Christopher Shayne – FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, Christopher Shayne of the rock band, Christopher Shayne, talks about his first concert ever. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Growing up in a single-parent household definitely has its perks- two Christmases, two birthdays, and the inevitable expected competition as to which parent tops the other for toys and gear. It was a young musician’s dream. I grew up in a musical household and was a child of the 80’s hair metal music scene (which sounds WAY cooler in retrospect). So, when it came time for my first concert, the stakes were pretty high. What is age appropriate? Which parent? Which band would break that live-experience cherry?

Strapped in my car seat as a toddler, I was a captive to whatever was on my mom’s radio or cassette player- Bon Jovi, hair metal, Guns N’ Roses, Whitesnake and a ton of Aerosmith. Consequently, I became OBSESSED with Aerosmith as a kid (aren’t you glad it wasn’t Whitesnake?). Birthday time came in 1997 and there’s my stack of overcompensated presents. At the top, an insignificant envelope with two tickets to the Aerosmith Nine Lives Tour and their book, “Walk This Way”! I lost it for the tickets, but the book? It wasn’t at the top of every 10-year-olds reading list.

The day before the concert, my mom invites me to run errands and weirdly grabs the book. We arrive at a bookstore with a really long line. None of this makes sense, but I’m not entirely in control of my life at 10, so the unwilling adventure is on! We wait in line, and I soon realize it’s a book signing for Aerosmith. When it’s our turn, Steven Tyler sees dorky me with my round glasses and tells the handlers not to let anyone else in. My mom hands me the book and sends me in the door. I’m standing right in front of freakin’ Aerosmith. It’s just me and them. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry start asking me questions and talking to me for the next five minutes as if I were the only fan that mattered. It was truly unforgettable.

The next night was the concert at Phoenix’s big shed. Our seats were smack dab right in the middle of the crowd. It’s loud, it’s out of control, its rock and roll! The musician bug bit- that night I knew I was never going to be a math teacher. I was never going to get a buzz cut at Supercuts again. I was never not going to spend all my free time teaching myself to play guitar. And all because Aerosmith made a geeky 10-year old realize what’s possible.

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