Duran Duran: July 6, 1987

I'm sad to say that, although I'm sure I was excited about it at the time, I don't recall a lot of particulars about this show. This was the first of four times (so far) I've seen Duran Duran. It was during the tour for Notorious, their first album as a trio after the departure of Roger (drums) and Andy (guitar) Taylor. I was saddened at the departure of those key members, but still liked Notorious a lot and really wanted to see the band. I see that the concert was less than a week before my birthday, so I'm sure that was a very good week in the teenage life, indeed.

Oddly, the thing I recall most clearly about this show is the merchandise. I bought an absolutely huge poster (really the most ridiculously oversize poster I've seen) and a program. I also had a gigantic T-shirt with "Abstract Idealist Romantic" printed on the back, although I can't recall if that's from this tour or the one supporting Big Thing. After that show I gave up on Duran for awhile, but you never really get out of that particular cult. More to come, Duranwise!

Yes: November 21, 1987

I'll just come right out and admit that I own Big Generator, the album Yes was supporting on this tour. That would be the one after "Owner of a Lonely Heart," which is a pretty cool song and video -- and you cannot convince me it is not. Of course, this '80s version of Yes sounded very little like the earlier prog rock version, but it's up to you to decide whether that's good or bad.

I was not a huge Yes fan by any means, but I liked some of their songs well enough that when a high school friend offered a free extra ticket I was game. What I remember most about this show is the stench of pot in the air of a sports arena and stoner guys standing on folding chairs. The band was kind of boring, and some members of the somewhat restless crowd actually booed a little. Not being a fan of pot, sports arenas, stoner guys, folding chairs, or booing, I side completely with Yes on this one, boring or not.

Prince: October 30, 1988

What I remember best about this show is that I violated curfew in Detroit to see it. In Michigan, the night before Halloween is known as Devil's Night -- for most of us, an evening of innocent pranks such as egging and toilet-papering houses, but in Detroit things often took a darker turn, with fires being very common. I was still in high school but went to the show with my friend Bonnie. I even remember passing a cop on the way to the show and he just said hello and kept going.

I wish I could recall more about the show. I do remember we were only five or ten rows from the back of Joe Louis Arena, but I was happy just to be seeing Prince at last. He performed in the round, so none of the seats were truly bad. There was no opener: it was just Prince, in a show with two "acts" separated by an intermission. I recall him explaining very politely how he was going to leave the stage for a break, but would be back in approximately such and such minutes to continue the show.

It's funny how memory works, isn't it? Prince is one of my favorite musicians yet it's his polite demeanor that I remember from that night, not the performance.