MUSICAL MEMOIRS ROCKS OUT LIVE FROM ABOVE 

I almost hate to say how long it’s been since I saw my first concert. Because once I tell you, you’ll be like, “Wait — how old are you?” And I’ll be like, “Dude, age isn’t — it’s not how old you are, man. It’s how immature you act.”

Oh, what the heck — it was 1986. Go ahead and call me a geezer now.

Anyway, while other kids in my school were buying crap for the prom, I decided I was going to see John Mellencamp (formerly John Cougar, formerly John Cougar Mellencamp) live, in his hometown.  With Mellencamp at his peak and the concert set to coincide with the Little 500 bike race made famous in “Breaking Away,” it was going to be a big deal. So I decided I would wait in line overnight for tickets.

Waiting in line was, of course, a tradition for hardcore concertgoers. And even though I was just a teen, I was prepared to do what I had to in order to get great seats. So as soon as school ended that day, I rushed off to the College Mall, where I found myself 7th in line.

Fortunately, a friend and classmate was there — number 6, in fact — so I didn’t have to wait alone. And, of course, there was lots of Mellencamp music throughout the night.

When they started selling tickets the next day, I was pumped, thinking about how close I’d be to the stage. Some of my friends had seen Mellencamp around town — my sister-in-law actually cut his hair at the mall, others waited on him at the nearby Waffle House. But I’d yet to see him in person.

So you can imagine my surprise — and horror — when I learned that, starting with this concert, tickets for concerts would be sold randomly. Another words, the last person in line could get better seats than, say, #7.

In fact, if you look at this photo of Memorial Stadium, picture Mellencamp’s stage at the end zone closest to you. Then pretend to walk all the way to the other end zone, take a left and climb the stairs not quite to the top of the stadium but near the far most entrance tunnel.

That was me — #7 — prom night, 1986.

Despite my bird’s eye view, it was a great show. And the next time Mellencamp came to Little 500? Well, I got crappy seats again.

So I guess the key is, if you really want to get a good look at Mellencamp, go to Waffle House.

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            Rod Stewart will never have to play to small crowds. But last night’s performance at the Mid-State Fair seemed more appropriate for a winery gig.

Before the concert began, I had predicted he’d open the performance with a bang, thinking maybe “Hot Legs” or maybe even an older gem, like “Stay With Me.” Instead, he started out with the subdued “It’s a Heartache,” a cover of a Bonnie Tyler song that he included on his 2006 album “Still the Same . . . Great Rock Classics From Our Time.”

It’s a good song, mind you. And Stewart performs it well. But it wasn’t the bang I was hoping for. In fact, there wasn’t much bang at all in this show, which drew heavily from the softer side (Think “Forever Young”) of Stewart.

Part of the reason for that might just be that Stewart is getting older. (He’s 63.) When I saw him nine years ago, the 54-year-old Stewart had much more energy as he plowed through a more rocking set list.

Still, the Rolling Stones are the same age or even older than Stewart, and they still jam. So maybe Stewart is simply catering to the crowds that snarfed up his recent standards albums. In fact, two women sitting next to us were at least well into their 70s, and quite possibly in their 80s.

Which is cool. But even they perked up (and actually stood on their seats!) when Stewart broke into the more up tempo “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.”

While Stewart did kick several soccer balls into the crowd – as is his tradition – on “Hot Legs,” at times he seemed almost a little winded. And his voice couldn’t handle the higher notes from his signature song, “Maggie May.” (He also seemed to have difficulty with “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” even though he sang it in a lower register.)

Yet, even if his voice isn’t what it once was, Stewart is still better than most singers out there. And he was spot-on during “Tonight’s the Night” and “You’re In My Heart” – arguably two of his greatest hits. 

 As you would expect, he travels with a great band, which ripped out a nice guitar solo on – of all songs – “First Cut is the Deepest” and a booming drum solo on – of all songs – “Downtown Train.”

    Which brings me to another point: There were a lot of covers in this show. In addition to “First Cut” (Cat Stevens), “Downtown” (Tom Waits) and the aforementioned Bonnie Tyler tune, he covered songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sam Cooke and the Persuaders, to name a few.

Again – those are good songs. And Stewart has always been a great interpreter of other artists’ music. But it would’ve been nice to hear more of the classic Stewart songs, like “Every Picture Tells a Story,” “Reason to Believe,” “You Wear It Well” or any number of his singles with the Faces. Those songs would have given the concert some needed energy.

Still, the packed crowd at the fair didn’t seem too unhappy – as proven by the boisterous sing alongs.

Plus, Bryan Adams was definitely the best opening act I’ve seen at the fair. Faithful to his hits, Adams, whose voice is very much intact, belted out many favorites, including “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Heaven” and “Run To You.”       

If you were there, drop me aline and let me know what you thought.

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