautiful. Even my mother, who hated KISS liked it (she didn't know it was them, otherwise I'm sure she would've deemed Beth to be a Satan worshiping groupie). Anywho, we're about 2 hours into the show and they still haven't played Beth. I'm starting to get upset, this can't be happening twice. Then they finish up a song and the entire band walks off-stage. Not like the end of a set walk-off, they just stopped playing and left the stage. People were so stunned they didn't even start chanting like the crowd does before an encore. It was like, umm...what's going on...? Then a stagehand brings out a milking stool and places it in the middle of the stage. Ok, even more peculiar. Suddenly the strings in the beginning of Beth begin to swell, and out walks Peter Criss. He sits down on the stool and starts to sing Beth. I started to cry I was so thrilled. It was perfect. Just Peter and that song.
Both of these experiences were many years ago, but I can still remember them in perfect detail. So when I see that KISS - or more accurately, Paul and Gene and two random guys in Peter & Ace's makeup - is on tour, or that Garth Brooks is going to be near me in concert, I have no desire to go. I don't want a subpar experience marring the memory of those two perfect moments in time.
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