As I wanted to keep this blog new and fresh with thoughts on shows I've recently seen, the Seattle area is in kind of a lull for shows, lately. With the big show of the year, the U2/The Fray show, being put off until probably next summer, I really don't have anything people probably want to hear about for at least, another couple weeks.
This being said, I'm going to tell a story of things (and people) not always being what they seem. Back in the 80's, after high school, I got to know a man named Marc Kramer. At the time, I thought Marc was a real stand up kind of guy. Marc ran one of the ticket outlets in our state, pre Ticketmaster. As I went to a lot of concerts, I got to know Marc pretty well. When people asked how I ended up with such amazing tickets to shows back then, it was Marc Kramer. Marc had an idea, you see. One that, I'm sure, must've made him A LOT of money, and would have probably been extremely against the law, if guidelines had been set in to motion, at that time. If you were a regular concert goer, who spent a decent amount of money with him, Marc would set up an account for you with his office. You were able to upgrade your standing with Marc by buying more tickets to more shows. The more seats you purchased with Marc, the better seats he would pull you for the next show, too. I was just the kind of person that was probably his PRIME demographic for what he wanted to do, and right up until the end, always had a few hundred dollars in my account with him. I would get weekly phone calls from Marc saying "Ned, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are coming to the Tacoma Dome, and tickets are going on sale this weekend." "I would say, "Pull me some tickets, Marc" and I had them without even having to wait in line, as Marc would have the money to pay for them with money I had in my account with him. It was as simple as that! As I got smarter, I realized even if I didn't like the act, it would help me to find people that wanted to see the show, because I would be getting people tickets to shows, and improving my rating on where my next set of tickets would be. ALONG comes another act I really didn't care if I saw, at that point in time. Prince and The Revolution on the "Purple Rain" tour. I had seen the movie, thought it had some pretty cool songs, but his persona back then, was nothing I cared to see live, or so I thought. The seats came back from Marc, and they were second row, dead center on the floor. The girls in community college were literally having a war over who was going to be my date. I went to the concert, with a lady friend from community college, and we had a great time, I actually thought I was going to be the guy that Sheila E. stripped onstage, and I came away with a whole new appreciation for Prince, both as a talented songwriter, and an excellent showman. (Not as he seemed like he would have been to me, at the time.) Marc ended up doing a lot of really cool things for me, including asking if I wouldn't mind delivering some tickets for him. He wanted me to go up to BC PLACE, in Vancouver, Canada, and drop off 16 tickets to Michael and the Jacksons "Victory' tour, and for doing this he would give me 2 free tickets, and transportation up in a motor home with some of his BIG SPENDER clients. I said, "Why me?" He said, "Because I can trust you, Ned." So yes, because of Marc, I got to see Michael Jackson, in all of his moonwalking glory, with his brothers. Marc tried to open a new ticket office, and do it on funds people like me had invested into our accounts, but it never ended up happening. For the first time, since I started up with him, I only had $20 in my account, at that time, which I lost. Several people were swindled, Marc's new office never opened, and Ticketmaster came into being, shortly after that. They instituted guidelines after several antitrust issues. I never heard from Marc again, and it showed me that things(and people) aren't always as they seem ......So, for those of you that have asked how I got such great seats back in the day, that was how. Thanks for reading, hope you found it interesting.
~Ned
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
KISS-My first show, and a good place to start.....
My very first experience with concerts, I saw the group KISS on the Dynasty tour in 1979. It happened the night before Thanksgiving, and my grandmother in Eastern Washington was not very happy that we were not going to do Thanksgiving Dinner with her, because her 14 year old grandson was going to his first rock concert.
I went with my best friend, Kentt, and our mothers took us. I posted the "I Was Made For Loving You" video, because that was the tour. This was KISS toward the end of their heyday, but to a couple of fourteen year olds, it was about as cool as it could get.
There were Pyrotechnics like I'd never seen before, or since, for that matter. There was an elevated drum set that rose nearly to the top of the Seattle Coliseum, Gene Simmons, in all his blood spitting glory, the boys in their crazy costumes. WOW! They were cool! They weren't just about the music, but about putting on a high energy production. To me, it was nothing short of SPECTACULAR! I thought ALL concerts would be like that, after.
KISS still has a special place with me, even after all these years. There is nothing like your first, right?
My second concert wasn't until nearly 9 months later, but even back then, I knew that there would be many more concerts in my future. Besides, after mom had seen KISS, and had joints passed around to her, she wasn't too thrilled with the idea of me going to other concerts, anytime soon. Someone told her she should be at home, watching "Little House on the Prairie". She is still insulted by that remark, today.
I started this blog with the group KISS, not because I am a member of the KISS ARMY(I'm not, by the way....), Not because they are the greatest rock & roll band ever, (some would argue) but for no other reason than they were the first rock concert I had ever been to. I got to where I wanted to see if all bands were as good live, as they were. Just for the record, back then, few of them were as cool, or as great at live performances as KISS. Had their show not been everything I hoped it would, things may have gone a different way. I want to thank my friend, Kentt, for making sure that KISS was my first concert, and not letting me talk him in to The Village People, as I wanted to go see that year.....LOL!
I went with my best friend, Kentt, and our mothers took us. I posted the "I Was Made For Loving You" video, because that was the tour. This was KISS toward the end of their heyday, but to a couple of fourteen year olds, it was about as cool as it could get.
There were Pyrotechnics like I'd never seen before, or since, for that matter. There was an elevated drum set that rose nearly to the top of the Seattle Coliseum, Gene Simmons, in all his blood spitting glory, the boys in their crazy costumes. WOW! They were cool! They weren't just about the music, but about putting on a high energy production. To me, it was nothing short of SPECTACULAR! I thought ALL concerts would be like that, after.
KISS still has a special place with me, even after all these years. There is nothing like your first, right?
My second concert wasn't until nearly 9 months later, but even back then, I knew that there would be many more concerts in my future. Besides, after mom had seen KISS, and had joints passed around to her, she wasn't too thrilled with the idea of me going to other concerts, anytime soon. Someone told her she should be at home, watching "Little House on the Prairie". She is still insulted by that remark, today.
I started this blog with the group KISS, not because I am a member of the KISS ARMY(I'm not, by the way....), Not because they are the greatest rock & roll band ever, (some would argue) but for no other reason than they were the first rock concert I had ever been to. I got to where I wanted to see if all bands were as good live, as they were. Just for the record, back then, few of them were as cool, or as great at live performances as KISS. Had their show not been everything I hoped it would, things may have gone a different way. I want to thank my friend, Kentt, for making sure that KISS was my first concert, and not letting me talk him in to The Village People, as I wanted to go see that year.....LOL!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
A welcome......
I'm Ned Brooks. I have been going to concerts since I was 14 years old, and as of today, I am 2 months shy of 45 years of age. Though I had seen a pair of shows before 1981 (KISS in 1979 with my best friend and our mothers, {LOL!} and still favorite band HEART for my 15th birthday in 1980.), 1981 is really where my concert going started.
I was a sophomore in high school. I wasn't an athlete, I wasn't popular, and at that time, felt like I had very little going for me. Back in that day, concert tickets seldom exceeded $10, and either did T-shirts. I would always buy a T-shirt from the concert I had just been to, and then wear it to school the next day. I would have strangers come up to me the next day, and say, "Hey, Ned, how was the concert?" I got to know many people this way, and because of this, my own self esteem started to build. I felt like, I may not be that important, but I DO matter.
Here I am nearly 30 years later, still doing what I love to do. I am not married, have no children, and though sometimes feel like maybe I should have settled down with a nice person, had 2.5 kids, and a white picket fence, for the most part I am happy pursuing my passion for music, especially LIVE music. I started this blog to share photos of shows I have been to, overall impressions of shows, reviews of music I may favor at a certain point in time, and new or established artists that I don't feel are getting the recognition they deserve.
I know it is a trifle self-indulgent of me to think anyone would care about what I have to say, but to those of you that are ending up reading this, I want to welcome you. I, also, want you to realize what is written here, is only my own personal opinion, and sometimes my opinion may suck.....
I was a sophomore in high school. I wasn't an athlete, I wasn't popular, and at that time, felt like I had very little going for me. Back in that day, concert tickets seldom exceeded $10, and either did T-shirts. I would always buy a T-shirt from the concert I had just been to, and then wear it to school the next day. I would have strangers come up to me the next day, and say, "Hey, Ned, how was the concert?" I got to know many people this way, and because of this, my own self esteem started to build. I felt like, I may not be that important, but I DO matter.
Here I am nearly 30 years later, still doing what I love to do. I am not married, have no children, and though sometimes feel like maybe I should have settled down with a nice person, had 2.5 kids, and a white picket fence, for the most part I am happy pursuing my passion for music, especially LIVE music. I started this blog to share photos of shows I have been to, overall impressions of shows, reviews of music I may favor at a certain point in time, and new or established artists that I don't feel are getting the recognition they deserve.
I know it is a trifle self-indulgent of me to think anyone would care about what I have to say, but to those of you that are ending up reading this, I want to welcome you. I, also, want you to realize what is written here, is only my own personal opinion, and sometimes my opinion may suck.....
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