Jeremy Voltz - FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, the indie-soul artist, Jeremy Voltz, talks about the story of his first experience with live music. You can check out the story below:

Well I was dragged by my sister to see New Kids on the Block at the Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio when I was six.  That was technically my first concert (that I remember).  And I only really remember one moment... I wanted a brownie from the concession stand, and my sister (14 years old) said "you can't have that, it's probably laced with drugs!".  And even at six years old I remember rolling my eyes and thinking: "...at a NKOTB concert?  Doubt it."  

Instead, I'll talk about my first deeply meaningful concert, to me as a musician.  I went to see Ray Lamontagne at Odeon Hall in Columbus, Ohio.  I went with my then girlfriend, now wife Amie.  (That's what I call her, "now wife")  

It's a small place, about 300 cap I'd guess, and we were standing on the floor a few rows back.  Ray came.  The room was silent.  It was weird, everyone just knew not to clap, not to make a sound.  And he came out solo and played a song, didn't acknowledge the audience at all.  He just sang with his haunting voice and his acoustic guitar.  

The song finished, and then a second member of his band came out.  They played their second song together, just the two of them.  And on it went, one new band member at a time, until five songs in he had his full band.  And I swear, I don't think he looked at us or spoke to us the whole time.  

And like I said, it was silent as a library.  There was one guy near us who drank too much and was shouting a bit, and the entire place turned to him and "shooshed" him so forcefully I figured he'd just leave, realizing he was at the wrong show.  But he kept quiet too after that.  

For Ray to command that much quiet, that much respect from the audience in a dumpy punk venue in Columbus Ohio... it was eye opening.  And he barely ever acknowledged us.  We were voyeurs, watching him sing his heart-wrenching songs on the stage.  Not for us, but for himself it seemed.

I'll always remember that show and the power of a performer just doing what they were born to do.

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