Ticket Stub Time Travels

 6 years ago today... May 31, 2015 - Phoenix, AZ Country singer Toby Keith brought his "Good Times & Pick Up Lines" tour to Ak-Chin Pavilion. Toby played songs about beer for horses, trucks and red solo cups. His stage show included cool videos and effects on big screens. Appropriate for the Memorial Day Weekend, Toby ended the concert with a two-song encore of "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red White & Blue."

 45 years ago today... May 30, 1976 - Terre Haute, IN A day trip across state lines featured our introduction to one of the greatest live rock bands ever and included a brush with the law. Driving to the Vigo County Fairgrounds for the Memorial Day Weekend "Holiday Jam" was an eventful road trip for teens in the summer before senior year. Hometown heroes R.E.O. Speedwagon headlined this day-long rock festival that included southern Illinois favorites Head East, along with UFO, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush and an unknown to us guy named Bob Seger. With me driving, we left central Illinois headed toward the Hoosier State in the early morning, christening the trip with in-car beers. Allegedly apparently speeding through Tuscola, IL, a police car with lights flashing gets behind the Olds Cutlass to pull us over. The Einstein's riding along fired their partially-filled beer cans out the windows on to the sleepy streets of the small town in a ridiculous attempt to dump ...

 3 years ago today... May 29, 2018 - Phoenix, AZ You've Got A Friend when James Taylor and his All Star Band played Talking Stick Resort Arena downtown. As the ticket states, Bonnie Raitt was to open the show, but an illness sidelined her for the first few segments of this tour with JT. Sheryl Crow filled the slot, and joined James for duets on "Mockingbird" and "You've Got A Friend." Sheryl was good, but as major Bonnie fans, we were a bit disappointed. This was a retrospective show for Sweet Baby James, performing a greatest hits oriented set and showing historical photos and video clips on big screens over the stage. The "All Stars" in his band included drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Leland Sklar and Lou Martin, saxophone player from the Blues Brothers Band. Here's a link to the setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/james-taylor/2018/talking-stick-resort-arena-phoenix-az-13ed09a5.html

 8 years ago today... May 28, 2013 - Glendale, AZ Taylor Swift claimed that We Were Never Ever Getting Back Together during The Red Tour concert at Jobing.com Arena. It's no secret I have a crush on Taylor. She was beautiful, charming and a little goofy in this show, touring behind an album of songs of pained "red" emotions from a romance gone wrong. This album and tour defined her break from country music and a switch to pop. Of the 17 songs performed, 13 were from the Red album. Ed Sheeran opened the show and joined Taylor for a duet during her set. A solo act, Sheeran sounded like a band of many with his technique of recording his own sounds for looping playback. His ability to fill an arena with a big sound coming from just one guy was impressive. We sat in the back of the lower bowl just a few rows above the main floor. Later in the concert, Taylor left the large main stage to perform on a tiny stage in the back right in front of us, giving fans in the rear a ...

17 years ago today... May 27, 2004 - Scottsdale, AZ Country rock band Firefall played an outdoor concert in the courtyard at El Pedregal. Firefall was somewhat of a minor "supergroup," comprised of musicians who played with Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, Spirit and Zephyr. The band had a string of radio hits including "You Are the Woman," "Just Remember I Love You" and "Strange Way" among others. Even with these hits, Firefall always seemed to be a "B" act, opening for more established bands and never really reaching headliner status. I saw the original band open for Allman Brothers at the Kentucky Derby Jam (May 4 TSTT). For the show at El Pedregal, a shopping and dining center near Carefree, only one original member continued to play in the band. They continue to tour the casino, fair and small festival circuit.

 28 years ago today... May 26, 1993 - Phoenix, AZ In Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, the Seattle Supersonics defeated the host Phoenix Suns 103 - 99 to even the series at 1-1 at America West Arena. Any Suns fan would recognize 1993 as the year the Suns faced off against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. Even though the Suns lost the game on this date, the team rebounded to win the WCF 4-3 over Seattle to advance to meet the Bulls. Ricky Pierce led the Sonics with 34 points in the win. Sam Perkins, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and Derrick McKee rounded out the Seattle starting lineup. Eddie Johnson, current Suns broadcaster and former 6th Man of the Year with Phoenix, was a bench player for Seattle. This was the year that Charles Barkley arrived in Phoenix and helped open the sparkling new America West Arena downtown in celebrating the team's 25th Anniversary as a franchise. The Chuckster had 24 points and 10 rebounds in this game. More important...

 27 years ago today... May 25, 1994 - Scottsdale, AZ  Combining American folk, Bluegrass and country, John Hartford played a solo club show at the Rockin' Horse Saloon in Old Town. Hartford is best known for his television appearances on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Glen Campbell's Goodtime Hour. He is the author of "Gentle On My Mind," Campbell's biggest hit and one of BMI's Top 100 Songs of the Century. His early albums are credited with helping launch the "Newgrass" musical genre. John performed solo in this small nightclub. He had three microphones; one for vocals, one for his guitar/banjo/fiddle and one for "plywood," his homemade platform for clogging while playing. At one point during the show, he instructed the audio tech working the soundboard that he needed "more plywood." Before the show, John and his wife manned a merchandise table and he signed a photo that my college newspaper shot 15 years earlier. Hi...