When and Where was your first TP&TH show?

[Refugee]

Marion asked a very interesting question, I thought it deserved it's own thread.

[Refugee]

First show - June 1981, Los Angeles, CA at the Fabulous Forum.

[Doxiejoe]

1995, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

[Marion]

Ice Palace - Tampa, FL 9/21/99

That concert changed life as I knew it. :045:

[Starfish]

1987, USF Sun Dome, Tampa, Florida - Rock and Roll Caravan Tour with the Georgia Satellites opening. It was SO much fun!

[C-line]

July '81, Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY. My mom drove me and waited outside. lol

[acomplexkid]

First show - June 1981, Los Angeles, CA at the Fabulous Forum.

yep, that was mine, too. :)

[Ladywiz]

Shame on me, I've forgotten the date. But it was the Full Moon Fever tour in Atlanta. Does anyone have that tour schedule anywhere? I'd love to re-remember that date!

[Nel]

I had to wait nearly three decades for my first TPaTH show. It was at the Vic Theater, 2003.

[Athena]

82 or 83 at the Universal Amphitheater. I was in the back row, but I was in heaven :)

[surfnburn]

It was here! I know...I've posted this before...

Mt. Aire concert in CA back in 1983?

http://www.wildbluegator.com/MTAIR1.GIF

[Jupitergirl]

Marion asked a very interesting question, I thought it deserved it's own thread.

July 18,1978 - Tower Theater - Philadelphia, PA

:cool:

[KansasPettyFan]

1994, Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, Kansas

I remember not knowing much about the band and asking my husband...who the hell is that playing that lead guitar? Man, he's good! HAHAHAHA We had second row in front of that lead guitarist...I haven't been the same since. Those seats were scored the old fashioned way...waiting in a line of people outside a grocery store that was a Ticketmaster outlet. lol

[Echosoftom]

January 20, 1980 The Forum, Los Angeles, CA

My brother in law worked for a concert promoter in L.A. back then. He gave me tickets to this show and there marked the beginning of an obsession.

[Zombie Zookeeper]

I had to wait nearly three decades for my first TPaTH show. It was at the Vic Theater, 2003.

That's a hell of a way to start :045:

Mine - 7/23/99 Noblesville, IN
The magic hit me from the back of the lawn that night.

[Ladywiz]

January 20, 1980 The Forum, Los Angeles, CA

My brother in law worked for a concert promoter in L.A. back then. He gave me tickets to this show and there marked the beginning of an obsession.

:cool: Isn't it fascinating how the seemingly smallest decision can turn one's life upside down? What would your life be like now if you had told your brother no? Reminds me of 'Lucky' opining about 'the road not taken' on KotH!

[WildflowerNJ]

Ames, I love seeing that picture!!

My first TPATH show...I had went because of Jackson opening...

It was a rainy Sunday July 1, 2001....I was on the lawn and that night sure changed my life....:b55:

[Flower]

June 19, 1985 Indianapolis sports center
section 4 row G seat 11 $13.50 WOW so cheap!

[agirl]

The first time I saw them was at a Bridge School concert in October of 99. I was totally hooked after that.

[Miami Steve]

June 20, 1980 Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Tommy Tutone opened. $10 for 11th row seats and all you had to do was wait in line for a couple hours on a Saturday morning, what a deal.

http://www.mudcrutch.com/photos/data/517/tp062080.jpg

[Marion]

$10! I love it!

[Starfish]

At my first concert in Tampa in 87, I was pregnant with my first son. Then we were busy raising a family, so my next TPATH concert wasn't until PNC in, I think, the summer of 2000 (help? Patty, Nurk, Caroline and Eve were at that one, I can't remember the date!) and it was also my son's first concert. He was a fan before he was born, and at 20 he still loves them.

[AmyLou]

Not sure - we were in college then so I think it was like 1982... maybe Richmond Coliseum? Have to do some checking...

[Patty Petty]

Yikes Nancy.. see how bad I am with dates? I am getting terrible as I get older! I THINK it was in 2001. Not positive about the exact date.. I'd have to search for the stub.

My very first show was in the summer of 1980, Damn The Torpedoes Tour. The show was at The Philadelphia Spectrum.

[LizzieB]

January 1983, The Summit, Houston, TX

I was so suspicious of Howie, lol. But I fell in love with him that night even though I really missed Ron.

[Miami Steve]

Everybody,

If the brain cell that knew when your first Tom Petty concert was is no longer with us, this might help...

http://www.mudcrutch.com/index.php?pageid=tom_petty_gigography

[LizzieB]

^I love that list, Steve. I always knew my first show was early '83, but I couldn't remember the date.

[Pettyjunkie]

October 2006 in Berkeley. My parents weren't too happy with me because the tickets cost more than I said.

[The Wild One, Forever]

My first was in San Diego, Coors Ampitheatre, September 27,2006. Its the night that changed my life. haha.

[AndreaRH]

June 11, 1985 at the Worcester Centrum

Due to a change in the sound system layout, our seats were no longer available and we had to wait with the crew while the ushers found us new seats. I started talking with the front of house engineer and he said I could sit with him during the show if I wanted to. I thought that was the greatest thing in the world! LOL!

The next day at school, I told my guidance counselor I wanted to be a sound engineer. I ended up going to music school and getting a degree in it. Had it not been for that show, I don't know if I ever would have gone to college. That night definitely changed my life on several levels.

Andrea

[asakitten]

June 26, 2006 Excel Energy Center St. Paul, MN

[MJ§LastDance]

Mt. Aire concert in CA back in 1983?

http://www.wildbluegator.com/MTAIR1.GIF

It looks like ´87 to me... but don´t know, I surely wasn´t there, lol...
However, great pic!

[Iwazzabadboy]

June 26, 2006 Excel Energy Center St. Paul, MN
What a GREAT night it was,,3rd row!!!!!!..1st show for me was 1983/Bloomington MN, at the Met Center.. 3 states and 11 shows for Iwazzabadboy

[Pettyphile]

June 14, 1999 - Grand Rapids, MI (opening night of Echo Tour)

I call it TP/HB Epiphany Day...my own personal holiday.

[C-line]

June 11, 1985 at the Worcester Centrum

Due to a change in the sound system layout, our seats were no longer available and we had to wait with the crew while the ushers found us new seats. I started talking with the front of house engineer and he said I could sit with him during the show if I wanted to. I thought that was the greatest thing in the world! LOL!

The next day at school, I told my guidance counselor I wanted to be a sound engineer. I ended up going to music school and getting a degree in it. Had it not been for that show, I don't know if I ever would have gone to college. That night definitely changed my life on several levels.

Andrea

Cool story, Andrea. I don't recall hearing that before (although that could just be my poor memory)

[AmyLou]

Finally figured it out, thanks to Mud's terrific gigography..

March 29, 1983 William and MaryCollege, Williamsburg, VA

I remember the road trip from Richmond to Williamsburg, Chris and I were dating back then and the ride down was amazing in a first love kind of way... can't believe here we are 25 years later planning to go to a show :)

I also remember seeing them during college at the Richmond Mosque - an awesomeplace for a show, but that shows as 1980 so couldn't be it?

Damn! 25 years! Next to my hubby this is my longest relationship!

[Starfish]

Andrea, what a great story!

Found my first show in the gigography - July 26, 1987 USF Sun Dome, Tampa, FL

[conmae]

Long After Dark Tour
March 14, 1983 Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI

My bff at the time and I were 14 yrs old, we wore matching denim Levis jackets & thought we had the world by the ass...our seats were way up in the nosebleed section. Tom was doing his sexy rendition of 'Hang on Sloopy' and at one point stopped and said anyone under the age of 18 would have to step out for the next verse...

[Marion]

Everybody,

If the brain cell that knew when your first Tom Petty concert was is no longer with us, this might help...

http://www.mudcrutch.com/index.php?pageid=tom_petty_gigography


Wow, that is cool! I missed this! How long has that been there? I never saw it before. Ryan, who compiled this information? Very nice job! Are they going to add the rest of the tours?

[FreeGirl]

2002 Pelham Alabama, amazing show!!!!!!!

[Pettylicious81]

This year :D I'm going to the Chicago show and I'm gonna try and make the St. Louis show :D THIS IS GONNA BE THE BEST SUMMER EVER!!

[AngelDream]

My first show was August 7th, 1999 ..Pyramid Arena, Memphis, TN

Was 18th row on the floor and remember yelling "Howieeeeeee" when they came out! How I came upon this show was 2 months before this I was at the Rod Stewart concert at this same arena and they were announcing on the big screens that Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were going to be there on August 7th. I had actually thought Tom and the guys had broken up in 1995, but apparently NOT and I'm sooo happy today that I was wrong in my thinking!!!!!

[Magnolia]

This is fun to read everyone's responses! I honestly don't remember the year
but my first show was in San Diego with my daughter and her boyfriend at the
time. He's the one that turned me on to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in fact.
He had "Greatest Hits" on in his car when we were going somewhere once and
I commented on how much I liked it. Of course, I'd heard most of the songs,
but never really knew who they were by. He gave me his CD and the rest is
history.
As Marion said, as soon as I found the TPATH website and started meeting
other fans, life as I knew it changed dramatically!

[Babydoll]

Long After Dark Tour
March 14, 1983 Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI

My bff at the time and I were 14 yrs old, we wore matching denim Levis jackets & thought we had the world by the ass...our seats were way up in the nosebleed section. Tom was doing his sexy rendition of 'Hang on Sloopy' and at one point stopped and said anyone under the age of 18 would have to step out for the next verse...

I would have killed to go see them on this tour and would have been about the same age. I was heavily into the band at the time, but growing up in northern Idaho was too far from any shows.

I finally made it to my first TPHB show at Seattle Center Coliseum on July 24, 1985. It was my 16th birthday present from my parents. Best birthday gift I have ever received!!! It was 1-1/2 months late, and I had to skip party and presents--but I wouldn't have had it any other way!

[merrymary]

LA Forum (What the heck is it called now?) in 1981. We were about 25th row, center left. Stevie Nicks showed for Stop Dragging My Heart Around, and probably others, but things got fuzzy so unless I had a set list, can't say for sure. Very cool. And then there was this continuous stream of funny little ciggies passing back and forth across the row. First time I had partied with my brother. I remember thinking, "What friendly people these Petty fans are." Awesome night.

[ComplexKid]

Jul. 26, 1985 at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. I still have my Southern Accents t-shirt too!

[wild1forever]

My first was 12/31/79 at the Oakland Coliseum. I lied to my parents about spending the night at my best friend's house, then drove up to Oakland with a guy I'd never dated before or since.

Ames, your concert was on 6/5/83. Any more photos similar to this one? I honestly that might be me holding on to the stage (to the right of the woman in the blue shirt); I was definitely up that close. Wish I could remember what I was wearing that day, lol.
It was here! I know...I've posted this before...

Mt. Aire concert in CA back in 1983?

http://www.wildbluegator.com/MTAIR1.GIF

[Magnolia]

^ Toni, you really think you're in that photo? Wow!

[Marion]

Wow, could you guys even see from the front Toni? That wall looks so high!

[merrymary]

I wish there were more shows at the Greek, but things got so big for that theatre. used to like shows at Frost at Stanford, but those days are long gone. That must have been a great show!

[TheWildOne]

Pretty sure my first show was in 1978 at The Houston Music Hall, although that show is not included in the gigography, so maybe I am off a year.

[merrymary]

Well, some of us don't remember details from that period for obvious reasons, so you are in good company

[jessepop]

Never been to a gig but first time I saw them live was on TV,
in 1980 -Paris theatre de l'empire

[Mary Jane 49]

I`m still waiting to go to my first concert ,my son says he`ll get me there somehow --lol
The first time i ever saw them on TV was on The Old Grey Whistle Test in i think 1978, they were like a breath of fresh air to me
I wish now that i had gone to those British concerts ,but at the time i had 2 little boys and money was so tight ,now i think i didn`t try hard enough

[SusieSunshine]

Cow Palace April 13, 1982.....that day the sky became bluer and the sun shone brighter.

[Nylle]

I'm so impressed with all of your recall abilities. I went to so many concerts in the 70's & early 80's I have no idea when my first TPATH show was - or where - or what mind altering substances prevented me from remembering. :087:

[wild1forever]

Wow, could you guys even see from the front Toni? That wall looks so high!
As I recall, a lot of people were sitting on others' shoulders. I don't remember exactly how I did it, but somehow I was able to climb on the wall such that I was actually looking Tom in the eye for part of the show. :003:

Cow Palace April 13, 1982.....that day the sky became bluer and the sun shone brighter.
Susie, did you also go to the Kabuki show the next night?

[SusieSunshine]

no kabuki show the next night......I was just thinking back to that night at the Cow Palace and how spellbound I was as a young lassy.. I remember watching Mike and Ben play, and was just amazed at their skill and finesse. It was the first time I became interested in a band for it's individual members. almost 25 years ago.....wow.

[merrymary]

I'm so impressed with all of your recall abilities. I went to so many concerts in the 70's & early 80's I have no idea when my first TPATH show was - or where - or what mind altering substances prevented me from remembering. :087:

It is this odd business of remembering that you don't remember, right?:045:

[Danny Mac]

1987, USF Sun Dome, Tampa, Florida - Rock and Roll Caravan Tour with the Georgia Satellites opening. It was SO much fun!

:077:Believe that was my first one too. I was a Junior in Highschool and
had Nose Bleed with a bunch of friends of mine.
I didn't see the Georgia Satellites cuz we were Boozing in the Parking Lot (Underaged)!!! Don't Tell Mama!!

[merrymary]

I get the sense that most of us here are of an age, and many have kids. Would a thread discussing what we tell the kids when they ask that question we dread "So,mom, did you ever try pot?" Dear God. "Try" would not be accurate. And that other stuff, too.

If there is interest, I'll start it. Ironic moment here: I have Clapton blasting thru the mac headphones. Guess which J.J.Cale song he is singing? Right. Cocaine. I think it is sign!

[Miami Steve]

Does anyone else notice something odd about this photograph? Almost everyone in the front has their right hand on the wall and is facing left, toward the stage, except for one guy (third person to the right of the brown cowboy hat) who has his left hand on the wall and is looking downward.

http://www.wildbluegator.com/MTAIR1.GIF

I can only speculate but I'm guessing he is

a. meditating on the profound meaning of the lyrics
b. about to hurl
c. waiting for Men At Work to come on stage
d. not going to miss a single minute of a Tom Petty concert waiting in line for the port-o-potty!

[KansasPettyFan]

^ LOLOLOL!

[Jupitergirl]

Beth and I were at this one - we probably sat next to each other - how cool is that?

MUSE Concerts
Musicians United for Safe Energy, an anti-nuclear power group formed by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, John Hall and Bonnie Raitt, organized a series of benefit concerts held at Madison Square Garden on September 19-23, 1979. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed on Saturday night along with Bonnie Raitt, Gil Scott-Heron, Peter Tosh and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.

September 22, 1979 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

[nurktwin]

i see the guy in the cowboy hat and by his posture, i'd say he has to piss real bad or he just shit his pants.....lol.

[surfnburn]

^^^^LOL Steve....I think the answer is "all of the above"...lol

Jeezz...that venue was out in the middle of nowhere. All of the bands flew in by helicopter... It was really hot, too...

I remember Tom walked over to the walkway on the right-hand side, along the side of the scaffolding…

[WildflowerNJ]

Lol, Steve!!

Love that photo!

Yes, Fern!! I went to two nights....I think TPATH only played 2 songs. They had so many people to play for these shows. I wish I had saved my ticket stub but I do have the program and a couple of tee shirts.....I think that is so cool you were there, too!!

[Beamish]

My first show was at the Akron Rubber Bowl- Dylan/TPAHB/Grateful Dead. We'd never seen Deadheads before and my aunt bought a bunch of crazy bumperstickers from a kid who was trying to raise $ to get her boyfriend out of jail. There was a Bob Dylan impersonator (circa 1965) sitting behind us, and some guy walked around the stadium for the entire 4 hours tripping out on the fringe of his vest. That was the best show I've ever been to !

[martin03345]

SPAC 02, 12th row seats with my dad, great show

[Wingspan91089]

My first TPATH show will be on the 31st of May. :D

[Mary Jane 49]

In the afterlife i hope --lol

[conmae]

My first show was at the Akron Rubber Bowl- Dylan/TPAHB/Grateful Dead. We'd never seen Deadheads before and my aunt bought a bunch of crazy bumperstickers from a kid who was trying to raise $ to get her boyfriend out of jail. There was a Bob Dylan impersonator (circa 1965) sitting behind us, and some guy walked around the stadium for the entire 4 hours tripping out on the fringe of his vest. That was the best show I've ever been to !

OMG stories like that crack me up...love a good character-crowd!!