I've Been Everywhere, Man

Tweet

Okay, so I'm weaseling out of talking about music and my childhood, but I will tell you why I go all over the place in search of the next great concert. The answer is pretty simple: it was ingrained in me. My first concert was the Grand Ole Opry in 1968. That was in Nashville, but we lived in Louisville. So, we traveled. Later, in my teen years, we went to an amusement park in central Florida (while we lived in Daytona Beach) because Dottie West was playing. You see the pattern: I thought you had to travel to go to concerts! As a result, when I started going to concerts on my own, I traveled. My first non-country concert was Neil Sedaka, at the Kentucky State Fair in 1976. We were living in Madisonville, Kentucky at the time, so I had to travel. Two years later, for my first rock concert (the Eagles, Steve Miller, and Eddie Money [ten bucks, eat your heart out]), I again traveled...this time to Cincinnati (about 110 miles away) and Riverfront Stadium. You would think it would stop when I moved to a "big city" where lots of people would play (Jacksonville, Florida). No. The first two times I saw Warren Zevon, I traveled: to Washington DC, then to Orlando. Once I got to Norfolk (a major hub for concerts), I still didn't stay home. Williamsburg, about 30 miles away, wasn't a "trip" to me (where I saw Tom Petty, Harry Chapin, and the Clash [different shows]). Going to Washington DC (to see Zevon again) or Philadelphia (for Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey, and yet another Zevon concert) was a haul. When I was transferred to Pearl Harbor I had to drive my car to Los Angeles to have it shipped. Along the way, I saw concerts: Hall & Oates (at home, while on leave), Neil Young (in Dallas, where I went for a week to see my best friend), and even L.A. (where I saw Jack Mack & the Heart Attack). While in Honolulu, I only saw three shows (Willie Nelson, the Pretenders, and R.E.M.). After the Navy I went wild...and everywhere. Cincinnati was (and still is, honestly) not even considered a "road trip" anymore because it's so close. Ditto Lexington (where I was Friday night for Dale Watson and last month for Webb Wilder) and Indianapolis (I think my last show up there was Robbie Fulks in June). What's my furthest trip? I flew to New England for a five-night BoDeans stint in 1989. I drove to Texas in 1991 for my last BoDeans road trip (that one began in Atlanta, then went to New Orleans, Houston, Austin, and Dallas....had my engine not blown a rod I would have gone on to Tulsa). WHY do I do it? As I said, I was conditioned from an early age to travel for live shows, so it was (and is) normal. It's also a way of life, to a degree, in Kentucky. However, most people in Kentucky fly/drive thousands of miles to watch basketball games that they could watch on TV on their couch in their underwear for free, while Webb Wilder hasn't been on CBS with multi-camera coverage lately. Most significantly, especially in this day and age, I feel it's crucial to support the musicians who enrich my life with their lyrics and melodies. Buy a CD for $12 and most of it goes to everyone except the artist. Go see them live and they pocket most of that money. So now you know. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pack for the next road trip. Here's Hank Snow singing that classic song: