The Who: 11/27/1982

This stub is from the first time I saw The Who. Now I have to confess that at the time, Pete Townsend was my idol guitarist. So going to see The Who was a huge deal for me. And it was a big event, with Joan Jett and the B-52s opening.

We made the trek from Miami to Orlando, dealt with the crush of getting through the gates for a general admission stadium show, and opted for seats in the stands. We really did not want to deal with standing on the open field of the Tangerine Bowl.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts opened the show, and they rocked it. They hit the stage and broke right into “Bad Reputation,” which was the perfect opener. The rest of her set was solid and she kept the crowd pumped up.

Then the B-52s came out. I was not a big fan of their music at the time, but I was curious to check them out. They played about two or three songs and then a wave of debris hit the stage. It was one of the ugliest scenes of a band getting booed off the stage that I had ever witnessed. They said “Fuck you” to the audience and walked off. I really felt bad for them, but honestly, it was a stupid move on the part of the promoter. Their music was not in the same genre as The Who’s, and after a hard rocking set by Joan Jett, it was just not a good place for them to be sandwiched in the middle.

After a while, The Who burst on stage and opened with “My Generation.” Wow! I was blown away from the first power chord. Pete was jumping around, doing his classic windmills, and Roger Daltrey was swinging his microphone around like a madman. It was a moment I will never forget.

The rest of the show was great, and they played a nice mix of songs that included classic hits, new tunes, and some obscure oldies like “Tattoo.” I actually found the setlist online. Click here if you want to check it out.

I had heard some complaints about this tour, particularly directed toward Kenny Jones who replaced the late Keith Moon on drums. But myself, I LOVED this concert, and though I would see The Who more times, this concert holds a special place in my rock and roll heart.

I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again

The Rolling Stones: 10/25/1981

This stub is from the second time I saw the Stones (click here to read about the first time). So in order to get tickets for this show, I had to mail away. I sent a check for $81.60 for four tickets. After a long wait, I got an envelope in the mail which included my returned check along with a note that said: “Incorrect payment, $81.75.” So for .15 cents they didn’t send me any tickets! I was devastated. Anyway, I found an ad in the paper to buy tickets from someone. I told the person my sob story. He took pity on me and sold them for just a little bit over face value.

This was a general admission show at the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, so we went in early to get a spot up close on the field. We staked our space near the front, cramped in among the throngs of rock and roll crazies. As we patiently watched the Henry Paul Band and Van Halen perform, the temperature got hotter and hotter. It became dangerously hot and because there were so many people on the field, it was impossible to move or go to get a drink of water. People started passing out, so to stave off a disaster, hoses were given to the security in front of the stage. They began hosing the crowd to keep everyone cool. We all stood there with faces turned up and mouths open waiting for water.

Finally, the Stones hit the stage, opening with “Under My Thumb” (same as the previous day). Mick ran to the front of the stage and took one of the hoses from a security person and began spraying the crowd, and yes, he sprayed me. To this day, I can honestly tell people that I got hosed by Mick Jagger, and was still able to respect myself in the morning.

Rock on!

Setlist

• Under My Thumb
• When the Whip Comes Down
• Let’s Spend the Night Together
• Shattered
• Neighbours
• Black Limousine
• Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
• Twenty Flight Rock
• Let Me Go
• Time Is on My Side
• Beast of Burden
• Waiting on a Friend
• Let It Bleed
• You Can’t Always Get What You Want
• Little T&A
• Tumbling Dice
• She’s So Cold
• All Down the Line
• Hang Fire
• Street Fighting Man
• Miss You
• Start Me Up
• Honky Tonk Women
• Brown Sugar
• Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Encore:

• (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

The Rolling Stones: 10/24/1981

This stub was from the first time I saw the Rolling Stones. They were playing the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, FL, and I drove up from South Florida with some friends for the show. It was the Tattoo You tour, and I actually had tickets for the second night, but some of the people I went with did not have any tickets. So, we figured we would go to the stadium the day before and see if we could find tickets for the Sunday show for my friends. Lo and behold, there were scads of people scalping tickets outside the stadium, for the whopping cost of $5 for the Saturday show and $10 for Sunday. We bought four for Saturday and two for Sunday, figuring why not see the Stones twice. It warms my heart to know that I paid $5 to see the Rolling Stones.

Because we showed up late and it was general admission, we took the nose-bleed seats. The Henry Paul Band played first (he was from The Outlaws… very forgettable). After they played, we got a set from Van Halen. I was not very impressed. Honestly, they seemed like they were clowning around. It was really hard to take them seriously.

Finally, the Stones came out. They opened with “Under My Thumb” and I was pretty much blown away. For me, the Stones were icons of rock and roll, in the mythical realm of The Beatles. The show was incredible, Keith slinking around the stage with cigarette dangling from his mouth, while Mick pranced and danced and whipped everyone into a frenzy.

When the show was over, we were all psyched and looking forward to the following night. We decided we would get there early and get a spot up close on the field… but that’s another stub and another story.

Setlist

• Under My Thumb
• When the Whip Comes Down
• Let’s Spend the Night Together
• Shattered
• Neighbours
• Black Limousine
• Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
• Twenty Flight Rock
• Let Me Go
• Time Is on My Side
• Beast of Burden
• Waiting on a Friend
• Let It Bleed
• You Can’t Always Get What You Want
• Little T&A
• Tumbling Dice
• She’s So Cold
• All Down the Line
• Hang Fire
• Star Star
• Miss You
• Start Me Up
• Honky Tonk Women
• Brown Sugar
• Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Encore:

• (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction