I didn’t go to the first big concert at the Capital Center.
In fact, I didn’t make it to any of the three that opened the arena in December 1973 — the Allman Brothers, the Who or Alice Cooper/ZZ Top.
I did see the first big concert of 1974, the huge show featuring Bob Dylan and The Band in Dylan’s first tour in years. It was the first concert to feature people holding up candles or cigarette lighters at the end to show appreciation.
Over the next eight years, I saw a total of eight concerts there, all but the last one with the same companion.
I had tickets to a ninth concert in the summer of ’78, but my companion had a headache and it would be another six years and another town before I finally got to see Bruce Springsteen in concert.
The big year was 1974. In addition to Dylan and The Band, we saw the iconic Crosby Stills Nash & Young tour that summer and caught Loggins & Messina later in the year.
The next two concerts I saw — one in ’75 and the other in ’78 — were oddly enough, two concerts that we left early. The first was the Beach Boys and Chicago, and in those days concerts tended to start late and run later. We saw both bands perform separately, but had to leave before the final set.
In 1987 we left Electric Light Orchestra early before the quality of the sound system was the worst I’ve ever seen at a concert.
The last two concerts my companion and I saw at Cap Center were four days apart in November 1979 — first Billy Joel and then The Eagles. Both were memorable shows, at least in part because our six-year relationship was nearing the end.
I saw one more show there, two years later and with a different companion.
I had seen the Stones once before, Independence Day 1972 at RFK Stadium in a truly spectacular show.
How spectacular?
Well, the opening act was Stevie Wonder.
I don’t recall there being an opening act in December 1981. What I remember the most about that tour is shown in the picture above. Whenever the Stones were playing in a city with an NFL team, Mick Jagger wore the quarterback’s jersey, in this case Joe Theisman.
Many years later, I don’t often go to big arena-type concerts, although I saw Paul McCartney in Atlanta’s NBA arena in 2015, and I’ve got tickets to see Elton John in Atlanta’s football stadium this coming September.
It really isn’t the same. I was 24 when I saw Bob Dylan and I’ll be three times that age when I see Elton John.
The Dylan tickets ran about $15 — for both of them.
I think the tickets this September cost about 30 times as much.
Heck, it’s only money.