The Valerie history of concert going.

This is a list of just about every concert I’ve ever gone to. It is probably pretty much an exhaustive list minus local small shows and such. I’m not very versed in music. I love concerts but I never plan outings and no one ever invites me. So it’s pretty pathetic. But, with a whole weekend of Lollapalooza coming up, I was inspired to compile this…

Janet Jackson
July 13, 1994

My first concert was Janet Jackson’s Janet tour. I liked Janet Jackson back then because we danced a lot to her in dance classes. I was supposed to go with a friend, but she had to cancel and not go because her parents said she was “too suggestive.”

 

Morrissey
September 26, 1997

I went with my sister because she needed someone to go with. We were right up against the stage at the Aragon. I had eye contact with the bass player or guitar player or something.

 

Whatever Q101 (I think)’s Music Thing was Called
Some time in high school

I just remember that I went to this but don’t remember who played or when. I remember getting food at some place and Sera squishing a pigs in a blanket on Jacqui’s car window.

 

Tori Amos
Some time in high school

I still remember the beginning to the song I composed while waiting for this to start. Oh Heindrick oh Heindrick can you spare a dime…Ask me to sing it for you.

 

REM
Some time in high school

It was Michael Stipes’ moms birthday, so he called her and had everyone sing happy birthday.

 

Teen Idols Tour with Peter Noone, Davy Jones, and Bobby Sherman
August 15, 1998

Mickey Dolenz is the cutest Monkee ever. But Davey Jones would have to do. I saw my first shooting star that night.

 

Lilith Fair
1999

What do I remember the most? The fact that they wouldn’t let the women use the mens bathrooms (even though it was 99% women at the fest…the other 1% did in fact include my boyfriend).

 

Bob Dylan
October 27, 1999

Went with Josh at Assembly Hall.

 

Eve 6
March 4, 2001

I want to say that for some reason I bought Hood’s ticket to this and he paid me back with cash wrapped in a piece of paper stapled together with a bazillion staples. That could have been for something else though. I may have still been slightly afraid of him at that point.

 

Blink 182
July 7, 2001

You know you’re too old for something when you’re surrounded by little girls with the band members names in facepaint.

 

Matchbox Twenty
August 3, 2001

Was this the concert where JoeJoe’s car broke down in the parking lot? And Joe either saw a naked man or two teddy bears in a car? And we went to Denny’s and Glen ordered two meals? It was either this one or the next one…

 

Barenaked Ladies
August 24, 2001

I didn’t even remember that I saw them, but apparently I did. This may have contained the incidents I described above.

 

Saraphine
2001

The one guy in the band was friends with my best friend’s sister. So we saw them a couple of times. Nad came down for one show at the Canopy Club. It was just before I started dating Hood and I had her check him out. Phil, the guy we knew, is now in Treaty of Paris.

 

They Might Be Giants
October 18, 2001

I saw They Might Be Giants Live?!?! That’s news to me.

 

Vans Warped Tour
July 27, 2002

My best friend got engaged here on stage with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

 

Indigo Girls
2002 or 2003

They played at Krannert Center so I scored free seats by ushering! We had a round table discussion with them beforehand and they kind of pissed me off…but that’s just because I am the anti-feminist/anti-protesting/anti-whatever type.

 

Barenaked Ladies and Alanis Morrisette
July 21, 2004

I remember seeing them this time. My new boss had a ticket she wasn’t using and gave it to me. Score.

 

Plain White T’s
July 26, 2007

We were going to see them at the county fair…but then their dumbass opening band broke everything and they were 2 hours late going on. We ditched out and went to see the premiere of the Simpsons movie instead.

 

Flogging Molly
February 16, 2008

Awesome concert, awesome friends. The opening band had a chick on a washboard.