Photo: Bob Coyne

Music is creativity which can be described only as timeless; a form of energy that will always match the colors of the room it’s in. Many musicians have translated internal feelings through music, subsequently eliciting a reaction from listeners. It was only 3 weeks ago when I sat down and reminisced on my first and only time ever seeing Metallica, at their first gig in Soldier Field in 2017. And I began to wonder, what about other peoples’ concert experiences? What was my mom’s or grandpa’s first concert? What’d they think of the atmosphere? Did they harbor the feelings that I did when I was 9 years old? And I came to find out, they may have.

1; Jose Vazquez, Berwyn, IL, 63

Q: What was the first concert of your lifetime?

“Well, my first concert of my lifetime was “KISS” live in 1979 in Chicago, at the (International) amphitheater on Halsted & 50- something.”

Q: What happened on that night, anything memorable?

“Well . . . yeah; I had barely come from Mexico in 1978, so 1979 was my first concert, and it was crazy because it was KISS in their prime. Y’know, it was just so crazy seeing [bassist and lead singer] Gene Simmons and all of the pyrotechnics, all of the fire, (his tongue) [with fake] blood, and it was like so crazy, you know? But I used to listen to KISS in Mexico. When I came, my cousins bought me the ticket, and they took me over there: it was so amazing, watching a concert live.”

Q: Finally, what would you say is the visual that stuck with you the most from that night?

“When Gene Simmons stretched his tongue and it started bleeding, coming out of his mouth. That — that, I’ll never forget about that.”

2; Rick, Morton West Security, Stickney, IL

Q: What was your first concert?

“My first concert was in 1978, I went to go see “KISS” Alive, at the Old School (Chicago) Theater . . . my very first. . . and that was the best concert I’ve ever seen. KISS Alive 2.”

Q: How was the atmosphere?

“Very high atmosphere. Lots of partying in there . . . lots of crazy people . . . but it was the best time ever.”

Q: Finally, what was the visual that stuck with you from that night?

“Uhhh . . . Gene Simmons, the bass guitarist, he was spitting out blood… Yeah man, he was out there on the stage, they lifted him up so high, he was up there jamming. Smoke everywhere, and all of the sudden he’s all spitting blood . . . I was sitting first row of the balcony.”

For those unfamiliar, KISS – a 2014 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – was formed in January 1973, arising from the ashes of the collapsed band “Wicked Lester” which included bassist Gene Simmons & guitarist Paul Stanley. They went on to recruit drummer Peter Criss through hearing him perform at a nightclub, & Ace Frehley from an advertisement in “The Village Voice,” an iconic New York cultural newspaper. KISS then completed their first tour the following winter. Known for their garish

Although these were amazing stories that would have otherwise been lost to time, I was getting enough of KISS, so I decided to go to someone not only younger, but also someone who I know personally has a burning passion for music. And this time, the take was more modern: Kanye West and his “YEEZUS” tour in 2013.

3; Antonio Vazquez, Melrose Park, IL, 36

“It had the makings of like the rock stage, you know, because he had stuff to see on the monitors on the screen, even though it was only him. He even had dancers come out. It kind of reminded me of the “Runaway” dancers.”

Q: Yes, I’ve seen that. The faceless dancers that came out during the interludes. Walk me through that day.

“Yeah, we had got there a little bit before the concert started for Kendrick Lamar. I think we had got there just before he started, because uh, we we’re walking in and they were playing music and we had gone to the seats. And yeah, that was the first time that I’ve seen Kendrick Lamar, I had heard about him but I didn’t listen to any of his music. But I knew about, the “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” album. Like I said, it was pretty crazy. It reminded me of when we (Vazquez and his father) saw Roger Waters’ “The Wall.”

Q: So what’d you think of the stage when you saw it? The big cliff and everything.

“Yeah, there was a stage before the stage that lifted up, and kind of sat tilted like an iceberg, and then at the back end of the stage, right up against where the screen was, yeah, it looked like icy cliffs, so that’s where (performers) were dancing or (performers) would walk up when he was performing certain songs. Like the more sentimental stuff he made, like on the “Yeezus” or “(My Beautiful) Dark Twisted Fantasy” because that was around the time he unfortunately lost his mom, so, he was deep in his feelings — but that’s where music becomes very . . . touching to people; when an artist bares the[ir] pain, for their fans.”

Q: So, I’ve asked everyone this question, and I want to ask you specifically, what visual from that night has really stuck with you, that you remember to this day?

“That was around the time he started wearing those masks. When he would go out in public — and to me, as a tailor, or the son of a tailor that learned how to sew, it was one of those things that was made out of garments — or like a balaclava, you know, when you cover your face. But to me it was unique. And people know I’m a superhero nerd, so you know, to cover your whole face, also caught me as a cool thing . . . so yeah the way he would dress, really, was pretty cool. That was also around the time the “(Nike Air Yeezy) Red Octobers” had came out.

Q: Was he wearing them that night?

“Uhm.. I know he did wear (different pairs of Nike Air Yeezy) throughout the concert; he may have been wearing (a prototype) of the Adidas Yeezy that night, but. . . ”

Q: Finally, what do you think was the best-performed song of the set that night?

“Oh, Runaway. Runaway, because every time he would play it on the tour, he would kind of like get really into his emotions. He would uh — some people would say that he would ramble, and it did kind of seem that way at certain (stops of the tour.) Especially the ones that people managed to record. But, you know, everyone in the stadium felt for him because everyone, especially his fans who love that album, really sympathize a lot with that song, because it’s very touching. Then, the fact it has Pusha T on it too… Again, that was the first time I had heard of Pusha T, it was on that song. Because I love that album, and you know, he collaborated with a lot of people, including Daft Punk (on Yeezus) I love Daft Punk and I didn’t know they were on (Yeezus at the time.) Yeah, they got a lot of that house music influence down.”