Greetings! Upon 1993, not a lot was going on. My records indicate only 2 concerts attended and one of those a last minute fill-in concert.
In April 1993, the local alternative radio station, KUKQ (on AM no less) was sponsoring a big alternative festival with several artists including X, Robyn Hitchcock and the headliner, Pornos for Pyros (with Jane's Addiction lead singer Perry Farrell). Primarily interested in Robyn Hitchcock and X, I had a friend, Joe, who was willing to take me and his fiancee, Rachel, to the gig at Compton Terrace. Of course, I can't recall who else was performing as we had to stop off for Rachel to get some Taco Bell. But I did see Robyn Hitchcock and X. It is quite a blur and I feel quite embarrassed that I remember the Taco Bell incident more than the performances, but I can say I did see Robyn Hitchcock and X. Other terrible bands we saw in this group were Best Kissers in the World (lead singer mooned audience) and Phunk Junkees. We walked out proudly during the first song from Porno for Pyros as it was not any of our cups of tea. I also, remember saying something on the drive home about Bob Dylan (who was not at this festival, obviously) and was lambasted by Rachel for insulting her hero. (Oops!)
Please see the great ticket below.
In June 1993, my cousin had her tickets ready for her and her mom to go see her favorite singer, Barry Manilow. My aunt, however, came down with Valley Fever after living in Arizona since the 1970's so she could not go. I went in my aunt's place to the hottest (in temperature) I had ever gone to up to that point.
Barry Manilow performed in 110 degree heat at, you guess it, Desert Heat (Sky) Pavilion. The evening also had a touch of humidity as the monsoon season was starting early, but no dust storms or rain. Just a great evening of entertainment by a consummate showman. We all know Barry's songs from the 1970's so it was definitely a greatest hits show. When Barry asked for someone to come up on stage to sing "I Can't Smile Without You" with him, a woman seated near us jumped out into the aisle with arms raised yelling crazily. We were up in the second tier at the venue, so odds are, she was too far to be Barry's pick. Please see lovely ticket below:
In 1994, I can recall only one concert which was Elvis Costello at the Mesa Amphitheatre. By then, I had made an acquaintance of a neat guy named Harold who I met in a Blue Plate special Tuesday night graduate history class at ASU. We seemed to have similar musical tastes, so we went to see this concert together.
Alternative group the Crash Test Dummies opened for Mr. Costello. I was impressed by their live performance and later went out and purchased 2 albums.
Funnily enough, I did see my other friend Joe there and said, "Hi!" Elvis Costello was amazingly good and he did a lot of the songs that had made him a college radio darling. Most memorable was a dude in hippie attire dancing with great enthusiasm to "Pump It Up." I have never seen anyone move like that since, and everytime I hear "Pump It Up" I always remember that guy at the concert.
So as 1994, unfolded, so did my relationship with Harold. We starting dating in August 1994, and a while after that, we decided to get married in May 1995. But bigger news than our marriage it seemed was R.E.M. would be touring in support of they 1994 album, Monster.
Harold somehow lucked out calling the ticket line (was it Dillard's or Ticketmaster?) and got us almost front row seats for this band! When he called me I jumped up and down in my parents' kitchen. The show was set for May 5, a few weeks before our nuptials. Wow! How amazing!
But, Bill Berry, drummer for R.E.M., suffered an aneurysm which ended up postponing our show until November 1995! We got married, Harold took a job in Utah, and we saw a show up there before we ever saw R.E.M. (see next blog for the concert review).
We were living in Riverdale, Utah, a town right next to Ogden (home of the Osmonds). Harold got tickets for us to see Mary Chapin Carpenter in Park City in September. I have no idea where that ticket stub went to. I will say that it was a great show and it was an outdoor amphitheatre so that was cool to see the show there.
Stay tuned for the next blog which will include R.E.M. and a few other fun shows from the late 1990's.
