I'm Going Deaf

Too many rock concerts in the late 60's and through the 70's.

I started out with James Brown (at $2 a ticket) in 1967, and proceeded rapidly to Country Joe and the Fish (Gimme an F...). The Jefferson Airplane gave free concerts in the park in those days, as did the Fish. I saw the Doors, Airplane and The Grateful Dead in Toronto. Josh White, too, and Mose Allison. I saw Janis in the second-to-the-last concert she did with Big Brother. She had Chicago opening for her, back when they were still The Chicago Transit Authority. Led Zeppelin (twice). Rod Stewart (twice). The Rolling Stones in Chicago in 72, with Stevie Wonder for the opening act. That one was expensive. $9.75 per ticket, and, boy, did we grumble about it! I saw Starship twice, and Hot Tuna. Jethro Tull. Several bands with one word names, like Yes and Free as opening acts. Love. Quicksilver Messenger Service. Blind Faith on what I think was their only tour, billed optimistically as their first. Alice Cooper and the Chambers Brothers. Derek and the Dominoes. Clapton again with George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Ravi Shankar and his Indian Orchestra in Chicago. That one was voted the worst concert of the year, but I thought it was magnificent. Leo Kottke, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Marshall Tucker. Joni Mitchell with Graham Nash and David Crosby. Graham Nash by himself. Willie Nelson, Steve Goodman and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, and everyone else that was with them at the Astrodome for that fundraiser for Hurricane Carter. And again, with Rolling Thunder Revue in 1977 or 78.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few! Oh, yes. I saw Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers while they had the name change that was not politically correct--while Tommy Chong was their drummer. I had a couple of favourite Vancouver bands, Chilliwack and Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, neither of which ever became famous, but both were good and loud. And do any of you Austinites remember Shiva's Headband?

I didn't go to concerts in the 80's, except for a couple of forays into the Austin Opry house, after they tore down the Armadillo. I had little kids. By the time the 90's rolled around, I took them to one concert--Poison and Warrant. Blech.

Nowadays, it's the Black Watch Pipe and Drum Band, with the Welsh Guards.

They Rock!