first Who exp.

[SPDSI@aol.com]

In 1971 I went to a Jeffersom Airplane concert at the Auditorium Theater in
Chicago with my uncle. I was 19 . He was in business with Howard Stein
Productions out of NY. He mentioned that their next production was a band
that I might have heard on the radio.They smashed their equipment at the end
of their show. The next words I spoke would change my life forever. "Yeah,
I'd like to go to that show."  

Five weeks later, in the mail I recieved 4 tickets to the Aug.1971 Who
concert. Face value of the ticket was $6.50. A strange sensation was coming
over me as the usher lead us to our seat. Closer and closer we got to the
stage. Wow good seat huh! No...f...ing great seats! Front row center. Now at
this point I've only heard a few song by the boys and only saw the clips of
them from Woodstock.

Opening song was Summertime Blues as Pete leaped over his stack of amps from
back stage to hit the first note.Throughout the rest of the shoe this little
boy was mesmerized by this group of loonitics in their prime obviously buzzed
jumping, thrashing and phisocally attacking every song played.

The last song (no encore in those days..no equipment left) was WGFA. I swear
to this day that Pete ran then slid 50 feet on his knees durring the last
YAHHHHHHHH....Keith and Pete were trashing everything. As Pete was about to
have at it with his guitar he unhooked the strap, spun it around in a wind up
to launch it skyward into the crowd and... relased it early. The strap hit
the stage and slid over to ....me.

The stap use to hang over my fire place. After marriage it moved to my living
room, then the bed room, the hallway and finally in a box in my closet with
the original ticket.

Needless to say I have been a fan ever since. Loving them, being inspired,
being hurt, being embarrased, being ripped off, being renewed, being
confused, having high anticipation, being disappionted, hanging on every
piece of news, having to justify my love for them, reading everything  Pete
has written, hating the Two sides of the Moon album, loving Rocks in the
Head, etc.,etc.,etc.

Life would have been boring had I not said "Yeah I'd like to go....."

MS