Yes, I was there! Some astounding music moments in a sports fan's life - Knoxville News Sentinel

Mike Strange Shopper News columnist

Published 5:30 AM EDT Jul 10, 2019

One reason we love sports is the rush that comes from being in a crowd, collectively witnessing a moment in time when something special happens. A game-winning basket. A Hail Mary touchdown.

The same kind of feeling comes from being in a crowd for live music. And since this is July, I’m going to detour from sports and write about it.

As a species, our musical taste runs a gamut. As an aging baby-boomer, I’m more likely to wiggle my hips to The Talking Heads than Gregorian chants. But whatever music makes you smile, good for you.

Here are several moments when being in a crowd for live music was transformative.

Allman Brothers, 1970: The John L. Hill Chapel at Georgetown College had never seen or heard anything like this. Some students showed up for date night in sports coats and ties, as if this was going to be Dionne Warwick. It wasn’t. The not-quite-yet-famous boys from Georgia blew the doors off.

Grand Ole Opry, 1973: My interest in country music took off the night cousin Bob took me to Ryman Auditorium to see the Opry. From our side balcony seats, we watched Roy Acuff, Marty Robbins and the rest both perform and mingle behind the curtains. Never seen anything like it.

Bob Dylan and The Band, 1974: This story could take up an entire column. (Charter bus full of long hairs from Louisville to Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis.) This was Dylan’s comeback tour after a long absence following a motorcycle wreck. He was in great form and backed by, holy cow, The Band.

Rolling Stones, 1975: I liked the Stones but wasn’t a confirmed fan. Then somebody took me to the show in Louisville. And what a show. I’d never seen any performer as energized as Mick Jagger, strutting, swinging on a rope over the crowd. Billy Preston on keyboards was a bonus. I left a confirmed fan.

Bruce Springsteen, 1976: Like Jagger, Bruce left it all on the stage. This was the “Born To Run” tour that would elevate him to superstar status. But this night in Louisville, before an intimate audience, he and the E Street Band seemed right there at arm’s length. After the final encore, exhausted, he had to be helped off the stage.

Lyle Lovett: I go see Lyle about every time he comes to Knoxville, especially when he brings his Large Band. Consummate musicians and everyone gets a chance to shine.

Dervish, 2004: I love Irish music. It had been a while since I’d heard any when I went to the Laurel Theatre for Dervish. During their very first reel I had tears in my eyes. It was that pure and moving.

Guy Clark: One of our greatest songwriters returned to the Bijou Theatre a couple of years before he died in 2016. Guy was in his 70s and had to be helped out to sit in a chair on stage. When someone asked for one of his old standards, he admitted he couldn’t remember the words. But the ones he did remember and the Texas voice he sang them in were unforgettable.

Paul Simon, 2016: It took a long time to get back to the Ryman but it was worth it, hearing Simon’s songs in that intimate setting.

Robert Earl Keen, 2018: The Ryman again, REK’s annual holiday concert. Everybody in the audience knew every word of every song and sang them loudly. The road went on forever, the party never ended.

Opera: Carmen, Aida, Turandot, I hate to single out one from the others. Some of it is filler to move the plot. But when they get to the good parts, it’s breathtaking.

Next week, back to sports.

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