Those were the two choices in music where I grew up.It was AC/DC, Rat and Guns N Roses. We lived just blocks away from ISU and the Hult Arena. I would lay in the top bunk with the window wide open listening to the concerts that were going on just a short bike ride away. I would close my eyes and try to picture the band performing on stage and the crowd pressed liked sardines in the "general admission" section, arms waving as they swayed to the music. One of the greatest days in my childhood life? Seeing Rick Springfield climb out of his tour bus and say "How do you get into this joint?" I was just a stone's throw away on my flowered banana seat, close enough to smell the Polo.
One of my very first concerts was Guns N Roses. We travelled the 3 hours to Salt Lake City just to be nearer to Slash. Sweet Child of Mine? Patience? Welcome to the Jungle? Brilliant. Mr. Brownstone? Instantly transports me back. Flying down the freeway in our shorts and swimsuits on our way to Lava Hot Springs to get a burn on top of a burn. Oh the reckless abandon of it all.
There was one friend in Idaho who wore Birkenstocks, wore long sweaters and listened to the Violent Femmes. (And one more thing. Her parents smoked pot. Openly. I'd go over to her house and there it would be, sitting right in the middle of their coffee table. But I digress.) She was a freak in her musical tastes. Erasure? Alphaville? Enigmas in our little town. I remember her ripping into the parking lot, windows rolled down, sunroof open and "Let me go on like a blister in the sun," blaring from her car. We all stood with mouths agape wondering where in the world this girl came from. I'm not even sure where she got the music. Maybe she mail ordered it. It was probably delivered in a nondescript brown package. She didn't belong and we all knew it.
Headbangers ball, big hair bands and power ballads. That's where it was at.
Do I want my kids listening to Hard Rock? Heck no. That's why I'm not raising them in Idaho.
6 comments:
Love it! I grew up on this stuff too. Honorable mentions to Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Bon Jovi for filling my junior high school nights (and dances) with their hair metal noise. Somehow, I did not imagine Idaho being open enough to embrace the current cultural trends. I thought people there just listen to lots of bad country music!--timo
That was great! So accurately described, it took me back.....sometimes I still want to listen to all those songs.
And lets not forget Skid Row, Poison, Van Halen and tell me you listened to 'poison' by Alice Cooper.
Let me be the first to say it is wonderful to have this out in the open. And, by the way, Jodi still does listen to those songs, usually as we are driving away from the house on the way to date night.
Of course, our date nights mostly involve cruising up and down the main drag with our windows down and doing U turns at the end of town.
I am shocked! I never imagined it from you. My first concert was Aerosmith and Skid Row. Awesome!
Jodi...i think the girl you where talking about did her first name start with a H? That is funny you posted about music in the 80's..because the other night Brandon and I was listening to the radio in the car and an awesome song started......brandon and I looked at each other and said...ooohh i love this song......the song plays ya know for a minute with no words but just music....the finally the song begins. Paige says.."what song do you love...there is no words!" we laughed and said....wait it is the 80's music...it will come just listen more! ha, ha ha! Polo..Rick Springfield..to funny.
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