U's blog made me think about concerts that I have attended. It was interesting for me to hear that someone who loves music as much as I know he does, does not enjoy the live concert experience.

Me, on the other hand...Im not a big "music-y" person. (Yes, I play piano, I enjoy hymns and love 80's music and top 40 pop stuff, but I dont get into the music like those who really love it are able to. )What interested me was the fact that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the whole concert experience.

What have I seen?

1. George Michael's FAITH tour. OH MY LANDS!! Complete with huge hair, big earings, tight acid washed jeans, white tee shirt and frosty lipstick. We were smoking hot at that concert! My roomate and I pooled our money at bought a GEORGE MICHAEL tee shirt. For years we passed it back and forth. I seriously still have it (and thats saying alot for me who is not overly sentimental about stuff). We also purchased a life side George Michael poster that spent the next year and a half posted to the door of our hallway. I can sing every lyric to that "album".

2. Def Leppard. Same outfit as above, but swap out a concert tee for a black tee shirt, a little heavier on the eye-liner, a little more teasing of the hair, a little more older and more worldly and there you have it. The boys we were with all had non-sexual crushes on Def Leppard. They were amazing...great theatrics, plus who doesnt love the drama of a one armed drummer. I got one thing to say...the hair the hair the hair the hair. I dont know who had more, the Def Leppard or my friends and me.

4. Bon Jovi. Chicago. Enough said.

5. YES. With my husband when we were newly married. At the O-rena. While I was not a huge YES fan E was and so i went went him because I knew it would please him. It was enjoyable and i remember being interested in the fact that there was so much pot smoking going around and that the was made up of old men. When I pointed this out to E, he was not amused. Still, I sang my heart out to Owner of a Lonely Heart.

6. U-2. I was pregnant with the girl. I remmeber wearing black but not because of the band, because it was the only outfit that fit me. They are absolutely one of my favorite bands. They have tremendous staying power. I remember almost NOT going because...get this one...I was afraid that the music would be too loud for the child I carried in utero. (eye rolling at myself back then) It was in Tampa/St Pete which was a drive, but the music was amazing and Bono was incredibly soulful.

7. Michael W. Smith...high school. After that concert there was nothing I loved more than Jesus. I had all of Michael's stuff. I was a total "Christian music" addict. I would listen to it every morning while getting ready. I had my little cassette player and my stash of Christian cassettes. I went with my friends Dina, Beth, and Shelia to this concert. I believe we were like Juniors and Sophomore and this was my first actual "concert" experience. It was a fairly tame group being "Christian" and all. I remember being amazed that people actually STOOD the entire time during a concert.

8. Eddie Money. I know I know I know...Talk about the 80's! I actually attended this concert in downtown Orlando in the early 90's. I want to say, if my memory serves me correctly that this was part of the FRINGE festival back then. (Do they still do the FRINGE festival??? I dont even know) The best part of this concert was that it was outside and just seriously in the middle of the street. I think we were standing somehwhere near Church Street and Orange. They blocked off parts of downtown Orlando and there were sevearl different stages with various concerts. I believe that Kool and the Gang was there that night too. Eddie is great with his cracking/ raspy voiced sound. Did you know he has like 5 kids??

9. And of course Van Halen. Yummy yummy yum.

What concerts have you attended...do tell, Id love to hear the stories.