My First Concert

I have no idea what my parent thought they were doing letting me go to a rock concert when I was 11 years old, but I talked them into letting me do just that. My friend Jack Halsey and I must have had a good rap going as both our parents let us go together. For my part I remember telling my mother that this was a farewell tour for these two groups and I would never get a chance to see them if I didn't go to this concert.

It wasn't a bullshit line, this was both band's final tour. It worked. It was 1967 or 1968 and I was 11 years old.

Here is the opening act:



Yeah, the Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Jim Messina and Richie Fury.

Here is the headliner:



The concert was at the Swing Auditorium on the National Orange Show grounds in San Bernardino California. Growing up I saw maybe 25-30 concerts in this great hall, with the old wooden stage, but this was my first one. That night I learned that seating didn't mean anything in the Swing. If there were chairs on the bare concrete floor they didn't stay in neat rows our even upright for very long. The Swing was about standing in a crowd crushing in on the stage; maybe not in these early years, but as time went on shows at the Swing became less and less controlled. It was an amazing venue.

Growing up it was always a great time at the Swing and this was my first taste. I remember Jack Halsey and I were giddy when Eric Burdon sang, "Die. Die. Die you mothefucker, Die." Swearing was so taboo back then, well, it was if you were 11.