So, I am tuning into NestFM this morning and a song called “Butterflies” by Toad the Wet Sprocket comes on. This is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands, but that is a topic for another day. I saw them in concert over thirty years ago and it got me thinking, “what are my top five favorite concert memories.”

5. The Rolling Stones at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg, Germany in 1995

If you have a problem with large crowds, don’t attend a concert at a racetrack. There are people everywhere. The stands. The infield. The track. On this specific evening, there were over 120,000 people in attendance. And if you were wondering, the population of Hockenheim when there isn’t a Rolling Stones concert is just over 21,000. Mick and the boys were flawless, but they weren’t even the reason this show was so memorable. I attended it with a legend of a man by the name of Ed Thiel, who would be my best man less than five years later and they actually ran out of beer at the venue. I never thought that would be possible or even imaginable.

4. They Might Be Giants at Stubb’s BBQ in Austin in 2016

This was my first, and only, They Might Be Giants concert. They are one of my favorite bands. The atmosphere at Stubbs was so laid back. We were all sitting around on picnic benches, drinking adult beverages, and feasting on some of the best BBQ ever. What an amazing contribution. Add to it the company of my favorite human (my wife of 25 years Melissa) and you have a pretty memorable evening.

3. Stone Temple Pilots at the Hugenhottenhalle in Neu-Isenburg, Germany in 1994

At this point in my life, I was a bachelor Soldier stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. We worked in the world-famous Abrams Building, which had paternoster elevators, and our barracks were right next to a subway entrance that smelled like hashish. It was an interesting and very exciting time in my life, from what I remember. Most of our evenings were spent in Sachsenhausen, which was a pretty rowdy place to hang out. What I remember from that concert the most were a mixture of good and bad. Memories include terrible body odor accompanied by sleeveless shirts and raised, clapping hands, but also the incredible showman that Scott Weiland was. I have been to shows headlined by Mick Jagger and Elton John, just to name a few, but none came close to the STP frontman. He will always be a legend in my eyes.

2. Herb Alpert at the Paramount Theater in Austin in 2022

I never knew much about Herb Alpert until I came to KNCT. He was my dad’s favorite artist and once told me that his first eight-track was from Alpert. On this particular evening, I was in attendance with my wife, Melissa, as it should be. Alpert’s own wife, Lani Hall, was also on stage and singing some of her songs from when she was with Sergio Mendes and Brail ’66. What struck me the most at this show was Herb when she was singing, just sitting on his stool enjoying her performance. It felt like for him, she was the only person in the building. He was locked in, and it was beautiful to see that from a couple who had been together over 50 years.

1. Toad the Wet Sprocket in Nashville in 1994

This blog is all about memorable moments in your life, and in this case, it is all about location. I don’t remember how we got the tickets or even the name of the garage or what street it was on. We literally walked into the garage and were all leaning against columns, while they were playing songs from their Fear and Dulcinea albums. I bought a couple t-shirts that I wore out and signed up for their mailing list. For five years after that, I would get a Christmas card from Toad the Wet Sprocket.

If this distraction from your day provides any lesson, it is this, don’t pass on the opportunity to catch a show and be sure to take the right people with you. The memories are something that you will always remember.

Now share with me some of yours…