The Best Concert I Ever Attended -

What's Your Pick?

Jimmy Buffett in the mid-seventies

I was riding along with my son-in-law Ben Sharpe when Jimmy Buffett came on the radio.

“I saw him in concert in Johnson City back in the seventies,” I told him.

“Wow,” he said. “I’ve only been to three concerts in my life.”

He proceeded to name them.

I don’t think his generation was as into rock concerts as mine was.

I couldn’t begin to name all the concerts I’ve been to. It started with Al Hirt and Boots Randolph – not exactly “rock” - at the ETSU gym in 1965. And before that year was out, I had seen a half dozen concerts, including the Rolling Stones in Raleigh.

I’ve seen Elton John and Frank Sinatra, Ol’ Four Eyes and Ol’ Blue Eyes.

I saw Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in Memphis and Elvis in Johnson City and Dayton, Ohio.

I could go on and on and on.

The best concert I’ve ever seen? I’ll tell you in a few paragraphs.

But about a year ago I got the idea to turn that idea – Best Concert – into a column and began polling my friends. My time as a columnist expired before I could finish my polling. But here’s what I got:

For Jo Zimmerman it was the Rolling Stones Nov. ’94 in Tampa.

David Miller couldn’t make a choice between two:  J. Geils Band and U-2 in 1981 at Alumni Gym in Knoxville or Stevie Ray Vaughn in ’86 at Freedom Hall in Johnson City.

Ron Worrell also had two picks: Elvis 1 And 2 in Knoxville in ’71 and the Eagles at Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville in 2013.

For Margy Clark it was Tony Bennett in 2017 in Asheville.

Dick Cartwright selected the Tams show at AFG Lodge in the late  70s.

Susie Rutledge had no hesitation: Dolly Parton at Thompson Boling in 2014.

My wife Melanie also had no hesitation: Chicago in the late sixties in  Chicago.

My best friend since childhood Lance Harris said, “I am going with Alabama in Huntington, West Virginia, I’m thinking 1983.” His wife Jackie picked the Jackson 5 in Knoxville.

For me it was easy: Bruce Springsteen at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta in 1976.

I saw Springsteen three times that year. Every show was different but this was the best.

I even wrote about it a week later for the Kingsport Times News:

He walked out wearing quasi-pegged blue jeans, an ill-fitting white shirt with flap pockets, tennis shoes and oversized sunglasses. He strapped on his guitar, started plunking away in what sounded like a tuning session with the band, and then out of the disparate array of sounds emerged "Night," a workers' lament from his third album, "Born To Run."

Then, in order, Springsteen and the E Street Band (Roy Bittan on piano, Miami Steve Van Zandt on guitar,· Gary Tallent on bass, Max Weinberg on drums, Danny Federici on keyboards, and Clarence Clemons on sax) performed:

'"Fifth Avenue Freezeout," "Spirit in the Night," "It's My Life," "She's the One," "Born to Run," " Blinded by the Light," "Backstreets," "Jungleland," "Rosalita," "Sandy," and encore numbers, "Devil with the Blue Dress," "See See Rider," and “Quarter to Three." ·

Driving is the only word for the show. The driving sounds emanating from the speakers pushed out over the audience, rolling over the listeners, mesmerizing them into a sea of foot-tapping. No one looked at a watch to see what time it was. No one cared.

And driving around in your car was the metaphor for many of the songs.

Springsteen kept his crowd on a rock and roller coaster, slowly easing into songs like "Jungleland" and then exploding inside the song. If "Jungleland" wasn't the show's finest moment, then it must have been "It's My Life," the old Animals' tune resurrected and revitalized into the ultimate punk anthem. Springsteen started the song with a talking blues story about coming home late and being confronted by his father. As the argument heats up, the story leads gently into a song and before you realize where you are, Springsteen is thundering "It's my life and I'll do what I want." It's the most telling number of the evening, and one of only four which Springsteen didn't write. ·

Playing counter-point to Springsteen's rompin' stompin' jumpin' stage show was ice cream cool Clarence Clemons, in a white suit, white shirt and white hat, with a red carnation in his lapel. The giant saxophonist looked even larger next to the smallish Springsteen. When Springsteen and the rest of the band were sending out wave on wave of sound, it was Clemons and his cool sax that filled in the low spots with a soothing wail. ·

When the final notes from "Quarter to Three" faded out from the speakers, Springsteen flashed a grin, waved to the crowd, and retreated with  "See you next month."

The 70s were the Golden Age of Concerts at Johnson City’s Freedom Hall.

Ten years ago David Miller and I compiled a list of all those shows, using newspaper microfilm. We missed a few, but not many.

To see that list type “Freedom Hall” in the Search box in the upper left hand corner.

And if you want to tell me – and the world – your choice for Best Concert, you can post your pick by clicking Comments at the bottom right of this post.