Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Two concerts


I was a born-again freshman sitting in the St. James dining hall when the hippie-chick librarian raised her hand. "I'm getting tickets to see Stevie Ray Vaughn in concert if anyone is interested in going." I knew who Stevie Ray was, but hadn't really listened to him. He didn't fit my lexicon of hardcore/punk-reggae-and-heavy metal that I had dialed in at the time.

It would be a few years later that I couldn't hear his songs enough. That "Pride and Joy" would be a shared song for Robin and I (by virtue of just digging it and dancing when Bad Influence or Tino Martinez would play it at Pope's Tavern in Oxford).

The librarian, who was also new at St. James that fall, went to see Stevie Ray. It's one of two concerts I wish I had a do-over, that something had spoken to me and said, fu%^ it, you aren't doing anything, do yourself a favor and go to that show. Now I'm not talking about a concert like saying you should have gone to see Bob Marley or Jimi Hendrix--your dream concert--rather a concert you had opportunity and offer to go see, but opted not to. Just because. And then you don't get another chance to.

Stevie Ray was dead before I really started rocking to him. It goes to the carpe the diem theory. Sometimes you've got to jump at the opportunity. Because you never know.

The second concert came probably seven years later. Sitting in a fraternity house at N.C. State. Kretzer and Murphy and a few friends were heading over to Chapel Hill to the Dean-Dome to see Blind Melon and Lenny Kravitz. Everybody knew Blind Melon's "No Rain" and Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way," but the show didn't seem that epic. There would be other chances.


And then there weren't. And it was only after the fact that I started burning up Blind Melon's first album and looking for more music from them. That I realized how cool it would have been to check them out that night. A night I did really nothing in particular.

I try to remind myself that I had opportunity and offer to see Stevie Ray and Blind Melon. And I didn't. I try to look at opportunities now and make sure I carpe the diem when opportunity and offer come together. Or I try to bring the two together.

What are your (two) concerts? Those things offered up that you wish you had jumped at. I'm not one to go back and rearrange shit--I think that your decisions and opportunities, etc. ultimately lead you to where you are and who you are? But man those would have been fun shows.

3 comments:

Rain said...

I once had a chance to see the Beastie Boys...and I passed on it....I still regret that one!

B.S. said...

Oh man, Stevie Ray would have been such a sweet show to see. I can't get enough of his music either though my favorite is "Change It". I missed out on a few recent bands I wish I could have seen which include Tool, VNV Nation, and Soundgarden. Though no one is coming to San Antonio, Texas for shows anymore. I also skipped out on Alice in Chains and The Doors, but that was because Layne Staley and Jim Morrison were long gone and I just didn't think it would be as good without them. Thanks for this post!

Michael Valliant said...

Rain - I saw the Beastie Boys and Henry Rollins on the "Check Your Head" tour in Raleigh, NC. A great show. Hopefully you can still catch them :)

B.S. - I dig me some Stevie as well. Some great bands, and yeah, I think I'd have done the same thing on the Alice show. Thanks for your comment!