50 years ago today .....

Seeing The Beatles was the start of my lifetime love of attending rock concerts --- Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Elton John, Jefferson Starship, Jethro Tull, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and so on, and so on.  It wasn't just the opportunity to hear the amazing music, and see the famous musicians (sometimes close-up), but I loved imagining how the entire production was put together -- from the artistic sets and costumes, to the theatrics and special effects.  Pink Floyd started one of their concerts off (before the venue lights went down) by crashing a small plane into the stage.  Then out of the chaos and smoke emerged the band!  Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger shared so much energy during their shows that the excess seemed to also energize the audience way beyond the night of the concert.  Jethro Tull created such varying productions (Heavy Horses, Passion Play, Storm Watch, Thick as a Brick, etc.) that the events pulled the crowd in as though they were entering another dimension.  

                                                                     Source:  Google Images


There was nothing like The Beatles, however.  With no special effects that I remember, and with so many individuals screaming so loudly that you could barely hear the music, the audience reaction was completely and insanely enamored with the group, so aptly referred to as the "fab four".  No wonder there have been so many musicians since who have tried to recreate that same type of hypnotic aura and excitement!

-- by Daurie Augostine, 9/15/14