On This Day Woodstock Wrapped Up

August 18, 1969: CBS Evening News


Too bad I couldn't go. I had to work. Imagine that!
     That and I prefer indoor toilets and my women not to smell like one.

A Few Of My Less Then Spectacular Concert Experiences
On one of my many trips to Spectrum concerts I stood in a line of about 20 people waiting about 20 minutes to use a urinal. Imagine my surprise when I got up to the front of the line and saw there was nothing but a wall in front of me. No urinal. Just wall tiles with a yellow river running down it.

But that was not nearly as disappointing as driving down, waiting a hour to get in only to end up sitting (festival style) behind the stage for a Aerosmith concert back in the 70's. The warm up band not only sucked, we couldn't hear any of the vocals because the speakers were not pointed back there. Finally nearly 4 hours after leaving home Aerosmith came to the stage to play. They weren't even finished with their first song when some asshole threw a beer bottle and it hit Steven Tyler bullseye in the head!

As other members helped a bleeding Tyler off the stage one of the members ran to Tyler's mic and yelled "Fuck you! Something always happens when we come to Philly" After about 20 minutes of waiting, as the crowd grew increasingly restless, some guy came to the front of the stage and said don't bother raising hell it won't do anybody any good because the band has left the building. After a few minutes more of hell raising by the crowd, we were told we'd all get a refund.

Well, I'm still waiting?
:-)


A few more things I learned after that experience...* Never ever buy tickets unless it's reserved seating. Not unless you enjoy watching roadies working behind the stage and bask in bass without hearing any of the vocals.

* Never buy floor level tickets unless you wanted to get squashed by those behind you forming human waves. Caution: If there was seating, folding chairs can become projectiles.

* Never buy tickets for 3rd level if you're the designated driver. The thick rising cloud of pot smoke would do you in.

* Never ever let your retina get burnt in the 70's by Blue Oyster Cult's lasers in the early days before they were regulated.

* Never ever turn around and confront someone behind you when they grab your wife's ass repeatedly. Turns out they usually have several friends with them. (It didn't go well).

* Don't expect a lot of support when some guy is throwing up in front of you drunk out of his mind. The only help we got from security was they slipped a paper bag over his head for the remaining last hour of the concert after he passed out. For me the odor was rather distracting and made my concert experience somewhat less delightful.

* Ted Nugent's sound people were torture specialists. After 20 minutes of standing I began to experience ringing ears and started to get a headache from the treble. I kneeled down. It only provided temporary relief because it was then I started to feel nausea as every organ in my body started vibrating from the bass. Up & down. Up & down.. when is this damn thing going to end! (Maybe this helps explain why Nugent is the way he is, eh?)

* Entertainers should never ever toss oranges off the stage into the crowd no matter how well intended. Hundreds of oranges tossed around is nothing like one fly ball going into the stands at a baseball park. Anyone ever get hit by a 50mph orange? Hey, I'm just happy they weren't apples!
Ah the good old days
So many memories
NOT!