As EW names the 20 fall concert tours we can’t wait to see — and I celebrate my one-month anniversary carrying my Neil Diamond 2008 World Tour messenger bag (pictured) — it seems like a good time to share stories about the craziest things we’ve done, or bought, at concerts.
I, myself, am disappointingly tame at shows (unless you count jumping up and down at Dolly Parton and Hanson concerts as "crazy" — which I do not). Like, I won’t even try to sneak into better seats because it just causes me too much anxiety. The most out-of-control thing I’ve done is probably wait around waaay too long to get a photo of myself with Air Supply.
As for the most insane purchase I’ve made, that would be the aforementioned Neil Diamond messenger bag. I’d just seen him rock Madison Square Garden, and I’d just consumed three alcoholic beverages — what are you gonna do? I take comfort in knowing that I’d been wanting a messenger bag for a while, that this one was $5 cheaper than a "Neil Diamond Rocks" T-shirt, and that even in New York, strangers are kind enough not to comment aloud when they see me carrying it.
Your turn.
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I was actually stupid enought to buy a YANNI concert tour shirt when I saw him perform at Jones Beach in 1995. I (happily) threw that shirt away a few years later.
Looking back, making a huge posterboard that said “JOE!” for a NKOTB concert in 1990 was stupid, especially considering that I could barely hold it up without blocking the view of about 10 rows back… but at the time it was a great idea.
As for silliest thing I’ve purchased: Hanson playing cards, with caricatures and drawings by Zac. The joker is Puff Broccoli. (And this was just last year.) I’ve never played with the cards; just looked at them.
I have two: I bought a license plate frame at the Police concert last year (why? No one can see it as I speed down the road, and it says “Police Live” whatever that means.) AND…I bought a Barry Manilow hat and magnet when I went to see him in Vegas recently. I do love me some barry, but a magnet??? WTF?
I bought a Freedom tank top at a George Micheal concert. It’s cheap, too big for me, but I love it!!
A couple of years ago, I was so drunk from bad Mai Tais at the United Center in Chicago, I bought myself a MADONNA IS MY HOMEGIRL trucker hat. So sad.
Not sure if this qualifies as crazy, but I brought and proudly flaunted an Australian flag to the Keith Urban show in Nashville this year. Keith saw it and gave me a high five!
This wasn’t a concert, but last year the best friend and I attended the national tour of High School Musical (the stage show). He bought a “Wildcats” backpack and I purchased a bright pink T-shirt with “I (Heart) Troy” bedazzled on it. We were 22 and 27 at the time. And yes, I’ve worn the shirt on many occasions.
When the Backstreet Boys were in my city in early September, I was so tempted to buy a t-shirt that said “What Would Nick Do?” and had a great cartoon drawing of him on it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy it. I did buy one with the Unbreakable album cover on it, though. I do have a t-shirt from 2000 that has cartoon NSYNC heads on it.
Um… I went to a Rod Stewart concert and my two friends and I bought Rod Stewart underwear… I love them, and I wear them all the time.
I went to the American Idols Live tour this summer, and got a t-shirt with all of their grinning cheesy faces on it. And I haven’t actually WORN it, but I’ll get to it. Eventually…
Mandi, I waited around way too long to get my picture with Air Supply…twice! They also kissed me on the cheek in what now has become my infamous “I made out with a rock star” story.
Please don’t judge me people.
Anything we buy at concerts strikes me as crazy. After the glow has worn off, usually ten minutes into trying to leave the traffic-choked amphitheater, I wonder why did I buy another poorly made t-shirt that has a scratchy iron-on transfer? So uncomfortable, I can’t even wash the car while wearing it. Or a $50 commemorative program? Where am I going to keep that? We’ve even bought stupid drink glasses to serve as reminders of the special event. If it can’t go in the dishwasher, we’re never using them again.
what’s crazy is that 20 years ago for $20 you could buy a ticket, $20 could get you a shirt & $20 went towards gas & booze. nowadays, it’s $60 to sit in the grass, $60 for a shirt & $60 for gas. i need a drink….
in college, I went to an Alabama concert and bought their shirt…some dude drove up to me afterward, asking to buy it so he could ‘prove’ he was there, apparently to fix a lie he told someone…I shoulda sold the thing to him for $50 bucks, but instead i kept it…I don’t have that shirt anymore and coulda used the $50 in college…d’oh!
Plenty nutty to qualify for a “Nuts in NY” posting!
http://www.nutsinny.com/all-nuts/soup-to-nuts-the-latest-nyc-tidbits-92408
That’s SOME confession!
Lauren, i totally want that t-shirt!
Come to think of it, I had third row seats for EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER back in 1992 and I shook Keith Emerson’s hand after the show.
I think dancing with David Hasselhoff during Gogol Bordello’s set at Coachella last year takes the cake for me.
(sigh)…truth is, I’ve never bought anything crazy at a concert (well, there were those U2 Popmart condoms!) but I will admit to taking my shirt off at a NIN concert in 1995 during “Closer.” And I was not quite 17 yet…so yeah. That’s my shining moment of concert crazy.
Does driving nine hours to see a group of boys who were born AFTER I graduated from high school count? I saw The Cab (Las Vegas) this past weekened and because they didn’t have any CDs available to sell, the lead singer made someone on the crew give me his copy.
Carrie Underwood is missing from your 20 fall tours list…
I stage dived and crowd surfed at a Too Much Joy concert and kissed the lead singer on the cheek during the performance. Yes, I was in college during the early to mid-90s.
I bought a specially-packaged condom at a U2 concert (I believe it was the tour in support of Achtung Baby) for $8. The cardboard cover had the U2 logo on it and it was actually shrink-wrapped but the condom inside was just some “regular” condom you’d probably find in any vending machine. I left it in my glove compartment and the condom basically melted from the heat….
Hi, Eric…Not trying to be rude but one day you’ll find out throwing the Yanni shirt away was one of your dumbest mistakes. Take a closer look at him, you wont’ believe…..
God bless.
I shamelessly grabbed Tre Cool’s ass at a Green Day concert. Beat that one, yall!
I went to see The Cure at MSG, and I had an ear plug stuck in my ear. I had to call a paramedic to yank it out.
Ok. It’s offical: Eric F is super cool.
The craziest thing I’ve ever bought was the concert ticket itself…for the Police. $250+ face value for a seat near the back of the floor at the Staples Center is the most I’ve ever paid for a ticket in my life. I’ve never even paid a scalper that much money for a concert ticket. That’s why I’m very picky about the people I pay my hard earned dollar to see.
I agree Mandi – dancing like a wild thing doesn’t count because I do that at every concert.
Anyways, the craziest thing I recall doing was when I saw The Wallflowers in concert something during 95/96. I am very tall, was in the 2nd row and took a liking to their drummer so I STARED INTENSELY at him for almost the whole show thinking he would see me and fall in love.
He did sign my ticket after the show but sadly did not propose or anything.
WHAT the heck was I thinking?!
I had my buddy throw me over a ten foot fence to get back stage at a Styx concert i ran up to the band and told them that they f***ing rule and took off running when there 350lb body guard tryed to chase me down. They said thanks man before i got tossed out of event.
You can add me to the list of slapping someone’s behind. It was Ok Go and the lead singer, Damian Kulash, was signing autographs. After he signed mine, I was about to leave w/me friend but i was right behind him and pretended to grab his butt when suddenly I thought “why not” so I gave it a quick slap and quickly left the premises. It was a great concert and it’s the only crazy thing I’ve ever done. LOL, I’m blushing just thinking about it.