What concert would you go see?

We had a notice in the newspaper last week that John Mellencamp is coming to town next year to give a concert. He is someone I would love to go see.

It takes someone special to get me into a crowded auditorium. I don’t attend a lot of concerts; never did. It’s such a hassle getting off work, parking and all the other encumbrances to a quiet evening. Mainly, I don’t have the gene for buying tickets that are not in the back row and behind a pole….

What’s the best concert you ever attended? I can’t narrow mine down to one top night, but among the best was the super group Alabama – and I’m not even a big country music fan.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

They were very energetic during their heyday of the 1980s, and I was about five rows from the stage, dead center. (I still don’t know how I got those tickets!) The night was perfect.

I saw a lot of good acts in the college coliseum. Linda Ronstadt in her miniskirt days, belting out that large voice on songs we all remember. Joni Mitchell’s voice had a softer strength. And Charlie Daniels.

On a more intimate ballroom stage during those years, I remember Loudon Wainwright III when he had bushy hair and beard. He’s still a favorite. I believe his opening act was guitarist David Bromberg. Both are still going strong today, even if I’m not.

Peter Tosh and his band took to that same stage one night on his Legalize It tour. The reggae singer was later assassinated, and they are just now legalizing “it.”

I recall sitting in a college field watching bands perform from a flatbed trailer. One night it was Doug Kershaw, the Cajun fiddler. Another night Pure Prairie League toured on the strength of their hit Amie.

The most memorable of those shows was when a young, long-haired John Prine tore up that trailer bed with songs from his first few albums. He remains the singer I most would like to hang out with.

Elvis was in his latter days when I saw him and didn’t sing an entire song all the way through. Too bad.

John Denver put on a good show. So did Willie Nelson, Bill Medley, Ricky Skaggs, The Statlers, the Oak Ridge Boys.

Bob Dylan concerts were erratic must-sees. The joy of watching Crosby, Stills & Nash was the rumor that Neil Young was going to join them on stage; he didn’t, but there was the bonus of hearing Leon Redbone as their opening act. When I saw Bruce Springsteen, I sang along with every song.

One night in Augusta, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt sat on a stage with guitars and alternated songs. Wow! Lovett’s old college roommate Robert Earl Keen comes to town all the time and should not be missed. He always has good opening acts, too.

I wouldn’t mind it if Leonard Cohen played here, and Jackson Browne and Steve Earle. They would definitely prompt me to buy tickets.

How about you? What shows would you like to see?

 

Reach Glynn Moore at glynn.moore@augustachronicle.com.

More in Life

Boats gather offshore the Homer Spit in honor of the 2025 Blessing of the Fleet on Tuesday, May 20 at the Seafarer’s Memorial on the Homer Spit. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
‘Blessing of the Fleet’ remembers, honors sacrifices of local mariners

Community members quietly gathered in somber reflection of lives lost to the sea over the past year.

tease
‘Share our gifts with the world’

Local artist creates vibrant body of work and renews her artistic journey.

Author Ruth Ozeki gives her keynote presentation at the 23rd annual Kachemak Bay Writers Conference on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Literary citizenship and communities of one

Author Ruth Ozeki was the keynote presenter for the 23rd annual Kachemak Bay Writer’s Conference last weekend.

File
Minster’s Message: The high value of faithfulness

The quality of faithfulness in your life to God and Christian teachings has a quiet, steady reward that sooner or later.

This decadent pie is made with rich coconut milk and a pile of sweetened whipped cream. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A send-off rich with love and coconut

Decadent coconut cream pie is made with rich coconut milk, a pile of sweetened whipped cream, and a whole lot of love.

U.S. Army Captain Edwin F. Glenn led an 1898 military exploration of Cook Inlet. Glenn and his crew, who were departing the inlet at about the same time that the Kings County Mining Company was arriving, left behind a journal of the expedition. That journal, archived in the Alaska Digital Archives, included daily notations about the weather.
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska adventure — Part 6

They cruised around a bit and then returned to Homer on Oct. 10 after “a most tranquil and pleasant passage.”

Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)
Life in the Pedestrian Lane: Time flies

In years past, we would be hearing from friends Outside that they are on their way to Alaska.

These high-protein egg bites are filled with tomatoes, parsley and feta, but any omelet-appropriate toppings will do. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A little care for the caretakers

These high-protein egg bites are perfect for getting a busy teacher through the witching hour in late afternoon.

Dr. Thomas F. Sweeney was a dentist seeking adventure and riches. He also had some mistaken ideas about the difficulties that life in remote Alaska entailed. (Public photo from ancestry.com)
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska Adventure — Part 5

The three-masted ship called the Agate was a reliable 30-year ocean veteran when it entered Cook Inlet in mid-October 1898.

Most Read