First Concert

Cassettes were beginning to replace albums, disco was all the the rage and Andy Gibb was coming to the Salt Palace.

But I didn’t have eight bucks for a ticket.

A few days before the concert a friend told me he had an extra ticket for me. It wasn’t that I was into his music although I did like the song “Shadow Dancing” and knew all the lyrics.

But I was thrilled to attend my first concert. Of course, I told all my friends.

Our seats were on the floor but far from the stage. Possibly the worst seats in the Palace, but it didn’t matter as long as I could hear the music.

I don’t remember what band took the stage first, but when Andy took the stage a group of girls rushed to the front and shoved me to the floor. My first concert wasn’t going as I had imagined.

I sat next to a girl who was so overwhelmed with Andy’s crooning that she cried until she passed out. She then leaned against my shoulder. She was so heavily drenched in perfume that my eyes stung and watered. But I didn’t care because this girl was leaning on my shoulder. No matter that she was passed out. Maybe she was cute, but I couldn’t tell. It was too dark.

Security finally arrived. My first and only encounter with an older women came to an end.

At the time I didn’t realize that she probably had some help getting to the state she was in, and it had nothing to do with the music.

I’ve attended a number of concerts since then, but none of them were as memorable as this one.