I was born in 1966. As of this post, that was 60 years ago. Conversely, cell phones, while they have been around quite a while, really didn’t come into the mainstream with cameras until the mid to late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
That being said, going to concerts in my youth was a totally different experience. Sure, we could bring in an Instamatic camera (you young-ins might have to look that up) but the lighting (or lack of) at concerts made their use inefficient. And honestly, most of us didn’t even think about bringing one because we are going to the concert to listen, not document.
At 60 I now see that as a blessing and a curse. I have fond memories of seeing bands like Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Rush, Journey, Sammy Hagar, Santana, and Deep Purple, between 1981 and 1985… memories based on the experience, the friends I was with, the music itself, and the atmosphere. But now, oh to see photos of those shows!
I saw a LOT of incredible concerts back then… I am sure that between 1981 and 2000 I saw at least 20 concerts… maybe more. Some, I really wish I had photos from… Lynyrd Skynyrd (front row) in 1991, Arc Angels in 1992, The Allman Brothers Band in 1991
But by the early 2000’s my concert going slowed down quite a bit. I had a family, a career and the frivolity of splurging for a concert ticket (while they were still reasonably priced compared to today) just couldn’t be justified. Sure, I did see a concert every once in a while, but even then (even with a cell phone at this point) I still never took photos with it or even thought to.
Looking back, and trying to find photos to document when I first took photos of a show, is a serious test of my memory (and my archiving skills). Right now, the earliest documented photos I can find are from a show in 2013… a mere 13 years ago. I feel like I should have (or did) take some before that, but if so, as of this post I cannot find proof of their existence.
So, unless I magically surface a photo or two from before 2013, that is when the concert photos and videos will start. I still don’t attend concerts like I did as a teen/young adult, but the ones I do attend I feel like they are worth my time, my energy (which I have less of these days) and my money, and I will do my best to document them here.
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