Where Was Your Favorite Concert Ever?
- Sommer Crabtree
- Sep 8
- 5 min read
I can safely estimate that since 1993 I have attended dozens and dozens of shows, concerts, and festivals all across North Carolina. It started during my first decade of playing a guitar with a group of other guys and it was insanely fun going to watch the pros do it live. To be fair, Charlotte was the intersection of live music in this part of the state for the majority of that decade. The interstates were close and 30 years ago the traffic was just regular interstate traffic. The venues available to all were Blockbuster Pavilion (now PNC Pavilion), The (old) New Charlotte Coliseum (demolished), The Old Coliseum (Bojangles Arena), Carowinds Paladium, The Ritz (demolished), The Grady Cole Center & Memorial Stadium downtown, Tremont Music Hall (demolished) and Amos' Southend. These were the venues that we would buy paper tickets to go and attend these wild and wonderful shows around the Charlotte area. It was relatively easy to travel to all these places and when there was a packed house the only problem was finding a parking spot.
I can't stress enough that during these years I saw plenty of live music from the local talents and hot spots. For any artist starting out, the offer to play a dark empty corner for 5 people including staff is all part of the glory. There were lots of sports bars sprouting up in the Lake Norman and greater Charlotte areas that were eager to pack the house with live music. Some had dedicated stage / performance space while others simply removed a few tables and chairs and the stage was set. The places that had a dedicated outdoor area were hot spots in the summer time. Repo records in Charlotte let our group set up in the middle of the store for open mic jam. For many musicians all you need is a power cable and a working microphone and its a concert! Live music in this area was and continues to be a huge draw for local businesses and artists. Where was your favorite concert ever?
One of the best things about concerts back in the 90s is that the average cost of a ticket was around $20. Lawn seats and general admission tickets were the cheapest and most desirable for a casual fan. Some venues offered the 4 pack discount which we all loved. If you wanted to be close you either showed up hours early or paid extra for seats where available. Most of the indoor shows did not have a bad seat in the house. The arenas of the day were smaller in comparison, but offered such a rich experience for everyone in attendance. The advent of the giant TV-tron in these larger arenas offered the crowd front row views of their favorite artists and performers. The smaller capacity venues could easily sell out and be enjoyable for a couple hundred to a few thousand people.
Now, let's talk about festivals. The 1990s spawned a legion of event coordinators and ticket conglomerates that hadn't been seen since the great 1970s. Many of these entities became household names for anyone who listened to the FM and went to music stores. Anyone remember when Ticketmaster was a call center? The local music stores sold the tickets and the radio told you when they were on sale. I used to get last minute tickets from Discworks in Cornelius for $10.65 because that was a call sign for the new radio station in town.
Lollapalooza had the right idea and implemented a design like Live Aid, Farm Aid and the Atlanta and Monterey Pop festivals that were drawing in over 100,000 people in a single day attendance. Charlotte was going to get all of them. Lollapalooza was the first to bring it mainstream.
Weenie Roast. Warped Tour. Ozzfest. Carolina Rebellion. Project Revolution.
These were powerhouses that were going to bring as much music as humanly possible in 12 hours, in one venue, to as many people as possible. Think about that for a minute. If, you have never been, I strongly recommend picking one to save up for. Its worth it. Warped Tour started at 10:00AM and went until 11:00PM. Ozzfest was all day as well and was free one year, although we did have to pay $25 in parking fees. Cruefest was an all day event. Skynyrd and Kid Rock did a whole day event in Charlotte for a few years straight. Many of the biggest acts in rock and roll did co headlining tours and the event was an all day affair at the outdoor amphitheater. Some of these festivals ended up being multiple day events because of their massive popularity. There are dozens more that I have not mentioned, but still have a place in my heart of rock and roll.
Now lets talk about the big arena shows. In the fall of 1993, Aerosmith with Four Non Blondes opening was my first indoor arena rock show. I was mesmerized. We had floor seats to the left side of the stage, about 10 rows back. There was no standing area that I remember. There was a couple staircases the bands could walk up and down, but that was it. Just the barricade. Until then I had seen the circus, the monster truck rally, and one basketball game at the Charlotte Coliseum. Never knew how awesome it was to see one of your favorite bands in person, live and loud. That led to dozens more jaw dropping live performances over the years. These incredible venues were invaluable during the seasons where being outside in North Carolina gets pretty uncomfortable. Touring is paramount at all times of the year if your going to get your name out there. The Grady Cole Center in January. Standing in line outside Amos' or Tremont for hours in February. Tailgating outside the Coliseum in the spring, right after its barely warm enough. Now that's concerts in the Carolinas!
I firmly believe that everyone that has attended an outdoor amphitheater show will say that it is the preferred concert experience. Most of the time the weather cooperates, but here in North Carolina we know that during storm season it can drastically change in a matter of minutes. We stay prepared for changes and monitor the weather closely when going on outdoor excursions. Traffic is always an issue at any event, but with a little patience and understanding it can be a semi peaceful experience. We love the improved safety and security of these larger venues like PNC Pavilion in northeast Charlotte. We have in recent years ventured to several kid friendly shows for our daughter and she absolutely loves it.
Where was your favorite concert ever? Post your story here!
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