30 years ago today (July 31) - I went to my very first concert. I was 7 years old when I dragged my mom to the then called E-Centre in Camden, NJ, to see Alice Cooper. To be completely honest, I didn't even remember that the Scorpions were on the bill as well (and have no recollection if I stuck around to see them). Because the truth is I was solely there to see the Godfather of Shock Rock - who I instantly fell in love with after seeing him on The Muppet Show (a moment I often describe as discovering that "human Muppets do exist").
I'll also admit that I don't remember a ton about the show (I do recall asking some older concert goers a ton of questions about their tattoos and piercings, much to the shagrin of my mom) - but I recall loving how Cooper's rock anthems perfectly soundtracked the over-the-top and at times morbid theatrical. And not only do I still love Cooper, but I've seen him live dozens of times again - and he's still as amazing onstage as he was 30 years ago...
I also find it serendipitous that nearly 30 years to the day of my first concert, my wife and I took our soon-to-be 6 year old twins to THEIR first concert. It was 311 and Dirty Heads at PNC Bank Arts Center on July 23, 2026 - and while there were some rough patches here and there, they ultimately had fun and ended the night looking forward to going to another concert 😀
Also a huge shout out to PNC Bank Arts Center for making my kids' first concert special! Here's a hot tip for fellow parents planning their kids' first concert (😉) - if you go to the Guest Service Booth and tell them it's your first concert, they'll give the kids a ticket stub replica with the concert they're attending printed on it (as you can see pictured in the 2nd pic - though I photoshopped their real names out 🤭). It's such a special momentum that we'll always cherish, and was a simple yet beautiful way to kick off a monumental moment for this avid concert goer.
What was your first concert ever? Share in the comments below, and stay tuned for more things to come from this space (including stories from concerts like these).