Neil Young went full on country in 1984 with his backing band the International Harvesters and opening act the legendary Waylon Jennings with the Waylors. This Jones Beach concert that I believe was sponsored by Schaefer beer is memorable for a couple of reasons.
After the show ended and the audience had made its way toward the Jones Beach parking lots, I decided that I would explore. While crew were dismantling the stage, I walked down the center aisle of the orchestra, hopped on stage and made like I had something legitimate to do and belonged. I had no idea where I was going but continued backstage into the seemingly cavernous concrete structure and began wandering around. I could see that there were some people hanging out in one room and I quick stepped past. At some point during my journey, I ended up in the lot where the tour buses were parked. I still lived in Queens at the time and my ride home was long gone; it was time to make my way to Queens and I started walking. I really had no bearing as to where I was to where I needed to be but, in retrospect, I must have walked along the Wantagh Parjway for quite awhile. It had gotten late early and I found myself in an all night diner where I used a pay phone to try and call a cab for what would have been an expensive ride to Queens. Whoever answered the phone told me “why don’t you just take the train?” My response was something to the effect like “what are you talking about?”; I still had no idea what was the best way to get home. The voice on the phone said “look out the window” and it turned out the diner was directly across from the Long Island Railroad. I got on the westbound train to New York City and found myself sitting with commuters on their way into work Monday morning as the sun began to rise.

Little could I have known then that in about eight years I would purchase a house in Seaford that is a ten minute drive from the Jones Beach Theatre parking lots after a show to my driveway.

Field of Opportunity

Rock on!

GQ