Concert 001
The Jacksons Victory Tour
Sunday September 2, 1984
John F Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia PA
$29.75

There was no one bigger than Michael Jackson in 1984. Despite being released in 1982, Thriller remained a huge presence on the charts two years later. However, Michael did not tour to support his own record. He went on the road with his brothers, just has he had for every previous tour, in support of their group album Victory. Rumour has it that he didn’t want to do this tour, but felt obligated. And therefore probably missed out on what could have been one of the biggest solo tours of the 80s. Regardless, a lot of his records were part of the set (see below), and in a way, doing a tour with his brothers probably helped take a little bit of the edge off of the intense focus that had been on him for for over a year.

Big kudos to my dad Charlie who was not only able to get tickets to the Victory Tour, but willingly drove me and 6 other kids up to Philadelphia from our home in Maryland in his VW van. I remember he wrote “Victory Tour or BUST” on the windows in soap, and as we got closer to the stadium, people were honking their horns at us.

I don’t remember a lot about the show. I was only 14, and just about to start my first year of high school. The volume was surprising, and the screaming was unexpected too. We were pretty far away from the stage, but my dad brought binoculars so we could get a better look at our idol. In a way, it was hard to believe he was real, and I remember exclaiming to my dad afterwards that it was worth seeing the show just to prove that he wasn’t made of pixie dust.

Yes, I’m pretty sure I compared him to pixie dust.

Anyway, Wikipedia says the set list was:
Wanna Be Startin’ Something
Things I Do For You
Off The Wall
Ben / Human Nature
Heartbreak Hotel
She’s Out Of My Life
Let’s Get Serious
You Like Me, Don’t You / Dynamite
Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’
Medley: I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I’ll Be There
Rock With You
Lovely One
Workin’ Day And Night
Beat It
Billie Jean
Shake Your Body Down To The Ground

It’s a Michael heavy set, with a few Jermaine solo numbers thrown in for good measure. He had his share of solo hits too, and I remember being excited to hear them! There are some group numbers sprinkled throughout, from their entire career, especially the disco era.

I had a souvenir Victory Tour painters cap which I wore to my first day of high school. I’m pretty sure I never wore it again, as it was immediately clear to me that it was a super nerdy choice for such a momentous day in one’s life. The hat turned up at my mother’s house last year, and I brought it back to New York and sold it on eBay to a willing party. I hope they are enjoying it more than I did. Thanks to my embarrassment, it lived a pretty sheltered life over the past 28 years and was in near mint condition.

I never saw Michael Jackson in concert again. Although he was one of my pop idols in the early 80s, and I followed his career intently until his demise, I never felt quite the same about him after this. Perhaps seeing him broke the spell. Or maybe it was just that stupid hat.

I’m going to try something a little different with beyourblog for a while. I’ll be going back in time and writing about the concerts I’ve ever been to. The nerd in me has kept every concert ticket since 1984, so I have a pretty good record of the shows I’ve seen.

It’s self indulgent, but hey, that’s blogging. I hope you will enjoy the journey too. Who knows, I may never finish it. But I’m gonna give it a shot. I will also still post new music from time to time, because lord knows I’m fond of looking forward just as much as I look back.

Anyway, here we go… concert number one!

“if you wanted me to stay, in a million years… I wouldn’t go”

Donna Summer - There Will Always Be A You

I guess it’s safe to say that everyone was surprised by the passing of Donna Summer. She kept her illness out of the press, and died in private, unexpectedly. Usually when a star dies, it’s for one of three reasons: they were a mess, they were old, or they were sick. And when they’re sick, many celebrities make their illness a cause, or worse, a career. But Donna did not tell us.

There’s been a lot of talk about her this week, obviously. And a lot of people bring up her personal beliefs and how that coincided with her break with the gay community during the onslaught of AIDS. Since I was only a kid at that time, my opinion of her was never bogged down by that unfortunate back and forth. For me, she just continued being my favorite singer.

When I was nine years old, my parents got me a casette player for my birthday. And the first tape I bought (as part of a Columbia House deal!) was the hits compilation On The Radio. It was my soundtrack. I learned every note, every lyric and every nuance of the music. And I continued to follow her devotedly into the 80s.

In 1982, “Love Is In Control” was one of my favorite 45s. On the Flashdance soundtrack, “Romeo” was one of my personal favorites, even better than the hits! And yesterday, my mother told me that when I was 13, I said “She Works Hard For The Money” reminded me of her. Of course the hits kind of dried up after then, and Madonna came along. So my attention naturally drifted to the new provocateuse on the block, as did the attention of my entire generation.

As I got older, and my record collection grew, I expanded my understanding of her work by picking up copies of her 70’s albums. And as my love for disco grew deeper over the years, I came to a realization. Everyone knows that no one made hits like Donna Summer. But no one made albums like Donna Summer either. Every one was a concept, and every one took a step further, eclipsing the one before it, broadening her range and appeal.

The records that Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder created in the 1970s may not sound contemporary to young listeners today, but they created the templates from which young artists still make new music to this day. And that’s the real testament to her legend.

I suppose by not letting the world know that something was wrong could have been her personal reconciliation with the controversy she found herself in during the early 80s. What good would making a big deal about her cancer do, when so many of her fans died in the prime of their lives? That’s a lot of speculation on my part, but I can’t help wondering why she wasn’t like her peers, why she didn’t tell us she was dying. No one got the chance to prepare - or to honor her - before she left.

I hope it provided her with a feeling of dignity.

Next weekend I will celebrate her impact on my life by DJing with my friend Disco Connie at Double Headed Disco. Donna Summer is the face of our night, and even though we have a different cover star every month, Donna has been a recurring presence in our night since it’s inception. She is, after all, the Queen of Disco.

If you’re in New York, please join us. It won’t be maudlin. It will be a party, til the last dance.

Double Headed Disco: The Queen
Saturday, May 26
Nowhere
322 East 14th Street
New York City
10pm
No cover. 

“the thing about living a lie is just wondering when they’ll find out”

Tune-Yards - My Country
I kind of slept on this last year, but have now fully embraced the madness. It’s jumpy, shouty and child-like in it’s messiness. Hence the video full of kids. Get out your seat and jump around!

“a l’abominable enfant teenage, un amour de dessert”

Lio - Banana Split
I knew a couple Lio tracks, but not this one until I picked up the 45 a few months ago. Stunning French new wave madness! She sure loves bananas.

The Plastics - Good
Speaking of madness, this Japanese new wave group only made insane little gems, including this repetitive chant. See you later! Must have been a big influence on P5.

“demonstrate how certain random movements can be plotted on a straight line”

Waitresses - Pussy Strut
This is white girl funky, and despite the title, I’m still not sure how it relates to their whoo-ha. Because lyrically, I’m getting a much more geometric effect than gynecologic. Look at the box! 

Suzi Quatro - I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew
Speaking of funky white girls, Ms Quatro typically gave you a trashy glam effect. However on this notably different single, she gets down with a wacky synth and full horn section. 

“the sun is melting above us”

Imperial Teen - Hanging About
One of my favorite indie confections from the 90s was Imperial Teen. They’re a funny lot. They make an album now and then, when the mood strikes them. And they’ve just released a new one called Feel The Sound. It’s really excellent - full of dreamy layers of guitar, keys and vocals, with danceable beats. For me, this track harkens back to Ultra Vivid Scene and Spacemen 3, with a little LCD Soundsystem thrown in for a modern touch. Download the whole album!

Nite Jewel - One Second of Love
Brilliantly minimal to start, just drum machine and voice, then drifting into synthesized bliss, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs this winter. As a satellite of the Italians Do It Better universe, Nite Jewel is one to watch. The full album is out March 6, and I can’t wait to hear more.  Pre-order it here.

“no hearing or breathing, no movement or color… just silence”

Fujiya & Miyagi - Your Silent Face
To follow up on my previous post, here’s a couple tracks from the Power Corruption and Lies covers project. In F&M’s take on Your Silent Face, they pay homage by sticking pretty close to the original. And to be honest, that’s kind of what you want in this collection. Those that strayed far from the original were less successful.

S.C.U.M. - 586
The original of 586 is like a entr’acte to Blue Monday, a song that didn’t even appear on the album (typical New Order move). The up and coming band S.C.U.M. are a great match for the gloom and goth that this track conjures, updating the sonics without veering off into self-serving territory.

“I don’t belong to no one but I want to be with you”

I’ve been totally obsessed with New Order again thanks to a compilation put out by MOJO magazine where they have all these new electronic acts covering Power Corruption and Lies. It’s kind of amazing, and I’ll do a follow up post about that in a minute. Anyway, in the meantime…

New Order - Dream Attack
From the end of the 80s, the last album of the decade and the last song on that album. It feels final, and in fact may be considered their last great album. Technique holds up surprisingly well under the pressure of old age. It has a glimmer and sheen that belied their future work.

New Order - Mesh
From the beginning of the 80s, their first album Movement took the sound of Joy Division further into the nightclubs, on to the dance floors. This is post-punk at it’s most ripe, and in fact would be their last hurrah before crossing over to a new style of dance music that would go on to help define the sound of mid-to-late 80s club and pop music.

“you must think I’m some kind of gay blade”

Karen Elson - Vicious
Supermodel and ex-Mrs Jack White covers this Lou Reed classic with edge and bravado. I hope that a little thing like divorce won’t get in the way of these two continuing to make music together. Dig that crazy feedback!

Eleanor Friedberger - My Mistakes
The song starts like a mistake, sudden and unexpected. But it is clearly no accident as it chugs along, picking up steam with squelchy synths and conversational lyrics. It’s terribly catchy - I find myself singing it to myself on repeat. Plus it has my favorite… a sax solo!