I took my then 12 year old son to the 2004 K-Rock Dysfuncional Family Picnic at Jones Beach Theatre primarily to see The Darkness who were an interesting phenomenon around that time and who we thought might be the “next big thing”. More notably, as it turned out, it would be the only time that I would catch the Beastie Boys perform in concert. My clearest memory of the event was, although the Cypress Hill had some really good songs, I had to take my son for a walk around the venue during their set as some aspects of the act, and some of the material, did not seem age appropriate for him at the time. The K-Rock “picnic”, and the station itself as a rock and roll entity, are both a thing of the past now, so I am glad that we had the opportunity to celebrate Howard Stern’s former home in person, at least this once, during this wild diverse concert line-up performing while at Jones Beach.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

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GQ

If memory serves me right, this Fleetwood Mac concert at Jones Beach Theatre in June, 2004 was a tour that did not include Lindsay Buckingham but instead the band added two guitarists to replace him. Entertaining show as I remember, and no Buckingham did not make much of an impression on me as, while I like Fleetwood Mac and their music was everywhere in the 1970’s and beyond, I was never the biggest Mac fan. I came to more fully appreciate Lindsay Buckingham’s contribution to the live act when they played a two day mini- festival that included the Eagles years later at Citifield.

Go Your Own Way

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GQ

I attended the New York City stop on the Yes 35th anniversary tour at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, May 13, 2004. I have no particular recollection of this Yes concert but unbelievably this will make 2024 the 55th anniversary; time waits for no one. I recently saw the Steve Howe version of Yes at the NYCB Theatre in Westbury which was sadly not sold out that evening. In the 70’s and early 80’s the diehard Yes fans among us would order our Yes tickets months in advance for the Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum shows with the anticipation building as the shows came closer. After the “Going for the One” tour, and the return of Rick Wakeman, the succeeding worldwide Yes treks were performed “in the round”, which was genius as each musician in the band was brilliant in his own right; while the stage revolved in center orchestra you could concentrate on an individual member’s performance and fully take in their individual contributions for a song or two.
Yes “ in the round” at Westbury was obviously not quite the same as the old days, and it was a stark reminder of how much time has passed since Yes had been in their heyday; thankfully the music has held up through the years and the current touring versions of the band can bring us back to the memories of those glory days.

Roundabout

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GQ

For her Christmas gift, I took my sister Tracy to Morristown, New Jersey for the sold out matinee performance of Dancing with the Stars Live. I do not claim to be a fan of DWTS, (given a choice, I would much rather have gone to the Peter Frampton concert advertised on the Mayo venue’s marquee on a Wednesday in March), but for what it is, the show was entertaining. The venue reminded me of the Patchogue Performing Arts Center on Long Island, for what it is worth, and was found to be located in the center of the Morristown business district. The DWTS television show has apparently been following up the finale with a road show for years and it is definitely a well done production providing two solid hours of entertainment with a fifteen minute intermission. Those fans of the show who came to see their favorite dancers perform live in person seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

Dance, Dance, Dance

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GQ

Neil Young & Crazy Horse were still on the “Greendale” tour when they performed at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in March, 2004 where we sat in the orchestra on the left side of the stage. This was an epic evening as the four of us went to the bar Hogs & Heifers in Manhattan after the Young & Crazy portion of the program had concluded. The young lady tending bar berating the legend known as T-Bag to buy her shots was beyond hysterical and the lunacy on the ride home in the T-Bag’s company car got so out of hand I thought the driver was going to leave us on the side of the road on the Long Island Expressway.

Devil’s Sidewalk

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I had originally listed the date on this Meat Loaf Westbury Music Fair concert for sometime in 2003 but this Saturday, December 7, 2002 date is more likely correct. My buddy Sandy reminds me that he and his lovely wife were sitting opposite my wife and I that evening as the stage was “ in the round” and rotating.
My best memory of seeing Meat Loaf, and my first time, was at St. John’s University. in the gym I believe, when he performed in a wheelchair for most of the show as he was recovering from a broken leg. Out of nowhere, during the encore, Meat Loaf was apparently so fired up by the spirit of rock and roll, he pulled himself up from the wheelchair then dramatically staggered and hobbled about the stage as a latter day rock and roll Frankenstein monster freed from his restraints. We didn’t get the tumblesaults or acrobatics Mr. Loaf had become famous for on that night, but a good time was had by all during this unusual performance at this somewhat unlikely university concert venue.

Bat Out of Hell

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GQ

I have seen Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band many times through the years; however this July, 2003 Giants Stadium concert is not jarring any particular recollections. My wife and I recently saw Bruce and the band at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and we were supposed to travel to Albany but the rescheduled date in April, 2024 was just not working for us so I took the refund.

My father brought home “The River” double album for me when it first came out and it was on my turntable nonstop for awhile. Some of my favorite albums were the double (and sometime triple) album collections when your favorite bands could really stretch out and provide endless artistic sonic explorations. The Clash’s “Sandinista” was one of those albums where the band took you on a musical journey during a particular prolific point in their career. There was no internet or YouTube; you learned about the band through the music and the occasional magazine article. There was a mystery behind the artists with images spun through album covers, liner notes and public relations spins. David Lee Roth was a mythic figure based on the information at our disposal. Bruce Springsteen had not released any new music for awhile due to legal issues drawn out for years, so when it came time to finally release some new music, Bruce gave us a sprawling masterpiece that put him right back on track from where he left off with “Darkness at the Edge of Town”.

Hungry Heart

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GQ

At New Jersey’s PNC Arts Center on a September, 2003 evening I had a seat up close in the left side of the orchestra for Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s performance of “Greendale” (followed by some more familiar tunes). There has probably never been a rock and roll project before, or since, that compares to the Greendale tour which was part concert, part performance art, and parts all things in between. I attended several of the Greendale performances; in New Jersey, I was sitting next to a guy who just did not get it, and I explained to him then that years from now it would be looked back as pure genius. This was most definitely not a “greatest hits” tour, and even many who considered themselves fans of Me. Young left the shows disappointed, or even angry. I loved it as Neil Young, once again, created something completely new and broke through the walls of what might have been anticipated and artistic complacency. Neil Young will reportedly tour outdoor venues in 2024 and according to NYA the details will be coming soon.

Be the Rain

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I tried to narrow down the date for this summer 2003 Chicago concert at the Jones Beach Theatre but was unsuccessful (so far). Just one of many Chicago concerts I have attended with my wife through the years, she being a lifelong fanatic for the band and their music. Our most recent Chicago concert took place in Atlantic City where the band was filming a soon to be released video with assorted special guests; I will have to admit it was one of their best Chicago performances that I have seen to date. The road warriors play the 2024 summer shed circuit with Earth, Wind and Fire making for always their best double bill and a “must see” for anyone looking for a great night out under the stars.

Chicago Greatest Christmas Hits

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The Rolling Stones performed throughout New York tri-state area in October, 2002 and it was a roller coaster ride from start to finish (and beyond). I had a ticket to the Giants Stadium show, but on the night of the Madison Square Garden date I decided last minute to travel into NYC with a plan to attempt and “trade” my Giants Stadium ticket for an MSG ticket. It was getting close to showtime and I made my way into the arena to the interior line at the turnstiles where they check your ticket. It was pretty backed up when the Pretenders were heard hitting the stage and the impatient group awaiting entry rushed forward and just stormed passed the ticket taker into the arena- myself included with only my Giants Stadium ticket in hand. Extraordinarily, I managed to enter the Garden to see the Stones without a ticket, which would be unimaginable in the present day environment. Since I still possessed an untouched Rolling Stones ticket for Giants Stadium, I also attended that concert, although I do not have any specific recollections other than being there in New Jersey. The Hartford Civic Center Rolling Stones concert took place on Saturday, October 5, 2002 and for that road trip I was accompanied by my lifelong buddy Eric. We planned ahead to try and stay out of trouble; rented a hotel room walking distance from the arena with no driving required. We got to Hartford early and we made the most of it, hitting the local taverns nearby the venue. The Stones set list that tour was epic, and we were unbelievably all 21 years younger than today, At some point Eric and I got separated during and after the concert and we reconvened back at the hotel room hours later. The chain of events that occurred from the concert on are legendary, and somewhat infamous, but at the end of the day, despite some unfortunate unforeseen circumstances that transpired, things ultimately worked out for me with a little help from my friends.

The Rolling Stones are back on tour in May, 2024; my wife and I will see them at New Orleans Jazz Fest, my daughter and son in law will catch the event at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.

Can’t Find My Way Home

Hackney Diamonds

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GQ