Flashback Friday - Rolling Stones or Bust

**LAST CHANCE: Don’t forget to read Thursday’s post HERE to see how you can help me be QUEEN FOR A DAY!!! PUHLEEEEEEAAASSSSEEEE! (33whined in four syllables).

Now back to our regularly scheduled post…

Playing along with Candid Carrie today. Check out other bloggies’ photos after you relax here for a moment.

We travel way, way back to 1978 for today’s story. When I was in 10th grade, I met a girl in my neighborhood who would become my best friend. We hung around with each other every single moment. We were crazy together. Then Mary moved to a teeny, tiny town in Arkansas within a year of our meeting. I was devastated. We kept up our friendship by calling long distance often and by writing novel-length letters on legal-sized paper. We’re talking 20+ pages every time.

Mary flew back to visit me a couple of times during our remaining years in high school. I was even able to scrape up enough money myself to fly out to see Mary twice. One of those trips was in July 1978. (see Mick Jagger on my shirt?)

Mary and I were HUGE Rolling Stones’ fans. The Stones were on their Some Girls tour that summer. We 17-year-olds got the bright idea that we would go to see the Stones together in New Orleans. Mary flew to my house for a week, then I flew to her house the following week. During that last week, we rode a Party Bus (yes, I’m sure this name thrilled the parents) to New Orleans from Arkansas. This trip included a ticket to the show, the overnight bus ride and all the beer and Coke you could drink. Mary and I were the youngest people on the bus. Again, thrilling the parents at this point.
To make sure we were safe, Mary’s mom paid for one of Mary’s guy friends to go along with us. He wasn’t much protection, trust me. Anyway, Mary and I were so excited. We took our seats near the back of the bus. We listened to the five eight-track tapes that the bus driver played over and over again all the way to New Orleans and back. One of those tapes was Joe Walsh’s “But Seriously Folks…” with “Life’s Been Good” on it. Regardless of how many times we heard this tape during that trip (dozens), Mary bought it when she got back to Arkansas. Every time I hear that song, I remember our trip.
Back to the trip…Mary and I couldn’t wait to see the Stones. We weren’t drinkers, so we were sober and ready when we rolled into New Orleans. Unfortunately, the guy behind wasn’t so ready. Just before arriving, we hear, “I’m puking, I’m puking!” Thanks for the warning, man. We had JUST ENOUGH time to pick up our feet as the vomit rolled under our seat. Classy. I remember looking at all the people sitting near us when the bus finally pulled into the parking lot at the Superdome. I couldn’t understand how all these people could be passed out when the Stones were just a few feet ahead. Nevermind. Mary and I dashed off that bus and headed straight for the front row of the Superdome.

There we no reserved seats, so you can imagine what the front row area competition was like. Cut throat. We waited for several hours before the opening acts came out. First was Van Halen. They were just becoming popular with “Running with the Devil.” I kept looking at David Lee Roth and saying, “He looks like a really ugly girl.” Still does. After their set and another good wait, the Doobie Brothers played a set. They were great! Then, a R E A L L Y loooooooong wait until a gymnastics family took the stage. Are you kidding me?

Finally at about 1:00 a.m., the Stones made it out onto the stage. They were incredible. At the time of this show, we set a record for the largest indoor concert ever – over 88,000 people. At some point during the show, I remember looking around and seeing people passed out under stairs and in aisles. Again, I wondered why in the world would you waste your time at THIS show if you were going to spend it under the stairs. I was naïve. But I was wide awake and watching the show.

The show ended at about 3:15 a.m. The only place to get anything to drink afterwards was from a place that wasn’t including ice with their drinks. We bought several hot Sprites for $3.50 each. That’s a lot of money for 1978. Whatever. We hopped back on the Party Bus (now more like a Snoozer Bus) and drove until mid-day back to Arkansas.

So, that’s my concert tale for Mary and me. There are SO many other stories for a later time.

Happy Birthday (again), Mary!