Before Coachella, algorithmic streaming, and outrageously priced stadium tours, there was your first concert—that magical moment when music leapt off the radio and into real life. Maybe it was a legendary rock band, a folk duo, a piano virtuoso, or an artist whose songs became the soundtrack to your teenage years. Whatever the genre, that first live show had a way of making you feel like you’d joined something bigger than yourself.
Inspired by the Colbert Questionnert, we asked our team to dust off their ticket stubs (or at least their memories) and tell us about the first concert they ever attended. No matter how many years have transpired, we all remember the feeling: the anticipation, the excitement, the lights going down, that moment when the first notes filled the air. Here are our memories from the concerts that started it all.
Elton John and Billy Joel: Seeing “The Rocket Man” and “The Piano Man” together was unforgettable. It was a spectacular blending of piano melodies and iconic duets. Their stage presence alone was an amazing first live-music experience. – JoAnne Stauss
February 1975, University Hall, Charlottesville, Virginia: Linda Ronstadt, backed by a touring band featuring Glenn Frey and Don Henley. University Hall was packed to capacity. Linda tore through her chart-toppers – You’re No Good, When Will I Be Loved, and a soulful Desperado. Then she sang Long, Long Time. The crowd of 8,500 held its collective breath, spellbound, and then leapt to its feet. U-Hall was demolished in 2019, replaced by a state-of-the-art facility – but my memory of that concert endures. – Cathy Donnelly
My husband and I were in Sante Fe, just checked into our hotel, and were walking down the street when I saw a sign for a George Winston concert. I couldn’t believe we were lucky enough to be there at the same time. We were able to get last-minute tickets and revel in his evocative acoustic piano. It was, in a word, awesome. – Peggy Mick
Eddie Money. He came to my college (UConn). I was around 18 and went with friends. – Tom Taglieri
The Violent Femmes—pioneers of folk-punk—at a dark, dingy club somewhere in Kansas City in the late ‘80s. I saw them again at a slightly less grungy venue in Phoenix in the mid-‘90s. – Margo Hackel
As a young high schooler, I saw The Police on their Ghost in the Machine tour in Rosemont, Illinois, with friends. There was probably a responsible adult involved somewhere, but of course, I have no memory of that part! The Go-Go’s opened, Beauty and the Beat was topping the charts, and the whole night was amazing.
Fast-forward two decades, and I saw Sting again with my husband in East Hartford, Connecticut. I was older, (presumably) more responsible, and he was still just as good. – Teryl Taglieri
Neil Sedaka with my parents 😂 at the Warwick Tent in Warwick, Rhode Island circa 1982. RIP Neil! – Danielle Foley
Simon & Garfunkel at the University of Michigan. Since then I’ve seen Paul Simon twice in concert in Connecticut, and he remains one of my all-time favorite songwriters. When my daughter was small, we played his CDs a lot to ensure one more budding fan. – Laura Singer
The O’Keefe Group may be a small agency, but we’ve got arena-sized ideas. No smoke machines or pyrotechnics—just strategic communications that earn standing ovations.
