One. Last. Concert. That's it. Who's Playing?
Yesterday, Brad and I were able to go to brunch at my absolute favorite spot. In an effort to avoid the hour wait, we grabbed two seats at the bar (Pro tip: when dining alone or with one other person, the bar is almost always the wait-free move).
We sat down and got caught up in one of those conversations I can't stop thinking about. You know, the kind where you show up for eggs, coffee, and maybe a Bloody Mary...and then you leave questioning every musical decision you've ever made.
The bartender tossed out a question to the couple sitting next to us.
"If you could go to one concert, any artist living or dead, and you knew it would be your last...who would it be?"
Suddenly every mind within earshot was involved.
Led Zeppelin.
Laryn Hill.
Prince.
The original cast of Hamilton (Really!?).
Then someone dropped Woodstock.
Game over!!
Or was it?
That's the problem with questions like this. They're impossible to answer from a point of confidence.
I've been fortunate to see some incredible shows over the years. Metallica's No Repeat Weekend...from the pit. Dead & CO at the Sphere. Mumford & Sons at Folsom Field - which surprised me by becoming one of my all-time favorites.
I could keep going.
Every concert has its story. The people you went with, the people you met, the road trip getting there, the weather conditions, the song you forgot you loved until 50,000 people started singing it at the same time.
Music has a unique superpower. It doesn't only remind you of a moment but rather drops you right back into it.
When I started answering the question myself, I realized I wasn't thinking about the best concert. I was thinking about the best experience. For me, I'd go back. I'd go way back and I'd choose Woodstock...the music mecca I've always wished I hadn't missed.
Don't get me wrong, there are things I probably would have hated about Woodstock. The mud, for sure. But then again, Woodstock was about the entire experience. It was about the cultural moment, the history, the chaos, the music, the community, and the love. It was an event people still talk about more than 50 years later.
Imagine seeing Hendrix close the festival...or Santana before he became Santana. Imagine seeing The Who, Janis Joplin, CCR, The Dead, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and so many others...all in one weekend!?
These weren't merely performances; they were history happening in real time.
Of course, tomorrow I may choose Prince for my last concert...or maybe one last Metallica show.
It's impossible to always choose the same "favorite" when it comes to music. That's what made for a fun conversation.
Every answer came with a story...a memory...a reason.
Now I'm on this kick and curious...If you had ONE concert left - any artist, any era, living or dead - who would you choose?
Most importantly...Why?
👇Dreaming about what might've been👇
