1. Sun Studios, July 5th, 1954 - Elvis Presley lays down "That's All Right."
While many consider Fats Domino (1949 - Early 50's) to be the first rock 'n' roll performer and "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenson (March 5, 1951) to be the first rock 'n' roll hit, I don't think rock 'n' roll became what it is until Elvis Aaron Presley picked up a guitar and started swingin his hips in the early 50's. Influenced by country music and early rhythm and blues music, Elvis quickly launched a career singing rockabilly -- a fusion of the two styles -- the rest is KING of rock 'n' roll history.
Where and When - On July 5, 1954 Elvis, while on recording session break at Sun Studios in Memphis, TN, began fooling around with Arthur Crudup's, "That's All Right (Mama)." Sun City Records boss, Sam Phillips liked what he heard, quickly got the band back in the studio and laid down Elvis' first rock 'n' roll hit. I would have liked to been there for that.
2. Hill Valley, CA, November 12th, 1955 - Marty McFly performs at the Hill Valley High Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
After traveling back through time Marty McFly (who also used the name Calvin Klein) performed with Marvin Barry and the Starlighters after their lead singer and guitar player sliced his hand open while trying to free Marty from the trunk of their car after he was thrown in there by some of the town bullies. At first the band was going to cancel their second set due to the injury but McFly, who knew how to play guitar, stepped in and the show went on.
The crowd loved the second set and, at Marvins urging, McFly agreed to "play an oldie... where he was from." McFly started the rif and the band quickly joined in on a rendition of the now infamous "Johnny B. Good." Marvin picked up the phone and called his cousin Chuck Berry to hear what was being played. Chuck loved it and covered the song in later years which became one of rock 'n' rolls biggest hits ever.
Where and When - I would have loved to be at that dance to hear the inception of one of rocks most notable songs... dancing in the crowd with a pretty girl amongst the other Hill Valley students. In fact there was one girl there that I found very attractive; Lorraine Baines, oh she was hot.
What... this didn't really happen? WTF (Maybe later I'll do a Top 5 Imaginary Bands... stay tuned)
OK, the real 2. The Apollo, August 16-22, 1956 - Buddy Holly and the Crickets performed before all black audiences.
Due to Buddy Holly's rockabilly mixed with R&B sound, Holly and his band were thought to be black by those who only heard them. In 1956, they traveled with black artists and performed at predominantly black theaters like the Apollo in New York and the Howard in Washington, D.C. The Apollo audience was indifferent at first. But on the third day there, the Crickets started with a "Bo Diddley" song which thrilled the crowd.
Buddy Holly had only scratched the surface of his potential during his career that was cut short by his untimely death in a plane crash on February 4th, 1959 while flying from Clear Lake, IA to Fargo, ND for a concert.
Where and When - I'd have liked to have been at the concert on that third day to hear, not only Holly, but Richie Valens, The Big Bopper and others. The early history of rock 'n' roll was truly a special time in music
3. The Cavern Club, November 9, 1961 - The day Brian Epstein first heard The Beatles.
Although not The Beatles first concert at The Cavern Club is was their show on November 9, 1961, over a lunch time set, that was the first time Brian Epstein saw the band play. After the set Epstein went back into the dressing room and introduced himself to The Beatles and told them that he had enjoyed their show. Two months later they would sign with Epstein and he would manage them, overseeing their skyrocketing success, until his death in 1967.
Where and When - It sure would have been nice to have a table at the Cavern Club on that fateful day to hear what Epstein had heard that prompted him to pursue and sign The Beatles to a long term contract. It is my humble opinion that The Beatles are the greatest band of all time and to actually be at, what most consider to be, the beginning of their musical career would be absof___inglutly awesome.
4. Monterey Pop Festival, June 18, 1967 - Jimi Hendrix sets his guitar on fire.The Monterey Pops Festival was a 3 day show held smack dab in the middle of the Summer of Love. Due to Paul McCartney's prompting, the organizers of the Monterey Pop Festival signed The Jimi Hendrix Experience to play on the final night of the show. Not to be outdone by Peter Townsends guitar smashing finish of The Who's set. Hendrix, during his final song, "Wild Thing,"set his guitar on fire then flung it around the stage smashing it to bits.
Where and When - Unlike Woodstocks 500,000 attendees a couple of years later, Monterey had only about 10,000 for Hendrix's Sunday night performance. Couple that with the fact that this was Hendrix's breakout performance and throw in The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, The Steve Miller Band, Otis Redding, The Greatful Dead and the Mama's and the Papa's; the Monterey Pops Festival would have been one hell of an incredible show.
5. Culver City sound stage August 17th, 1991 - Nirvana films "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video.
I think it is safe to say that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was the angst video of my Generation. I was 20 in '91 and being twenty, I was young, dumb, and full of... angst. The song was already great, seriously, I played it so much I actually had to buy a second CD, because I carted the first one around so much it became scratched beyond playability. However it was the video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" that made it legendary. It became the anthem for the apathetic kids of Generation X... of which I was.
Unlike my previous events this wasn't a concert. It was the making of a video which says a lot about how music has changed over the years. The video is based on a school pep rally that ultimately ends in anarchy.
Where and When - Let me set the scene for you. Like many videos of the day, Nirvana sent out notice that anyone that wanted to be in the video could come to Culver City, sit in, and be a part of history... I would have loved to been there. So now you got hundreds of Nirvana fans forced to sit in this HOT studio listening to literally dozens of replays of the song for several hours while the band lip synced to the music. Needless to say, they became restless.
Originally a few actors were going to be filmed tearing up the pep rally set and the bands gear in the video. But at Kurt Cobain's suggestion the director allowed the audience to have wild with it; the demolition of the set captured in the video's conclusion was the result of genuine discontent. The director tried to get control of the situation but according to Cobain, "the audience sort of had a 'fuck you' attitude by that point," and couldn't be stopped.
Now that is grunge!
Just so you know here is a short list of the top musical events I actually attended.
1. Lollapalooza 1992, New Orleans: Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined, but it was Ministry that stole the show. It rained that morning and by afternoon we were standing in 8 inches of mud... somewhere out in that field, in front of the stage, is a pair of Teva's, buried in the dirt and a Cubs hat.
2. Motley Crue Concert - Wichita, Kansas 1987: The concert was good, but what made it memoriable was the chick behind me who kept flashing her tits. At 16 that's awesome... hell, at 38 that's awesome.
3. R.E.M. Concert - Kansas City - 1989: I was a senior in high school and my parents let me stay in Kansas City with a friends family. Or, so they thought. My buddies and I went to the concert with our girlfriends and then ran amuck in Kansas City... we broke into an old abandoned hospital and scared ourselves shitless looking for the morgue. We slept in our cars and then drove home the next day.
4. The Little Bear - Evergreen, CO - 1994-2001 - any Friday or Saturday Night: There was always some awesome, no one you'd remember R&B, Folk, or blues band playing. The place was packed and the atmosphere was awesome.
5. Harry Connick Jr - Kansas City - Starlight Theater 1991: Took a date, had a nice dinner, a great concert and then... well, lets just say it was memorable.
That's it... Elvis has left the building.
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