My first rock concert experience

It was the summer of 1978, and I was a 15 years old short order cook flipping hamburger patty’s on a large industrial grill at Herfys, a fast food restaurant at sunrise mall in Citrus Heights, California. I was approached by a fellow coworker who was not working at the time, but was shopping at the mall with his girlfriend. He came to the back of the grill area with a ticket in his hand … displaying it to me, with his thumb and index finger downward while twisting his wrist like it was something I was supposed to be impressed with. He said “hey Rich! do you want to go to a rock concert tomorrow? It’s Day on the green at the Oakland Coliseum!” still dangling the ticket off the side of my ear while I was flipping burger patties.

I never been to a rock concert before, so I was hesitant at first, explaining “well, I am off work tomorrow, but I have no way of getting to the concert.” My friend explained, “hey no worries man, the group I’m going with have plans to meet up tomorrow at sunrise mall and we can all drive together in my buddy’s van, problem solved!” I thought about it for a moment while flipping a few more burger patties … “how much is the ticket?” “11 buck’s Rich,” I reached inside my pocket for the cash and pulled out a wad of bills folded over, paying him cash on the barrel head. “Hell yes, I’ll go!” he handed me the ticket and went over the details of what time to meet up. “See your tomorrow Rich!” “Ok, see ya”

My parents knew me as a responsible young man with a Job at the time, but I knew that at my age they would never let me go to a rock concert all the way to the Bay Area in Oakland … Sacramento, well … maybe?

So, I decided to make up a story that I was going to my buddy Ed’s home to hang out with him the next day, Then afterwords, go straight to work because a guy called in sick at work and I told the manager that I would cover his shift for him tomorrow. My parents did not question the tale, just saying “Ok, call us before you go to work so we know you are ok?,” “Ok I will” …

The next day, I was waiting early at the designated spot at the west entrance of the mall, near were I worked at Herfys. I was looking at each van passing by, in anticipation of that van being “the van” that we were going to ride in too the concert … then all of a sudden a Econo van pulled up …both back doors flew open with my work buddy jumping out the back doors as they opened. He handed me a ice cold beer with a big smile on his face. “Hey Rich! come on in,” explaining “man, we are going to have a great time today!” “hell ya!” I said, then we both stepped back up into the van, closing the doors behind us.

I did not know what to expect at the time, I was just going with the flow … finding out that I was with a “couples group”, and I was coupled up with the guys girlfriend who could not get out of work that day, learning how the ticket became available. I did not mind going as a couple group because the girl I was coupled with was beautiful!, she had long brown hair to the middle of her back, with brown eyes and a nice figure, they were all older then me. I was going into my sophomore year of high school, and they were all juniors going into there senior year at another high school nearby … so I felt a little stand offish at first.

We started driving to the concert, with the only seats in the van being the driver seat and the passenger seats up front. The rest of us were setting on the carpeted floor of the van, with large pillows to prop up against the walls of the van. No one put seat belts on in those days, we all just road in the back of the van kicking back on the floor, getting comfortable for the trip.

I was introduced to the group of five friends and after some small talk asking me questions to get to know me, the driver asked my work buddy, “hey man, is he cool?, You know what I mean?” My buddy said “ ya man, Rich is cool” … the driver knotted his head to his girlfriend in the vans passenger seat, finding out that that was the signal for her to fire up the joint as I noticed a familiar aroma in the air. I was handed the doobie as it was being passed around the group of friends, taking a toke, then passing it across to my buddy. Not experiencing the drug before, I had an idea what happens when taking a hit, because like a lot of kids my age had seen how smoking weed effected you by watching the movie “Cheech & Chong’s - up in smoke” I was curious of it’s effects, so I just went with the adventure of it all, given into the peer pressures of the day. 

At some point in the trip, one of the another women in the van started to tease the girl who’s boy friend could not make the concert … that it looked like her “cute new boy friend”, (looking at me!) “needs some sugar to break the ice!, you two need to break the tension in the air” I knew why, I was the shy one in the group, and the girl I was coupled with was very outgoing as the others started to tease her that her new “replacement boy friend looks lonely and that we needed a make up kiss, needing to kiss and make up!” “What! I was thinking” as they were all laughing ... it became funny and I started laughing too, as the young women and I looked at each other, I rolled my eyes at her as they continued to tease me and the girl to “kiss and make up!” With a Chant starting, “Kiss and make up, Kiss and make up” Then all of a sudden the girl yelled out …. “OK! OK! OK!,” I guess my “eye roll” broke the ice with her when she said, “I’m going to give him a big make up kiss!” “What! I was thinking” all of a sudden she lunged over on me as we rolled onto the floor of the van, she was on top of me as she gave me a very passionate kiss!… we were locking lips as if we had been locking lips before, and she was really getting into it! Everyone was laughing and all of a sudden it became silent … because she was not giving up, and she was really going on and on with the passionate kiss to my surprise too! which I did not mind at all! I was just going with it! She backed off and said “heyyyy …your a good kisser!” As we were both catching our breaths! she smiled, and I said “ya!” catching my breath with the unexpected kiss ! “your not to bad a kisser too!” Everybody started busting out laughing at the experience, with the driver explaining “damm, I started to look for a hotel room to drop you two off!” Getting more laughs. She said “you guys better not tell on me! I am just tying to make him feel comfortable” getting more laughs as they all started to tease her that they were going to tell her real boyfriend of the “long kiss” that we were entangled in. Then she said teasing, “well we almost made up all the way!” Everyone together went “Ohhhhhh!” getting more laughs as she winked at me. I felt my face go flush red!

By the time we arrived it the concert, we were all high, with the additional contact high in between the hits on the doobie from the unventilated van, filled with smoke. We listened to the music of our generation on the radio, singing along on the road trip to the concert. It was a fun trip in more ways then one for me, making out with a beautiful free spirited girl broke the ice with me for sure!

We arrived at the tail gate party already in progress as we pulled into the parking area of the Oakland Colosseum, we hung out around the van as my new friends started up the b.b.q …having a few beers, eating hamburgers and hot dogs before going into the venue, it was a good thing too … I had the munchies, “big time!”

My new “rock and roll girl friend” was holding onto me like I was her boy friend, going along with the others like we were really boy friend and girlfriend, just having fun and talking.

We all went into the Stadium working our way up into the mosh pits! AC/DC was the opening act, followed by Van Halen! Pat Travers! Foreigner!… all opening for Aerosmith! Want a line up!! 

The concert started with the opening band “introducing DC/AC!” the crowd went wild! Bon Scott sounded great too!, not moving around on the stage, standing behind his microphone stand … as Angus Young was all over the place, throwing himself into the mosh pits as his body floated throughout the crowd, holding him up while he was playing his electric guitar… it was a great and an unexpected wow factor! I was amazed by Van Halen and diamond Dave, with his high kicks full of energy, and what a great voice too!, with Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solos blowing me away ! The two newer rock bands were awesome in concert! and you could feel the energy in the crowd after the Van Halen’s set! 

My “rock and roll girl friend” and I made our way to the bathrooms, meeting up afterwords she grab me, pulling me around the corner out of the hall way and started making out with me for real this time. It was a very passionate kiss, as we looked into each others eyes after the kiss, our hearts were racing. She apologized, and said “I needed that, I needed to find out if the sparks were really there, as in the van when we were kissing” … the sparks were there for both of us as we smiled at each other, with not a word said … we both started kissing again then she stopped, and started to laugh, “I can’t believe I’m doing this with you!” and we started kissing again! It was a very passionate moment. She explained “to bad we were not alone”, smiling and winking at me. We were still in a trance, embraced, and looking at each other … then all a sudden her girl friend showed up breaking up the trance we were in. Her friend said, “Hey! Are you two getting serious or what”! We both started laughing, then my “rock and roll girl friend” said, “heck no, he’s just a sophomore” her girlfriend laughed and said, “ya, the younger man! I’ll bet, not after seeing you two making out! You two are in love!, you look good together too!” I did not know how she felt, but I was starting to have feelings for her, kissing her and holding her close.

The girls were talking, finding out that they did not feel comfortable in the mosh pits, with her friend explaining …”let’s meet up with the others and go up to the higher seats to take a break from the mosh pits”. I was having a blast in the pits! It was exciting and full of energy, but I too was feeling it not use to smoking pot, drinking beer and getting bumped around in the mosh pits had me spinning after AC/DC and Van Halen rocked the house! 

We met up with the others and went up into the higher seats to take a break, while Pat Travers was on. What a great experience hearing Travers as we all kicked back, he was the perfect performer at the right time. During Pat Travers we decided as a group to not go back to the mosh pits, and decided to kick back for the Foreigner set right we’re we were. I passed out and fail asleep for maybe 15 mins between sets. Then all of a sudden the crowd went nuts as Foreigner was introduced, they walked out onto the stage.

I was recharged after my nap with my rock and roll girl friend teasing me “I think your cute when you sleep” I rolled my eyes at her again, then she slapped me in the arm! as we looked into each other’s eyes and smiled at each other. We all had a blast listening to the familiar Foreigner songs, dancing in place at our seats, up and down the walkway steps as the crowds rocked on! After the Foreigner set, there was a break, then Aerosmith was introduced, coming out onto the stage … seeing Steven Tylor, Joe Perry and hearing there music live from over the years was exciting for me, they were the rock gods of the day! As Aerosmith rocked on with all there top hits known to everyone, with an encore that rocked the house! 

The concert was over, we all started walking back to the van as someone started mooing like a cow, as the crowd made their way outside. Like we were a herd of cattle … shoulder to shoulder with other kids chiming in, mooing here and mooing there off in the distance all around, walking as one out of the Colosseum with the low rumble of people in conversation talking. 

We got to the van in the parking lot, home away from home as we all continued on with the party, as others were doing the same …blasting there radios to the local rock station in unison. We talked about the highlights of the concert, standing around the van in conversation laughing, having a good time, passing around a doobie and drinking beer. 

At some point our buddy driving the van said “hey the line out of the parking lot is starting to open up, let’s go!” so we all crawled back into the van making our way out of the parking lot. We drove back to sunrise mall, with my rock and roll girl friend asleep most of the way, leaning up against my shoulder, propped up with the large pillows. I was dropped off at the mall with one more kiss from my rock and roll girl friend, “goodby forever she said dramatically, it was fun while it lasted!” Getting a laugh from everybody! “Thanks guys, see ya!” 

I unlocked my bicycle from the bike rack and rode home in the dark as I usual did after working a late shift, thinking of my day and how the planned adventure went so well …Making it home, I put my bike next to the side gate then went up to the front door unlocking the door. I went inside the home that was unusually dark as I was thinking, why are all the lights off? 

All of a sudden a light went on, it startled me at first! Then I saw dad sitting in his lazy boy chair, waiting to prance on the unexpected suspect, just like in the movies. Dad said, “we’re were you today? you forgot to call in” I did not say anything, I was still trying to comprehend what just happen as he continued on “I know you were not at Ed’s, because I answered the phone when he called earlier looking for you, and he said you were not with him today?” I was thinking dammit, I forgot to call Ed to cover for me! He continued on “Then I called your work to check up on you, you were not there as well” I was thinking dammit, I forgot to check in … he continued on “I covered for you and told your mother that you were at work, so she would not have to worry like I had too!” my head was hanging in shame … he continued “before you go to bed, you are going to tell me exactly! we’re you were, and what happened today! and … your punishment will depend on if I think you are telling the truth or not!” Wow! I was still thinking that I was getting away with my adventure 1.4 minutes ago … while I was still trying to comprehend what just happened! … I was in a fog, I was thinking It must of been the drugs! I was not as sneaky at my adventures day as I though I was! 

So I explained to dad “some” of the truth of my wayward adventure gone wrong and what happen that day. As he grounded me for a month! “Now go to bed! I am disappointed in you” the worst thing a father could say to a son, that hit me deep inside because I respected my father, and I was ashamed that I disrespected him. 

Over time, My father and I had found that unknown gift to one another. The gift of a renewed respect for one another, as my father awarded me with the trust of go to more concert venues, as long as I paid for the tickets for myself, including checking in with a phone call and being home on time.

I fondly look back on the most rememberable concert experience of my life that day, and the long summer month of 1978 cooped up around the house, grounded for what seemed like an eternity after my first rock concert experience! ROCK ON!

By Richard Deatherage