I'm in the van with the family today heading for Denver, CO. While on the road I started thinking about when my pal Tim Heyl and I drove from Santa Fe to the Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver to see Weezer. It was a fun trip, great show, and now I'm thinking about all of the concerts that I've seen and the great places I've seen them.

Whenever I have a conversation about music with friends it's always great to hear about the shows they've seen and recount my personal concert experiences. So here is what I think is a fairly comprehensive history of my concert going experience. If you were with me at one of these shows and remember the date or the opening act, let me know. If you were with me at a show not listed, help me refresh my failing memory.

The First Show

• Summer 1983 - Kool and the Gang and K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Pine Knob, MI

The High School Years, 1985 to 1989

• Summer 1985 - Paul Young with Nik Kershaw, Pine Knob, MI
• Winter 1986 - The Firm with Mason Ruffner, University of Toledo, OH
• Spring 1986 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Toledo, OH *had tickets but the show was cancelled :-(
• Winter 1987 - Pink Floyd, Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI
• Autumn 1987 - Boston, Toledo, OH
• Autumn 1987 - Rush with (don't remember) Tommy Shaw (thanks Geoff!), Cleveland, OH
• Autumn 1987 - Rush, Pontiac Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI *had tickets on the floor, 20th row, but I was grounded by my parents :-(
• Summer 1988 - Aerosmith with Guns n' Roses, Pine Knob, MI
• Summer 1988 - Metallica with The Cult, Pine Knob, MI

The College Years

• Royal Crescent Mob with Too Much Joy, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH
• Marillion, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH
• Jane's Addiction with The Happy Mondays, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Blues Traveller with Widespread Panic and (Zydeco band, don't remember), Roseland, New York, NY
• Red Hot Chili Peppers with Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins, Roseland, New York, NY
• The Lounge Lizards, Townhall, New York, NY
• Rush with Mr. Big, Fiddler's Green, Denver, CO
• Poster Children, The Middle East, Boston, MA
• Crowded House with Sheryl Crow, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH
• Midnight Oil with The Hothouse Flowers, Riverbend Amphitheater, Cincinnati, OH
• Cowboy Junkies, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH
• Nine Inch Nails with Marilyn Manson and The Jim Rose Circus, Dayton, OH
• Rush with Primus, Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH

The Adult Contemporary Stage (as Tim calls it) Begins

• Michael Hedges, Club Luna, Santa Fe, NM
• Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM
• Big Head Todd and the Monsters with The Dave Matthews Band and Boxing Ghandis
• Poster Children, Some club, Albuquerque, NM
• Dave Alvin, Ashley Pond, Los Alamos, NM
• Joe Ely, Club Alegria, Santa Fe, NM
• Guy Clarke with Townes Van Zandt, The Santa Fe Music Hall, Santa Fe, NM
• Lyle Lovett, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM

Cowboy Junkies, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM

• Deborah Harry and the Jazz Passengers, Santa Fe Music Hall, Santa Fe, NM
• Lyle Lovett, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM
• John Mayer with Guster and John Butler Trio, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM
• Ani Di Franco with (don't remember) Bitch and Animal, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM
• Matthew Sweet, The Paramount, Santa Fe, NM
• Over the Rhine, The Paramount, Santa Fe, NM
• Doctor John with Charlie Musselwhite and Keb Mo, The Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM
• Weezer with Dashboard Confessional, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Golden, CO
• Los Lobos, Route 66 Casino, Rio Puerco, NM
• John Hiatt and Robert Cray, The Lensic Theatre, Santa Fe, NM
• Los Lobos, The Lensic Theater, Santa Fe, NM Wilco, The Lensic Theatre, Santa Fe, NM *had tickets but Jeff Tweedy entered rehab instead :-(
• Kathleen Edwards with (don't remember), The Paramount, Santa Fe, NM (last show before the Paramount closed)

Updates since 2005 (posted 2/24/09)

• They Might Be Giants, Santa Fe Brewing Company
• Mike Doughty, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM
• Cake, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM, Owen's first concert
• Tapes 'n Tapes, Santa Fe Brewing Company, Ryan's first concert

• June 2, 2010 Midlake, with John Grant, Santa Fe Brewing Company, w/ Ryan
• June 29, 2010 Rush, The Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque, NM
• July 9, 2010 Modest Mouse, with Radar Brothers Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM
• July 29, 2010 Lyle Lovett, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, NM