You never forget your first.....

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, July 9, 1980

The Spectrum, Philadelphia; Section 13, Row 8

......concert.

Concerts in Philadelphia always turned out to be events. Being this was my first concert, I did not realize that at the time.

Before radio died, the rival rocks stations 93.3 WMMR and 94 WYSP always hyped the bands who came to town. Playing songs while you were driving to the show and tailgating. They would have roving DJs in the parking lot interviewing concert goers. You just had to have on their station if you were going to a show. They really knew how to how to make an ordinary night into an extraordinary one.

Being this was my first concert, I was juiced. Tom Petty just exploded on the scene in the Summer of 80. Sure he had a few albums before Damn the Torpedoes, but this was his breakout record. He even made the cover of Rolling Stone that year. Back when that magazine was relevant.

I got my cheesy bootleg concert t-shirt. was sporting an Andy Travis, WKRP in Cincinnati hair style, the guys behind us were passing around doobies.........to us. High school kids.
Our parents weren't there. The ushers didn't care. No one cared. And we weren't the only ones.

The ceiling was filled with a cloud of smoke. I've never seen anything like this. I was concerned the Flyers were going to get stoned the next time they played here.

Of course with your first concert comes your first opening act. I think it was Alvin Lee. We were too novice to be smart enough to stay in the parking lot and sip on our Schaefer quart bottles that we just bought from the neighborhood tap room that sold to all of us 15 year olds.

In case we got carded, I was prepared. I had a real PA license that said I was 26 years old. And black. No pictures back then. Luckily I didn't need to pull it out that evening.

Then Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers come on stage and belt out American Girl. It was the Damn the Torpedoes Tour so the album got heavy promo that night.

Stevie Nicks came out. We were all stoned fighting over a pair on binoculars so we could see down Stevie's top.

Petty ended up being one of those bands I have seen numerous times over several decades.