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Now playing: The New Pornographers - Testament To Youth In Verse
via FoxyTunes
During my adolescence, I attended many concerts, a number of which would be included in my favorite concerts of all time, if only for the nostalgia factor. There was DEPECHE MODE, on the Black Celebration tour, in 1986. There was JOE JACKSON, on the Big World tour, also 1986. Both concerts actually the same week. What a wonderful time. My biggest concert regret, was the fact that Level 42 played the same week as Depeche Mode and Joe Jackson, but because I was attending those two shows, I opted to miss Level 42. At that point in time, my exposure to Level 42 consisted of "Something About You", which I loved. I may have even purchased "World Machine", but hadn't spent a lot of time with the full album. Two years later, Level 42 would become my favorite band, and a band for me to obsess over for many years. I will always regret the opportunity to see the original quartet, up close and personal at The Palladium, a Salt Lake area night club. The summer previous, I attended a great concert at Park West (now known as The Canyons), near Park City, Utah. Every summer we would be treated to the Park West Concert Series, which was located on the side of the mountain. They built a stage every summer, for the concert series, and you would sit on the grass, up on the side of the ski slope/mountain. Eventually, a real amphitheater was built, complete with reserved seating. Anyhow, 1985 was the year for me to experience Tears For Fears, on the Songs From Big Chair tour. Now, I will be the first to admit that TFF was not the best show band (at least at that point in time), but for a number of reasons, that proved to be a magical concert. I eventually saw TFF three more times, including one more "Songs From The Big Chair" performance in the fall of 1985, once in the early 90's, after Curt and Roland had parted ways, and one performance that would qualify as
one of MY FAVORITE CONCERTS...
TEARS FOR FEARS: SEEDS OF LOVE TOUR, 1990. This show was incredible. It was the last time that TFF would perform in Salt Lake before they parted ways (although they have since reunited, in 2003), not to mention the fact that they had Oleta Adams performing with the band. To crown off this performance, the show was held at Abravanel Hall, which is the finest venue in Salt Lake City, usually reserved for The Utah Symphony, and other select concerts. Another wonderful thing that pushed this concert over the top, was the fact that the opening act was The Call, and they weren't officially announced until the day of the show. I had been a fan of The Call for a few years, and was ecstatic to finally get to see them.
Let me pause to include two other shows from 1984, that deserve a little recognition. First, during July of 1984, I had the pleasure to see BERLIN in concert. Now, the true treat at this concert, was the fact that TALK TALK was the opening act, supporting "It's My Life". Talk Talk will always be considered one of my favorite bands, because of their fearless attitude about their art. To that band, money and success was not important. What mattered, was the artistic side of their music. With each album, they strayed farther away from mainstream Pop music. Each album, especially after "It's My Life", took me months (if not years) to fully appreciate. Now, I always love an album that hits you right off the bat, but the ones that truly stick with you, are the ones that take time to fully appreciate. In 1984, the New Wave scene was all about short hair, colorful outfits, Frankie Say t-shirts, and baggy clothes. When Mark Hollis of Talk Talk hit the stage, complete in denim pants, and a denim shirt that was unbuttoned shirt, complete with shoulder length straggly hair and Lennon specs, we were in shock. As recently as the "It's My Life" video, Mark was sporting a short hairstyle. There is something exciting about going to a concert, as an adolescent, that I don't feel in my older years. It's not saying that I haven't seen some wonderful shows over the past few years. I will include some, but there was something about the butterflies I would feel circling my stomach, as I waited for some of my favorite bands to hit the stage, whilst a teenager.
I also had the fortune of seeing Berlin, two months later, as they opened for another of my favorite bands...
THE THOMPSON TWINS: INTO THE GAP tour, September 1984. At this point, I was going out with a girl who shared the same love for music that I did. Although her obsession went a little farther with some of the men in music. Notably, David Bowie, as well as John Crawford of Berlin. I wasn't prepared for how obsessed she was, and because I was a tad bit insecure as a youth, I was bothered over her preoccupation for some of these artists. She bought me a ticket to the show, for my birthday, which was one of my best presents EVER, as it was something that I couldn't afford at the time. The show sold out the first day, if I am not mistaken, and I was heartbroken that I wasn't going to make it. INTO THE GAP was one of my favorite albums of the 80's, and would still be considered as such. The songwriting, the production, the image, were ALL things that touched me deeply.
to be continued...
Now playing: The New Pornographers - Testament To Youth In Verse
via FoxyTunes
During my adolescence, I attended many concerts, a number of which would be included in my favorite concerts of all time, if only for the nostalgia factor. There was DEPECHE MODE, on the Black Celebration tour, in 1986. There was JOE JACKSON, on the Big World tour, also 1986. Both concerts actually the same week. What a wonderful time. My biggest concert regret, was the fact that Level 42 played the same week as Depeche Mode and Joe Jackson, but because I was attending those two shows, I opted to miss Level 42. At that point in time, my exposure to Level 42 consisted of "Something About You", which I loved. I may have even purchased "World Machine", but hadn't spent a lot of time with the full album. Two years later, Level 42 would become my favorite band, and a band for me to obsess over for many years. I will always regret the opportunity to see the original quartet, up close and personal at The Palladium, a Salt Lake area night club. The summer previous, I attended a great concert at Park West (now known as The Canyons), near Park City, Utah. Every summer we would be treated to the Park West Concert Series, which was located on the side of the mountain. They built a stage every summer, for the concert series, and you would sit on the grass, up on the side of the ski slope/mountain. Eventually, a real amphitheater was built, complete with reserved seating. Anyhow, 1985 was the year for me to experience Tears For Fears, on the Songs From Big Chair tour. Now, I will be the first to admit that TFF was not the best show band (at least at that point in time), but for a number of reasons, that proved to be a magical concert. I eventually saw TFF three more times, including one more "Songs From The Big Chair" performance in the fall of 1985, once in the early 90's, after Curt and Roland had parted ways, and one performance that would qualify as
one of MY FAVORITE CONCERTS...
TEARS FOR FEARS: SEEDS OF LOVE TOUR, 1990. This show was incredible. It was the last time that TFF would perform in Salt Lake before they parted ways (although they have since reunited, in 2003), not to mention the fact that they had Oleta Adams performing with the band. To crown off this performance, the show was held at Abravanel Hall, which is the finest venue in Salt Lake City, usually reserved for The Utah Symphony, and other select concerts. Another wonderful thing that pushed this concert over the top, was the fact that the opening act was The Call, and they weren't officially announced until the day of the show. I had been a fan of The Call for a few years, and was ecstatic to finally get to see them.
Let me pause to include two other shows from 1984, that deserve a little recognition. First, during July of 1984, I had the pleasure to see BERLIN in concert. Now, the true treat at this concert, was the fact that TALK TALK was the opening act, supporting "It's My Life". Talk Talk will always be considered one of my favorite bands, because of their fearless attitude about their art. To that band, money and success was not important. What mattered, was the artistic side of their music. With each album, they strayed farther away from mainstream Pop music. Each album, especially after "It's My Life", took me months (if not years) to fully appreciate. Now, I always love an album that hits you right off the bat, but the ones that truly stick with you, are the ones that take time to fully appreciate. In 1984, the New Wave scene was all about short hair, colorful outfits, Frankie Say t-shirts, and baggy clothes. When Mark Hollis of Talk Talk hit the stage, complete in denim pants, and a denim shirt that was unbuttoned shirt, complete with shoulder length straggly hair and Lennon specs, we were in shock. As recently as the "It's My Life" video, Mark was sporting a short hairstyle. There is something exciting about going to a concert, as an adolescent, that I don't feel in my older years. It's not saying that I haven't seen some wonderful shows over the past few years. I will include some, but there was something about the butterflies I would feel circling my stomach, as I waited for some of my favorite bands to hit the stage, whilst a teenager.
I also had the fortune of seeing Berlin, two months later, as they opened for another of my favorite bands...
THE THOMPSON TWINS: INTO THE GAP tour, September 1984. At this point, I was going out with a girl who shared the same love for music that I did. Although her obsession went a little farther with some of the men in music. Notably, David Bowie, as well as John Crawford of Berlin. I wasn't prepared for how obsessed she was, and because I was a tad bit insecure as a youth, I was bothered over her preoccupation for some of these artists. She bought me a ticket to the show, for my birthday, which was one of my best presents EVER, as it was something that I couldn't afford at the time. The show sold out the first day, if I am not mistaken, and I was heartbroken that I wasn't going to make it. INTO THE GAP was one of my favorite albums of the 80's, and would still be considered as such. The songwriting, the production, the image, were ALL things that touched me deeply.
to be continued...
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