Payson Lewis – FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, the pop artist, Payson Lewis, chats about the first concert he ever went to as a fan. You can check out the story and listen to his newest single, “Can’t Go Back”, after the break.

I grew up the youngest of 4 boys outside Philadelphia so I was always doing things that were a little “ahead of my time.” You know, I’d watch the movies my brothers watched, read the books that they read, and of course, listen to the music they listened to. So, with my oldest brother having a nine-year advantage on me, I had almost a decade’s head-start on most of my friends. Never was that on greater display than at my very first concert ever.

When I was 7 years old, we all moved to a neighborhood within walking distance of the historic Valley Forge Music Fair; an almost 3,000 seat venue in the round which had hosted everyone from B.B. King to “Weird” Al Yankovic. Shortly after moving into our new neighborhood and before the Music Fair shut down to become a Barnes & Noble, the perfect opportunity for a brothers-bonding night arrived. Huey Lewis and the News was coming through town, and we got 4 tickets!

Even though Huey’s big hits and heyday were a little “before my time,” I’ll never forget spending that night with my 3 brothers. The way that the music my older brothers loved brought us all together. How we could all share something, a timeless, experience, with each other. Music can transcend time, and age, and background. For at least that night, seeing them through my brothers’ eyes, Huey Lewis and The News were the biggest band in the world. The coolest I’d ever seen.

My night with my brothers, and “The News” was a formative experience for me, one that certainly remains as a reminder of the power of music to rise above circumstance. And I just hope someday to be able to provide a similar experience to a set of siblings looking to share more than just the blood in their veins.

Keep up with the artist on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!