Bonus content: A rabbit hole for concert-goers plus a tubular 80s playlist

Let's relive our misspent youth through all those set lists, shall we?

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I’ve been really touched by the comments on my last post, No One Will Steal Music from Me Again. Especially those of who who have shared your own stories about the music that’s meaningful to you and why.

One of the themes that clearly struck a chord is that how we are able to trace our lives through the music we loved, the lyrics we played over and over until we had them memorized, and the concerts that placed us at certain periods in our life.

Plus, what a wonderful way to connect with each other—my favorite part of writing.

OMG you were there too?

Photo by Eric Nopanen

Debbie Millman

suggested I put together a playlist to serve as an anti-Brooding Young White Guys With Far Too Many Complaints playlist, and I’m pretty sure I am now committed to doing that.

In the meanwhile though, I have a different one for you. It came via a fun text chat with an old friend yesterday. We had recently caught up over a few pints because she made the phone call! And I’m so glad I answered.

With that, I present you with Kathy's 80s Playlist on Spotify, packed with 700+ (!) glorious 80s tracks, and a few that squeak in from the late 70s/early 90s.

Looking at you, The Cars; though 80s fans will happily claim you as our own.

I hope this playlist gives you all much joy. especially if you grew up on 92.7 WLIR/WDRE like all the cool people. Ahem.

Ministry! Julian Cope! China Crisis! Human League! Bauhaus! XTC! Thompson Twins! Lloyd Cole! Jesus Jones! Talk Talk! Love & Rockets!

My people.

I skimmed the list, and as soon as I got to track 32 I texted this to her:

Please note that I was concerned I had forgotten bout some massive, newsworthy tidal wave behind the sage at Jones Beach, which I guess could have happened? But nope…just the dawn of the far less destructive stadium wave, when it was still novel and had not yet made its way to the sports ball world.

We tried to remember who opened for Howard Jones that show and Kathy guessed Animotion, who sang Obsession, possibly the 80s-est 80s song ever. My kids have wholesale rejected it as making them “very uncomfortable.” Which, fair.

And then I found the set list on SetList.FM.

Friends! Readers! You are going to love this site.

It’s a playlist wiki, so of course you immediately have to look up your very first concert. For me, that was Sioux and the Banshees, July 13, 1984, at the Beacon Theater in New York.

Well there went my TV-watching plans.

I spent last night so far down the rabbit hole of (fairly accurate) set lists, venues, openers, and exact calendar dates that placed me in very particular circumstances with very particular friends. Including the college boyfriend whose band Cliffs of Dooneen got big enough to open for lots of awesome bands in Boston in the late 80s/early 90s, allowing me to see some killer sets from the edge of the stage, from The Godfathers to Lena Lovich.

(We had split just before their band opened for Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, which was evidently the show to end all shows; if you’re inclined, you can catch a brief glimpse into that long-ago chapter of my life at around 3:42 of this video.)

(PS Dave Grohl was and continues to be delightful.)

$5 tickets. $5!. | via Vanyaland

Through that site, I relived Sting at Radio City in 1985. INXS + PiL in 1988 at the Worcester Centrum, where Johnny Rotten took great pleasure telling all the big-haired Michael Hutchence groupies in the audience to fuck off, multiple times. Prince, October 21, 1988, in the round at the Worcester Centrum, the concert that shook my world.

New Order at Great Woods, with Echo & The Bunnymen and Jean Loves Jezebel opening. (I still remember we were a little weirded out by Echo’s pandering Twist and Shout cover for the encore, which had charted again thanks to Ferris Bueller.) The Pixies at my favorite tiny dive club (RIP Rathskeller). David Byrne’s Rei Momo Tour where my seats were so far to the right of the theater, I could watch him dance in the wings during breaks.

So many memories! Just from looking at dates, names, song lists.

David Bowie from the nosebleeds. Billy Joel and Elton John from the front row. Psychedelic Furs from the lawn outside the Boston Common bandshell because we couldn’t afford tickets, and Indigo Girls from the lawn outside the Central Park Summerstage for basically the same reason.

Bruce Springsteen singing his new hit, Born in the USA, to his home state audience. Lollapalooza 93, a head-banger that headlined Rage Against the Machine, Alice & Chains, Arrested Development, Primus.

Oof, I’m stopping at the early 90s.

(I’ve warned you, I’m an unapologetic Gen-Xer, and hopelessly nostalgic.)

Let me know what you find on Setlist.FM. Is there a show that jars a memory? Brings you back? Makes you want to dance? Blows your mind? Is there one you still regret missing?

I’ve really enjoyed hearing all of your music stories. Whatever the decade.

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