So I hit my first summer concert of '09 last night...that's
right, you know me, always up for a good time, a little tailgating, a couple-a bong hits (kidding! I promise, Dad!...), buying a few counterfeit $17 t-shirts from stoners out of the back of a VW van and happily crushing among the throngs...
But none of that brand of fun was afoot, well, aside from the $17 t-shirt purchase (though it was legit and a steal at $40) and the throngs. No, no...this was no outdoor 80's hair band f
est or seaside Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame act or Dead tribute group or even some big retro tour with REO Speedwagon and pseudo-Styx (No Dennis DeYoung, no Styx...) or bastardized-Journey (no Steve Perry, no "Open Arms," no "Separate Ways" and damn straight there is no genuine "Don't Stop Believin'" without him....told you, I am a traditionalist....). And it certainly wasn't a Super Star stadium act a la Bruce or Elton or Billy or that ultra-d*uche, Jon and the rest of his Bon Jovi's (if you knew the stories I had about him...)... No way, this was even more groundbreaking and revolutionary -- the Anderson girls' inaugural Mommy and Daughter Night at the Brendan Byrne (ok, IZOD) Arena....Ellie's first concert, a surprise to her until almost the very last minute. So, yeah, I'll admit it...Ellie and I rocked out all night long to everyone's favorite new act...rock gods and legendary talents (I kid...I hope you know that...), The Jonas Brothers. And though I do dig a boy band sap-fest every now and then (hello, Backstreet Boys...), the JoBrosare virtually unknown to me artistically....but we did go see them, and it was just a complete and total flashback.
est or seaside Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame act or Dead tribute group or even some big retro tour with REO Speedwagon and pseudo-Styx (No Dennis DeYoung, no Styx...) or bastardized-Journey (no Steve Perry, no "Open Arms," no "Separate Ways" and damn straight there is no genuine "Don't Stop Believin'" without him....told you, I am a traditionalist....). And it certainly wasn't a Super Star stadium act a la Bruce or Elton or Billy or that ultra-d*uche, Jon and the rest of his Bon Jovi's (if you knew the stories I had about him...)... No way, this was even more groundbreaking and revolutionary -- the Anderson girls' inaugural Mommy and Daughter Night at the Brendan Byrne (ok, IZOD) Arena....Ellie's first concert, a surprise to her until almost the very last minute. So, yeah, I'll admit it...Ellie and I rocked out all night long to everyone's favorite new act...rock gods and legendary talents (I kid...I hope you know that...), The Jonas Brothers. And though I do dig a boy band sap-fest every now and then (hello, Backstreet Boys...), the JoBrosare virtually unknown to me artistically....but we did go see them, and it was just a complete and total flashback.My very first concert was in 1981, and I saw Styx on their Paradis
e Theatre tour (with Dennis DeYoung, of course...). We were seated in the Merrill Lynch sky box at Brendan Byrne Arena (pre-IZOD)...no bong hits or fist fights in there, just platters of fried chicken and the private bathroom. I was so excited, watching those little long-haired midgets (talking to you, Tommy Shaw) in their gold-lame jumpsuits and badly dyed scraggly hair (and you, James "JY" Young). And the entire night I sang along to their "rock" opera/theme album tunes and cut the rug by imitating the Danny and Sandy solo dance from the "National Bandstand" scene in Grease (no lie...). I had just turned 11. And Styx is cheesy and all, but we can all agree that they rule...and that when you hear the strains of "Lady" or "Babe" or (T-T-T-) "Too Much Time On My Hands," you get all tingly...we all do.
e Theatre tour (with Dennis DeYoung, of course...). We were seated in the Merrill Lynch sky box at Brendan Byrne Arena (pre-IZOD)...no bong hits or fist fights in there, just platters of fried chicken and the private bathroom. I was so excited, watching those little long-haired midgets (talking to you, Tommy Shaw) in their gold-lame jumpsuits and badly dyed scraggly hair (and you, James "JY" Young). And the entire night I sang along to their "rock" opera/theme album tunes and cut the rug by imitating the Danny and Sandy solo dance from the "National Bandstand" scene in Grease (no lie...). I had just turned 11. And Styx is cheesy and all, but we can all agree that they rule...and that when you hear the strains of "Lady" or "Babe" or (T-T-T-) "Too Much Time On My Hands," you get all tingly...we all do.Eventually I grew and my taste in music improved, though I was ahead of the game with my big brother, Dan, who refused to let me age without an appreciation of the classics...so I had been schooled early in the virtues of The Stones and The Beatles and Queen and Lynrd Skynrd. And I think my musical palate has expanded to appreciate all music as art...well, most of the time. I will admit it, there were those times I met the Menudo guys (ok...I will pause now so that you can
pick yourself up off the floor and catch your breath...I know...it is hilarious and embarrassing....) at Radio City with Allison and Darts and the Donut...g*d only knows what promises and back door deals my Dad had to agree to to make that happen. And it wasn't just him, Darts' dad was pulling strings left and right too so we little suburban pixies could go a little ghetto....
Ok, so I wouldn't know a JoBros song if they personally wrote one for me specifically and then sung it at my wedding as I married one of them...but I do know that they are these big Disney stars and teen idols and on the cover of every Tiger Beat and Bop magazine across the land. I know that they each wear some ring that all the Christian kids are sporting these days, and it symbolizes abstinence until marriage...but, I am thinking, as little teen idols, lots of lovestruck teenaged girls at the ready, their definition of abstinence may fall within President Clinton's own special definition of what actually connotates sex...no? I mean, let's not be naive. So anyway, I also know that these Jonas
Brothers grew up in this very town, Wyckoff, NJ (as did infamous Franken-n*pple balloon-breasted train wreck Tara Reid and flirty American Idol/Tony nominee/cousin of Steve M., Constantine Maroulis, and also some reality star from I Love New York and Rock of Love Bus or whatever dreck VH-1 produces...I think his stage name is "Tailor Made"...so there must be some cheesy crooner/child star/scary alcoholic sl*t amoeba living in those damn Ridgewood Water tanks...gotta get me some of that...). At any rate...when I heard the pride of Wyckoff was appearing, I flashed back to my own childhood idols (The Monkees, Shaun Cassidy, Andy Gibb, The Bee Gees...and by default or osmosis,
David Cassidy, the once and current love of my two big sisters...) who so quickly dropped off the radar screen, became angry suffering "artists" and drug addicts, dead at 30 from cocaine-weakened hearts
and are Hollywood cautionary tales...or maybe that was just Andy Gibb (oh but no worries about the Bee Gees, they are still making beaucoup dollars, being revered, celebrated and inducted into the Hall of Fame...ok, so Maurice died unnecessarily, but evil geniuses Barry and Robin are holding up ok still...). And I thought, well, maybe I will let Ellie see the JoBros before their downward spiral happens to them...g*d forbid...before they are yesterday's news. I mean, there is something so
special about your first time, right...first concert, I mean...and in 11 years when Ellie is sitting at Brother Mike's (a mother can dream, no?) enjoying some frosty Bud Lite in a dixie cup, we all know the inevitable "What Was Your First Concert?" game will be played...and I am thus providing her with the most embarrassing answer of the night (although her father's answer of Night Ranger/.38 Special double bill at Caldwell College is right up there in the mortification department...but Rob happily owns it...). Either way, my position as a Mother of the Year is a lock...
And I know, have no doubt in fact, that she will look back and remember me as kind of a cool mom...and she will be proud that I let her do fun, grown-up things before she was old enough to truly appreciate...and since I do not know and cannot decipher these Jonas Brothers lyrics, I am thinking this line from my very first concert will be going through her head as she looks back on this night...
special about your first time, right...first concert, I mean...and in 11 years when Ellie is sitting at Brother Mike's (a mother can dream, no?) enjoying some frosty Bud Lite in a dixie cup, we all know the inevitable "What Was Your First Concert?" game will be played...and I am thus providing her with the most embarrassing answer of the night (although her father's answer of Night Ranger/.38 Special double bill at Caldwell College is right up there in the mortification department...but Rob happily owns it...). Either way, my position as a Mother of the Year is a lock...Ok, so we started the night at Baumgarts for fancy Chinese food topped off by an enormous 
banana split (upon ordering I said to Ellie: "I will have a bite or two but I need to be able to fit into my clothes tomorrow...." And she goes: "Mom, you're not fat...you're getting old, but you're not fat..." Brat!! I scarfed at least half the thing, by the way...). And the ride down Route 17 was a little bit tight and sluggish with all kinds of traffic...but we kept passing cars on which there was all this scribble scrabble: "We love the Jonas Brothers" and "Nick rules!" (my father would have disowned me if I covered his Jag with that sh*t...)....and as I passed these vehicles, I'd play along and wave and honk at the teenyboppers and Ellie would lay down in the backseat and hide, dying of embarrassment. So of course the parking situation was a
n epic cluster$#@! and we were routed and re-routed through all this Giants Stadium construction through IZOD and back over to the Stadium...and then we crossed the 10 mile (well, maybe it was a little shorter) walkway back over to the Arena. And as we made our way through the doors, I happened to notice the trim blond woman in front of me holding the door open for her flock...and it was my sister-in-law, Rob's sister, Megan, and her girls, my nieces, Lily and Charlotte!! Fifteen-thousand teenyboppers and bored parents and I randomly end up walking in the joint behind a close family member...bizarre. That was basically the highlight of my night (aside from the banana split) because
only moments later I was buying Ellie a $20 show program, which eventually got soaked and ruined under her seat...and then, after I seated her in our (quite excellent, I must say...) seats, I headed back out and stood on line so I could buy her that $40 t-shirt and a $10 glow stick. So we sat through the opening acts (surprise guest, Jordin Sparks among them...) and then the Jonas Brothers...Ellie jumped to her feet, yelping like she was watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. She stood on her seat and bounced away non-stop, singing along, though I could not decipher one lyric over the thunderous adolescent screaming. And it was a pretty decent show considering...I mean, they don't hold a candle to Steve Perry or anything. But it was fun...and I had fun. But....I did notice throughout the evening, Ellie growing more and more mortified that I was up and dancing and acting a fool, thinking that she would be proud of her "cool" mom (like that boozy and inappropriate "Mom" character by Amy Poehler in Mean Girls..."I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom...")...When I asked the 14 year old next to me to shoot a picture of Ellie and I, Ellie almost f$#@ing died. So...it was a night of firsts for both of us...first concert for Ellie, and first time I realized that, as fun as I like to think I am, I am still an embarrassing, outdated, old-fashioned mom to her...well when among her teenybopper 
peers at least. It's a little surprising, though I knew this day would come...I mean, hell...this is the same kid I cannot peel off of me at night...the one who argues that Will always gets to sit next to me and it's not fair. But I should have known I was in for it back at Baumgart's when she told me I was getting old...ugh... So it was a realization...she's growing and the separation from Mommy is beginning...kind of sad. *sigh*....One major plus though...showing a little Rittereiser spirit within her, Ellie bored of the Jo Bros scene by 10:30 and insisted we ditch that joint mid-performance. I was overjoyed...we cruised out of that parking lot unhindered by another cluster$#@! traffic jam and were in bed in no time. I think this proves that I have trained her well... So...
banana split (upon ordering I said to Ellie: "I will have a bite or two but I need to be able to fit into my clothes tomorrow...." And she goes: "Mom, you're not fat...you're getting old, but you're not fat..." Brat!! I scarfed at least half the thing, by the way...). And the ride down Route 17 was a little bit tight and sluggish with all kinds of traffic...but we kept passing cars on which there was all this scribble scrabble: "We love the Jonas Brothers" and "Nick rules!" (my father would have disowned me if I covered his Jag with that sh*t...)....and as I passed these vehicles, I'd play along and wave and honk at the teenyboppers and Ellie would lay down in the backseat and hide, dying of embarrassment. So of course the parking situation was a
n epic cluster$#@! and we were routed and re-routed through all this Giants Stadium construction through IZOD and back over to the Stadium...and then we crossed the 10 mile (well, maybe it was a little shorter) walkway back over to the Arena. And as we made our way through the doors, I happened to notice the trim blond woman in front of me holding the door open for her flock...and it was my sister-in-law, Rob's sister, Megan, and her girls, my nieces, Lily and Charlotte!! Fifteen-thousand teenyboppers and bored parents and I randomly end up walking in the joint behind a close family member...bizarre. That was basically the highlight of my night (aside from the banana split) because
only moments later I was buying Ellie a $20 show program, which eventually got soaked and ruined under her seat...and then, after I seated her in our (quite excellent, I must say...) seats, I headed back out and stood on line so I could buy her that $40 t-shirt and a $10 glow stick. So we sat through the opening acts (surprise guest, Jordin Sparks among them...) and then the Jonas Brothers...Ellie jumped to her feet, yelping like she was watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. She stood on her seat and bounced away non-stop, singing along, though I could not decipher one lyric over the thunderous adolescent screaming. And it was a pretty decent show considering...I mean, they don't hold a candle to Steve Perry or anything. But it was fun...and I had fun. But....I did notice throughout the evening, Ellie growing more and more mortified that I was up and dancing and acting a fool, thinking that she would be proud of her "cool" mom (like that boozy and inappropriate "Mom" character by Amy Poehler in Mean Girls..."I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom...")...When I asked the 14 year old next to me to shoot a picture of Ellie and I, Ellie almost f$#@ing died. So...it was a night of firsts for both of us...first concert for Ellie, and first time I realized that, as fun as I like to think I am, I am still an embarrassing, outdated, old-fashioned mom to her...well when among her teenybopper 
peers at least. It's a little surprising, though I knew this day would come...I mean, hell...this is the same kid I cannot peel off of me at night...the one who argues that Will always gets to sit next to me and it's not fair. But I should have known I was in for it back at Baumgart's when she told me I was getting old...ugh... So it was a realization...she's growing and the separation from Mommy is beginning...kind of sad. *sigh*....One major plus though...showing a little Rittereiser spirit within her, Ellie bored of the Jo Bros scene by 10:30 and insisted we ditch that joint mid-performance. I was overjoyed...we cruised out of that parking lot unhindered by another cluster$#@! traffic jam and were in bed in no time. I think this proves that I have trained her well... So...Dinner: $70
Tickets: $300
Parking: $15
Official event program: $20
Official Jo Bros t-shirt: $40
Glow stick: $10
Getting home before midnight: Priceless....
No, no...wait...here it is:
Eating a banana split, embarrassing your 9 1/2 year old and giving her a memorable moment and a leg-up in future "What Was Your First Concert" games...now that is priceless...
And I know, have no doubt in fact, that she will look back and remember me as kind of a cool mom...and she will be proud that I let her do fun, grown-up things before she was old enough to truly appreciate...and since I do not know and cannot decipher these Jonas Brothers lyrics, I am thinking this line from my very first concert will be going through her head as she looks back on this night...
"Laaa-dy, when you're with me, I'm smiling...."
xoxo, Suz
PS Happy Birthday, Dad...the new "51"....we love you!
Photo 1: Rock God...ok, well, Pop God, MIA 80's icon, Steve Perry...am not buying tickets until the reunion tour...
Photo 2: Tommy Shaw is so standing on a box...
Photo 3: I had those moves down pat, baby!
Photo 4: Not Menudo...but what studs in their cool shades...the Pride of Wyckoff...
Photo 5: Franken-n*pple...I think she's secretly from Long Island...
Photo 6: I-I-I-I...I just want to be your everything...RIP AG
Photo 7: Embarrassed Ellie and "cool" Mom...as shot by nerdy 14 year old seatmate...
Photo 8: mmmm...luscious...who cares if my jeans are a little tighter today???
Photo 9: Vandalized Jo Bros tribute vehicles...screaming teenyboppers included....
Photo 10: On the concourse, Ellie in our random run-in with her cousins, Lily and Char-Char, of the Westchester Hurleys...
Photo 11: Gleeful little concert goer...forgetting her "coolness" for just a moment...
Photo 12: As we leave for the show....when she's with me I'm smiling...
11 comments:
Ahh, I love this game. You're right, Suz. Its one of those inevitable questions that always comes up along the line.
You brought me back to my first concert...Now, thankfully mine wasn't Smashing Pumpkins like it almost was, until my friend Sal Germano got sick and his dad decided to eat the tickets. So I can proudly say, at the ripe old age of 14..it was my father and I on a June night in Giants Stadium watching Bono belt out "Where The Streets Have No Name". Thanks for bringing back the memories though.
I have to say though..As I was reading your welcome diversion from continuous probability distributions, I almost spit out the standard ND business school cafe' Green Mountain Coffee. Night Ranger/.38 Special double bill at Caldwell College is quite possibly one of the more underrated bills of our time..And a total 11 on the "unintentional comedy scale"....I mean "Sister Christian" AND "Caught Up In You"...Live in a gymnasium. That's like the time I saw the Gin Blossoms (everybody's favorite mid-90s band) at Jenkinson's. I gotta hand it to RTA though...It totally makes great conversation.
You're motoring.....
Brilliant as always, me im the gogos at William Paterson
Rememebr the album they are in the bubble bath and you see nipple.
Luck girl that ellie is. NOt oly does she have a cool mom, but she got to share her 1st time with you.
great reading, thanks.
The jerz is CLEARLY where it's at. I hope you "sunk into the lava" and "burned up with love" all night long. (JoBro lyrics. Ellie can translate.)
I was going to defend my .38 Special/Night Ranger concert but I couldn't do it as eloquently as Ryan just did...
Points of clarification:
First, It really wasn't a double bill as Night Ranger wasn't a big enough band at that point...in actuality, Night Ranger opened for .38 Special and, even though at that point in my life, Night Ranger could do no wrong and I was really there to see them, .38 Special blew the doors off 'em...
Second, it was an outdoor concert in July, so it was a great night outside...and surprisingly garnered a somewhat large crowd...
Third, my first bunch of concerts truly did suck...Although my second concert was Bruce on the Born in the USA tour, my other first few concerts were Bryan Adams and Genesis and Mr. Mister (I know, I know...)...three other lame-ass shows...so my live music viewing probably didn't improve until Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope tour the following year...after that, it was all good (GD, CSN, Alman's, etc, etc...)
Once again, I loved your post...it was fantastic & brought me back to my teen years!
Suz, thanks for sharing -- you truly captured the spirit of last night and my little girls' "first" concert -- although Charlotte slept through the second half amongst the screaching boppers. We, unfortunately, had to stay through the second encore -- "Burning Up" -- well worth the wait according to Lil.
But I am really writing to say that my "first" was with none other than my big bro who was cool enough to bring his (probably annoying) little sister to the Bruuuuuce concert at Giants' Stadium with him..... thanks Rob! You rock becuase my first concert story is actually cool!
Meg.
What a great blog! Brought me back. Our dad's really did right by us then...but thinking back...Menudo...Oh God! We were nuts! Thanks for another great throw back to childhood.
Miss ya love ya,
Darts
Ahhh, Suz! I love this post! We too waited in line for 45 minutes for the JB goodies -- and I was quietly thinking to myself, "the line for Rick Springfield t-shirts back in 1984 was not nearly this f*cking long." I also forked over $10 for a glow stick that stopped working when Jordin Sparks stopped singing. And, I would do it all over again -- the night was priceless, and OMJ, I LUV NICK.
XOXO to both you and Ellie, from Lisa and Abby.
Have to say two things...
First, VH1 star, the little dork I played Manhunt with when I was young...Dave Amerman aka 12Pack (not Tailor Made)...
Second, absolutely loved this blog...definitely made me a little sad...but what a great memory for you guys... Still can't believe Ellie is almost to the double-digits...and it's showing... *tear*
Love ya!
I was in my 20s during the Styx, Journey, 80s band era and they were never cool, never a guilty pleasure. I think you had to be 11 to thing that was great music.
Hey Liz, lighten up. I am almost 50 so I also grew up in that era. I was a classic rock guy but those cheesy bands were a guilty pleasure no matter how you slice it.
...And i still wonder why Steve Perry decided that wearing spandex pants was a good look. The man can sing - I'll give him that.
First concert - not surprisingly Billy Idol out in Long Island. I sneaked away under the ruse of a sleepover and took mass transit to Nassau Coll for the 'REBEL YELL' tour. Now Billy can shine in spandex or leather...
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