Concert Spectacles

This evening, I thought I'd do a short feature on some of the concerts I've been to in my time. In a very "High Fidelity" or David Letterman style, I'll give you some "Top 5" type lists.
(Side bar: You know, summers were always a time to go see a lot of outdoor concerts, but once you start working, it's a lot tougher to prioritize spending a whole day in a parking lot somewhere drinking before a concert. Just can't do it...then again, unless it's a weekend....)

Top 5 Concert "Spectacles" (Concerts where the atmosphere itself was more of a scene that the actual music)

5) O.A.R - Front Lawn of Sig Ep in State College, PA - April 2001: This was about the time when O.A.R. was becoming popular, and a rumor had circulated that they were playing on the front lawn of Sig Ep at Penn State. Well, you couldn't beat that it was free, plus that it was on a Sunday afternoon, and you could laugh at all the frat guys making idiots of themselves in the process. They only played for about an hour or so before the cops came and shut down the show because of noise ordinances.

4) Jimmy Buffett - Tweeter Center (a.k.a. E-Center) in Camden, NJ - June 2004: Jimmy is always a scene as it is, but the parking lot and people in attendance were more rambunctious this go-around. I've never seen so many fat guys with cheeseburger bras and grass skirts. Honestly, the Parrotheads are one unique flock (no pun intended). I think Jared was shell-shocked after this concert experience.

3) Run DMC - HUB Lawn - State College, PA - April 2002: When we heard that Run DMC was playing at "Movin' On", the big concert each spring at the Penn State, we knew it was going to be a spectacle. We made sure we got there extra early to stake out some ground near the stage, and before the show even started, we saw some guy pass out (literally falling over), and two other guys get in a fist fight right in front of us. Then, when Run DMC came on, fashionably late of course, and brought their posse with them, everyone went nuts. Then they played "Walk This Way" and "Tricky" and all were satisfied. Too bad that Movin' On went on a downward spiral after that.

2) Jimmy Buffett - Tweeter Center (a.k.a. E-Center) in Camden, NJ - June 2002: This was my first Jimmy Buffett concert, and it did not disappoint. As mentioned above, the parking lot scene is unlike anything you've ever seen. They turn Camden, NJ, the hell-hole of the world, into a tropical paradise. It started raining in paradise before the show began and then kept raining harder. Honestly, I've never been more soaking wet in my life. At the time I wasn't too thrilled, but Jimmy kept playing, and kept giving shout-outs to the lawn crowd braving the elements. Plus, he played "The Weather is Here, I Wish You Were Beautiful" and we had no choice but to enjoy ourselves while standing in a thunderstorm. Mini-highlight: the fat chick that kept grabbing Brandon's ass throughout the show was rather humorous.

1) George Clinton & the Parliament Funkadelic - Penn's Landing - Philadelphia, PA - May 2000: Every Memorial Day Weekend, they have the "Jam on the River" festival down on Penn's Landing. We heard George Clinton was going to play, and for $15, there's no doubt we'd be in attendance. All the jambalaya and fried alligator you could enjoy, hippies a plenty, and the most diverse crowd I've ever seen at a concert. Seriously, there was a solid 50/50 mix between white folks and blacks folks for George Clinton. Big George came on about 30-40 minutes late, and the next thing you know, his posse comes out. Then more people join them on stage. At one point they had 30 people on stage, of which 5 or 6 were actually playing music. The rest of the stage show was just hanging out for no apparent reason. Bootsy Collins (big black guy in a diaper) was running around like a crazy, and George was higher than a kite. The funkadelic jams would last about 20 minutes each and all the black folks would be hootin' and hollerin' and loved all of George's antics. In fact, we all loved the scene, and that's why it's my #1 concert spectacle of all-time.

If you have any great concert spectacle stories, feel free to share in the comments section.

Check back sometime in the near future for the next list in the concert series...one that may actually have to do with the music being played.

- One other note: A few people have asked me if I'm gonna mention anything about Arts Festival this weekend at Penn State. If you ask, I will tell. That is a Ross Press Release policy. Yes, I will be in attendance this weekend up in Happy Valley for the 5th year in a row and very much looking forward to it. The Jessica and I will be hitching around with Eric & Abby early Saturday morning and making the trek from New York to State College. (Pray for us not to get caught in the construction traffic on I-80.) Very much looking forward to getting back up there for the first time since last October when we visited for Homecoming. For my Penn Staters who read this blog, you'll find us at Cafe 210 for most of the day. Give me a call.