Over 25 Years of Rock n' Roll...

[SW3D]

Other Hobbies and Interests: Just two days ago, Brandon Shepherd brought up an interesting subject about "Other Hobbies and Interests". We all have interests outside of the domain of comic books. And I think it is safe to say that many of us share similar likes and dislikes for Popular Culture and such.

 

Like me, Meshuggah and Gaming ETC collect Baseball Cards. PlainMad has a CGC collection of MAD Magazines that are truly monumental. Tnerb collects Shot Glasses and Star Wars Toys. Studio25 has an interest in illustrating and shared with us a near facsimile of a Frank Frazetta piece. I used to draw and illustrate as a child, and even just before I graduated High School, considered becoming a cartoonist and enrolling into the Joe Kubert School of Art... but I came to the realistic understanding that I didn't have the talent necessary for such an endeavor. To this day, I search aimlessly for my true "Soul Mission"... like Adam Warlock always asks that existential question to the Cosmos: "Why Am I Here?" I say to myself... "To Write and to Share my Visions and Concepts with the World"... but I don't do enough of it as I should and it seems what I write about isn't really igniting with audiences... but that's another subject of conversation entirely.

 

But looking back to 1987, my comic book collecting habits took a sharp nose dive. I literally stopped buying comics in favor of other things. Why? Probably it was my senior year of High School and girls and friends... in other words a Social Life... took front and center stage. And you know how that goes. Suddenly comics are not so important and become trivial, and the money I used to spend on them was being used for hanging out at the local Video Arcade, the Pool Hall, the Pizza Store, the Cineplex, buying records and tapes (yep they were still around), and as David Bowie would say "Teenage Wildlife". In those days, music took me by storm.

 

It was in 1985 when I bought my very first cassette tape. It was Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon... an album destined to be my absolute favorite composed by a group of four musicians (Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason sans Syd Barrett), that to this day are still my favorite.

 

Soon after I was hanging out with friends I met in High School with interests in Movies, Sports and Music, and that's all we would talk about. Frequent trips to the record stores that no longer exist, was a very cool way to spend a Saturday if you had nothing else to do.

 

One of my closest friends at the time, Larry Latoe, bought a pair of tickets to see Robert Plant (former front man Led Zeppelin) play at Madison Square Garden. The event had Cheap Trick open up, who played forty-five minute set and played their best of the 70's and 80's, and even played new tracks from their soon to be released album "Lap of Luxury". Cheap Trick was experiencing popularity with the hit ballad "The Flame". Because they opened for the top bill, Robert Plant, Cheap Trick became the very first act I ever see perform live and on stage. However, the real buzz and excitement that night was over Robert Plant and the rumors that Jimmy Page may somehow make a guest appearance, and therefore, the audience would get treated to a Led Zeppelin reunion of sorts, but alas, that never happened.

 

My very next show was a gift from my oldest brother Carlos, who had introduced me to the world of Rock n' Roll. In the 70's and 80's he collected lots of vinyl from all the main stream Rock Gods and of bands seldom heard today. He was generous to treat me (the youngest) and my other brother, Jose (the middle brother), to see Roy Orbison play a show at the Beacon Theatre. It was 1988 (can't remember the exact date or month), and truth be told, Roy Orbison was the last guy I wanted to see and hear. But when he took the stage and played a tight set that absolutely did not rely on pyrotechnics or any razzle-dazzle, like Old School Rock n Roll, I think I probably heard the greatest living voice ever! His harmonics and vocal range was unbelievable. Now I understand why Carlos was so adamant to see him. Sadly, at just the young age of 52, he died of a heart attack that same year on December 8th.

 

Anyway, I would love to talk about all the fun things that occurred at each and every show I attended (from '87 to today: somewhere near 60 concerts or more), but I don't want to bore you to death. I will however share with you a picture of the tickets I thankfully kept. Lamentably, the tickets to those first two shows I did not keep (smack myself in the head for not having hindsight), and there are a dozen other shows (Faith No More at Roseland, Ozzfest featuring Black Sabbath and Judas Priest at Jones Beach, Rush 35th Anniversary Tour at Radio City, Gloria Estefan and Celine Dion (don't laugh... but I had to treat my girlfriend), Eric Clapton at MSG, Soundgarden at Jones Beach, guitarist Richard Thompson, and Robbie Krieger at the Iridium) where the tickets have either been lost or have been misplaced and floating in the Neverland.

 

And there are still a number of musicians and artists I have yet to see that are on my bucket list: David Bowie, King Crimson, Be Bop Deluxe, Men at Work, Jane's Addiction, Radiohead, Metallica, Electric Light Orchestra, the Beach Boys, AC/DC, Green Day, and, lamentably, a list of other musical geniuses that have long since left us: John Lennon, George Harrison, Syd Barrett, Elvis Presley, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Joe Strummer, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Davey Jones, etc., that I never got to see and will never.

 

Thankfully, comic books are back in my life: bigger and better than ever! And you guys are a part of it!

 

And if for any reason, comic collecting takes another hiatus out of my life, I will always have Rock n' Roll to fill the void.

 

Thanks for reading and Happy Collecting!

 

SW3D

 

See more journals by screenwriter3d

[mzhammer]

I wonder if we were ever at the same show?!?!

 

Strangely, I am taking my wife to see Robert Plant next week. (Rumors of Jimmy Page showing up... Yes, please start them, maybe he'll hear?!?!)

 

We have been working on the "old guys" tour, trying to catch the ones we missed that are playing the back 9 these days. Saw The Eagles, which I highly suggest to anyone and everyone!!!! Will Nelson too.... David Bowie, Pink Floyd & Led Zeppelin would be the big ones... ..if ever....

 

I wonder if anyone is colleting those band comics? I've seen one for Pink Floyd. Kinda cool!

 

 

 

 

[Shivabali]

I agree that Rock 'n Roll will always be a centerpiece of my life as well...along w/ jazz, classical and some R & B and rap. But mostly good ol' rock 'n roll. We have very similar taste in music as we've discussed before. I did see King Crimson at a 3,000 person venue on their Thrak tour and must say it is in my top 10 favorite shows. Lots of their Adrian Belew music...Discipline, Three of a Perfect Pair, Beat (which is about the Beat generation btw). Anyway, thanks for sharing your other passions. Pink Floyd is the best. Saw Waters perform the Wall last year and was simply blown away. Since you're on the East coast, I'm sure I never attended any concerts with you (did see Joe Strummer in Brooklyn once) but we've seen many of the same bands. On my bucket list is Tom Waits as well as a lot you mentioned. ELO would be sweeeet! Mr. Blue Skies where are you!!! been raining out here

I've posted this before...shameless self-promotion, I know, but for any who haven't known, I build dioramas too in addition to the comic hobby. Anyone can check it out at www.mark-armor.com . I add a couple a year, so it's a snail-paced operation and I don't update often, but there are a handful to gawk at now.

[SW3D]

I was never into band comics. I actually wrote a journal spoofing the whole idea.

 

I will pray to the Hammer of the Gods and maybe a miracle will happen... but I doubt it.

 

Gotta love the Eagles... been meaning to catch them live.

 

Old Guys Tour is so true! You can hear their bones creaking even if you're in the bleacher bum seats.

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Now you're talkin' my language... I love King Crimson.

 

I missed out on several opportunities to see them and I really regret that.

 

The closest thing I got to KC was seeing John Wetton do two solo concerts back to back in 1995 and he covered lots of Crimson. Those were sweet shows. Even though I love Greg Lake and Adrian Belew, in my opinion, the definitive voice of King Crimson will always be John Wetton.

 

In 2006, the original Asia lineup including John Wetton played their 25th Anniversary Tour, and they covered songs from King Crimson, including "21st Century Schizoid Man", "Lament", and "Book of Saturday's". That was awesome!

 

Back in 2001, I had tickets for the ELO reunion tour with Jeff Lynne, but guess what?... 9/11 happened and everything was cancelled. I remember that very well because I requested Ticket Master to refund my monies for the cancelled shows, and they charged me a $3.50 processing fee per ticket. I flipped a gasket and fought tooth and nail to get all my money back, and I did! Can you imagine all the millions of tickets sold, and then cancelled and Ticket Master getting a $3.50 fee per ticket?

 

SW3D

[Brandon Shepherd]

Sweet collection of ticket stubs! I'm hearing a lot about Pink Floyd on these posts, my older brother showed me his ticket stub collection in the late '90s, he saw Pink Floyd in '87 or '88, the price on the stub was only $20, he told me at the time people thought that was outrageous, I was thinking that was a bargain!

 

After seeing your picture, I went through my stub collection, this brought back some memories! My first concert was Eric Clapton in '98. From there I saw Lynard Skynyrd, Ozzfest '98 (the concert form Hell, literally), Van Halen (3rd lead singer, sad show), H.O.R.D.E Fest '98, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Don Henley, Red Hot Chili Peppers w/ Stone Temple Pilots, U2, Sting, Billy Joel and Elton John, Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Police, John Mellencamp and Chris Isaac.

 

My favorite concert memory is Skynyrd in '98, Peter Frampton opened and stole the show, this was also my first concert without one of my parents, it was also on a school night during one of the last few days of my freshmen year of high school. The best concert I've seen would be the Police, they broke up when I was only 2, I wondered for years if Sting would cave and reunite, seeing them was a once in a life time opportunity for me. I was amazed at their musicianship, they took care of themselves over the years and played their hearts out, they were a three piece band and they played their show without any back up musicians standing off to the side or hidden in the back (the Eagles did this). Seeing Chris Isaak three years ago in a theater made me feel a little old, they were serving wine in the lobby, I have never been to a concert with wine, weird! I also thought about how a Chris Isaac show in the '90s would have packed with beautiful women, not so much in 2010, I think I was one of the youngest people in the audience at 28.

 

Thanks for giving me the idea to go though my stubs, this brought back some fun memories!

[SW3D]

I missed out on the late 80's PF tours Momentary Lapse of Reason and Delicate Sound of Thunder. But i finally got see them at Yankee Stadium in 1994 for the Division Bell Tour. That was one of the best shows i have ever seen.

 

There are few Power Trios in the annals of music to match the musicianship of The Police.

The trios i love are Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Rush, Cream, Nirvana, ZZ Top, Stray Cats, King's X, and Zebra. I wish i had seen The Police. I like Sting's solo stuff but The Police were so much more.

 

By the way... you were the impetus for me looking through my stubs.

 

Do you think i should write a journal about my collection of concert programs?

 

Keep Rocking Brother!!!

 

SW3D

[Brandon Shepherd]

A journal about the concert programs? Do it!