Try 2023: My Three Favorite Concerts
I was blessed to go to a lot of shows
One of the smartest investments I ever made was paying a thousand dollars to become a lifetime member of Meow Wolf. It’s a wild, psychedelic, experiential art space that does a dozen or more concerts per month. A guest and I get to attend, for free, every show they put on for the rest of my life, at any of their locations.
I still have a handful of shows scheduled there for the rest of December, so one of those may jump into my top three; we’ll see. I’m excited about seeing the legendary Crystal Method.
I’m 61 and living my best life. (Yes, I’m often the oldest person at the shows.)
In March, I saw a special show by Beats Antique. They are an experimental world fusion and electronic music band founded and managed by Miles Copeland (manager for The Police, The Bangles, REM, etc.). It’s a blend of tribal fusion and performance art, which is a fabulous fit for Meow Wolf. I got to see them all three sold-out nights. Even better, whenever dancer Zoe Jakes brings Beats Antique to do a show, she associates a local belly dancing troupe to perform with her. My friends at Desert Darlings were amazing. (Video below by Simply Sophia.) I have seen Beats Antique no less than a dozen times, and they are not to be missed.
Next up, I was honored to see the reunion tour of the Dresden Dolls at Meow Wolf. Amanda “Fucking” Palmer and Brian Viglione formed this dark cabaret band twenty years ago. I was a full-on groupie for them from 2005 to 2008 and saw them in several states. Like Beats Antique, the Dresden Dolls would hire local cabaret acts to open for them, so every show was unique.
Sadly, the Dolls took a forever-long break from 2008 until 2023. In the meantime, I saw several solo shows with Brian and Amanda. The Dolls are legendary, so I was delighted that they chose Santa Fe as one of the twelve cities on their reunion tour back in May. Folks came from around the world to see them in the three sold-out shows here. They were awesome!
The last of my favorite three is, of course, The Cure. This has been one of my favorite bands for decades, and somehow, I’d never seen them. My absolute favorite music is from New Wave bands like INXS, Berlin, Thomas Dolby, the Clash, the Church, Depeche Mode, and of course, the Cure.
Back in the 80s, the Cure was one of my favorite bands to sulk to while I was deeply depressed and trying to distract myself from choosing self-harm. Robert Smith helped keep me alive, and I’m forever grateful. (Video below by Simply Sophia.)
When the show was announced, there were rumors that the tickets were going to be several hundred dollars and maybe in the thousands after the scalpers grabbed them all. A SNAFU ensued that I deeply regret.
A dear friend of mine knew how much I loved the Cure and offered to gift me with a ticket in her front and center corporate box. It included a meal, drinks, and access to a special area backstage for box holders only. I was worried about having the funds to go, so of course, I said yes. Free was definitely within my budget.
Unfortunately, I made two critical mistakes. I later discovered that the Cure was also one of my girlfriend’s favorite bands. She’s much younger than I am, and I had no idea. Worse than that, my girlfriend does not like the friend who took me as her guest. The results were sad and regrettable.
If I had to do it over again, I would have turned down the front and center ticket, taken my girlfriend, and been content with the affordable seats over a hundred yards from the stage. I nearly lost a fifteen-year relationship over this.
Live and learn. It won’t happen again. I promise. I have two tickets for over twenty shows in 2024. I’ve invited my girlfriend to every one of them.
Top Three of 2023
This story was part of the Three Imaginary Girls December writing prompt, Top Three of 2023. If you’d like to share a story about your first show-going experience, please do!