Phish/March 12,1992/Burlington,VT

This was the start of a 23 year odyssey for me. I sure did not know it at the time,though. In 1992 I was just another high 18 year old looking for a fun show. A few pals at UVM told me that this band Phish was fun to see in concert. So I picked up a $10 (yes..TEN dollar) ticket and walked down to the beautiful Flynn Theatre that night.

Extreme highness was the order of the evening. I remember hearing country,bluegrass,rock and flat-out weirdness coming from the stage that night. It was impossible for me to pinpoint the style of music. All I knew is that it was unique and fun as hell. The set-break in the middle of the show threw me way off. I thought "That was a short show. Is my sense of time that warped?!?". Nope...it was far from over. They played an equally long and weird 2nd set plus encore. (This remains a Phish tradition to this day.) The walk back to Marsh Hall on UVM campus did little to settle my mind. "WTF did I just experience?!?" was a recurring thought. All I knew was that I HAD to see these guys again.

Here is a link to the audio portion of the show.      http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1992-03-12

Allman Brothers Band/March 1,1992/Burlington,VT

This was another first for me. I knew a couple of Allman Brothers songs from FM radio,but that was it. In my mind,they were just a typical southern rock band. WRONG. I was very close to the stage,and their psychedelic light show knocked me for a loop. Oh...and the music was outlandishly good. A *typical southern rock band* they were not. These guys were massively talented players who could handle major improvisation. Wow! Just like at Deep Purple the previous year,my experience was THC influenced.

I remember the band coming out and tuning up for a good few minutes. "How very odd to tune up in front of an audience" I thought. Then out came "Blue Sky" and a gorgeous liquid light show,and we were off and running.

Below my ticket stub is a clip of the Allmans playing "Blue Sky" one day after this show in Burlington.

Official Allman Brothers Band site: http://allmanbrothersband.com/

Santana/October 2,1991/Burlington,VT

This was my first concert as a University of Vermont student. I knew almost nothing about Santana at the time. Some of my UVM pals walked down to Memorial Auditorium with me that night. A few of us were very high at the show. As a result, my memories are a bit muddy.

I was astounded at Carlos Santana's virtuosity on guitar. The guy just had an aura,and I couldn't take my eyes off him. He spent a lot of time looking at his bandmates and NOT looking at the audience. This struck me as odd and unnatural at the time. Now I know that's simply how he interacts with his band. I walked back to my dorm afterward just speechless. There was nothing I could say to explain what I just witnessed. Mind=Blown.

Below the ticket stub is a Santana show from 1 month after this concert.

Bob Dylan/July 10,1991/Essex Junction,VT

This was my first time seeing Dylan, and I knew very little about him at the time. All I really knew is that he was a *living legend* (even back in 1991). Just like at the B.B. King show from the previous year,I made a very crude audience tape of the show on my little Sony recorder.

I was unfamiliar with most of the songs he played that day. All I remember is "Ballad of a Thin Man" as the encore.

Below the ticket stub is a clip of Dylan about one month before this show.

Deep Purple/April 10,1991/Burlington,VT

Previous to this show,I knew "Smoke On the Water" and "Woman From Tokyo" by Deep Purple. That's all. Well....after this concert I became obsessed with the band. EVERYTHING about the show impressed me: the loudness,the songs,the jamming,the instrumental virtuosity of the band. I could not believe I had ever neglected these guys. This show proved to me that they were not a one or two hit wonder band. They were seriously talented musicians. Also...THC played a part in my enjoyment of the show.

This was *almost* the classic Purple line-up. Ritchie Blackmore on guitar,Jon Lord on keyboard,Roger Glover on bass,Ian Paice on drums and Joe Lynn Turner on vocals. Within days of the concert I drove to Pure Pop Records in Burlington and bought the tape (yes,tape) of "Deepest Purple". Since that night in 1991,I have purchased,downloaded,and traded boatloads of Deep Purple music.  Security was so lax at the Memorial Auditorium that night that they tore my receipt instead of my actual ticket. That's why I can share with you my unripped ticket.

Below the ticket is a clip of the mighty Purple in Osaka,Japan on this 1991 tour.

Blues Traveler/January 25,1991/Burlington,VT

This was my first Blues Traveler concert. I saw them about 4 times after this show. Honestly,I knew nothing about them before the show. My musical interests were very blues-based at the time,and I thought they would be a blues band. Imagine my surprise when I was exposed to John Popper's manic harmonica playing.

I have almost no memories of the show. But I DO recall the encore. Popper said something like "This will be the fastest version of 'Johnny B Goode' you'll ever hear". And indeed it was.

And here is a link to the setlist of the show. I don't even recall Trey Anastasio doing a guest appearance. But apparently he did! http://phish.net/sideshows//?d=1991-01-25

Laser Zeppelin/September 28,1990/Burlington,VT

This was more of a *neat* event than a concert. It probably would be laughable in 2015. At this point in time I was 17 years old and a major Led Zeppelin junkie. So I had to go. The Memorial Auditorium sound system would simply blast out Zeppelin songs while a (fairly crude) laser show would be projected around the gymnasium. Overall,pretty neat for 1990.

Featured below is the sort of show I mean.

Black Uhuru-Yellow Man and more/September 1,1990/Burlington,VT

In the very early 1990s,I can recall going to a few reggae shows at Memorial Auditorium. These shows featured multiple artists,and they all blend together as one in my mind. This was probably due to my unfamiliarity with the reggae world at the time.

I attended the Black Uhuru-Yellow Man show with my friends Sharyn,Chris and Becca. Chris and Becca were visiting from England at the time. All that stands out in my mind is Yellow Man. He was (and probably still is) an odd looking,yellowish fellow. And at one point he sang a song about "yellow vagina". Below my ticket stub is a clip of Yellow Man in action.

Official Yellowman site: http://www.djyellowman.com/

Rush/May 14,1990/Montreal,QC

This was my first BIG concert experience. It took place in the old Montreal Forum. My older friend Chris drove us up to Montreal that day. I knew very little about Rush,but I wanted to see a big show. Also,I was a drummer at the time,and I heard great things about Rush's drummer Neil Peart.

I recall very little of the show. "Tom Sawyer" sticks out in my mind as well as a major drum solo. I had one or two beers at the show. That was also a fairly new experience for me. More on that later. My friend Chris brought us to my first strip club after the show. (Club Supersexe on St. Catherine Street)

Below my ticket stub is a clip of Rush from about one month after this Montreal show.

B.B. King/March 1,1990/Burlington,VT

This was one of my first few concerts. I would have been 16 years old at the time. My Dad drove me to the show,but I attended the concert alone. My seat was pretty close to the stage,and I made a VERY amateur tape of the show on my little Sony recorder. As I recall,B.B. King was seated for most of the show.

His band played at least a couple instrumentals before B.B. himself came out. I recall "How Blue Can You Get" and "When Love Comes to Town". Probably "The Thrill is Gone" was played,but I can't recall.

Above my ticket stub is a clip of B.B. King from a few months after this show.

This blog will cover my concertgoing experiences from the 1990s until today.