ELO: Out Of The Blue Tour 1978.

My first non-club show was KMFDM/PIG in Hartford, in '01 or '02, probably.

Johnny and Edgar Winter toured together in 1975 or thereabouts, and I saw them at the Harry Adams Field House in Missoula. I won tickets on KYLT radio, and it took some pleading to get my father to agree to let me go. He was convinced that there would be dope smoked and and pills swallowed all around me.

My father had convinced himself that nobody really liked rock music, and that such events were just cover and excuse to take and sell drugs. While this was certainly true for the Grateful Dead, I was actually keen to hear "Frankenstein," which I liked.

There was dope smoked and probably pills swallowed all around me, just like my dad had feared, but "Frankenstein" was pretty good.

First show ever, that I can remember, for me was probably something like Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. That obviously isn't too great.

First show I went to without my parents was Blur at Newcastle Arena (UK). I think it was circa Parklife, or maybe the album after that. I wasn't a fan. Just went b/c my friends liked that crap.

First good show, that I actually wanted to go to was GVSB Newcastle Riverside (UK) circa House of GVSB.

My folks took my brother and I to a few classical concerts at the Petrillo Bandshell when we were little kids, but the first rock show I remember was when they took us to see Cheap Trick at Chicagofest.

Actually, that's not entirely accurate. My father took me about a year before the Cheap Trick show to see Beatlemania! when it came to Chicago. Does that count as a show?

I actually won tickets in a raffle some radio station (I think it was 107.5 or 105.5) did at Hugh MacRae Park in fifth grade to go see the Offspring, Fenix Tx, and Sum 41 at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I went with my Dad, who was totally cool and hung out watching the show while I was in what the band's all referred to as "the pit." I got guitar picks from all the bands and met Fenix Tx who were one of my favorite bands at the time. 'Twas fun.

First show I ever saw that blew my fucking mind right out of my ass was Sonic Youth at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill four years ago. Double Leopards opened and it was the first band I'd ever seen live that made me literally shake. In-fucking-goddamned-tense. Magik Markers were incredible also. I went to the merch table and bought all of both bands' available records. Sonic Youth's intensity, energy, and completely spontaneous genius onstage made me want to do that...right there, that. Exactly what was going on onstage. I was right under a huge speaker hanging from the ceiling, which Thurston kept hitting with his guitar and which I thought would fall on top of me at any moment. I drove back in awe. This of course was the same year I saw the reunited Mission of Burma, which I discussed at great length elsewhere on this board.

I saw Sonic Youth play a completely boring, uninspiring, totally shit set last year in Atlanta at a terrible, huge venue called Earthlink Live. Still...

Debbie Harry & The Ramones in Berkeley on the Escape from New York tour, 1990. Tom Tom club played after the Ramones. I left.

A week later I saw Sonic Youth and some band called Nirvana opened for them. Judging by the name I thought they were going to have keyboards. Dale from the Melvins was playing drums for them.

It was also the first time I heard Fugazi; the sound guy was playing Repeater over the PA. I bought it the next day.

Faith No More and Helmet on the Angel Dust/Meantime tour. Helmet totally upstaged Faith No More. I was 11 or 12. My dad had to bring me. I saw boobies.

First "Arena" Show: Iron Maiden, Powerslave era (World Slavery Tour) Summer 1985. I think Accept opened up. Iron Maiden was god-like.

First Punk show: Ramones, Animal Boy Tour 1986. The "beer garden" fence at the club (The Boathouse, Norfolk, Va.) was pushed over by the kids in the crowd. This resulted in a near-riot and broken eyeglasses.

First ever concert-
The Monkees in the mid 80's.
3rd row center.
Rosemont Horizon.
I still have the tee shirt.

Fuck yeah.

First punk rock show-
Naked Raygun in 1987.
The Riviera.
I still have that tee shirt too. Grey on grey.