March 04, 1972 (Saturday)
William & Mary College
Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.A.

My experience was that of a really excited 12-year old going to his first rock concert. The building had just been opened for a William & Mary basketball game a few weeks before and they hadn't even installed seats in the upper area of the arena. I went with my oldest brother and his girlfriend, and we ended up sitting in the area without seats yet (about 10 rows up from the center walkway) off to the right of the stage. They would have been awesome seats for a basketball game, around mid-court, but in hindsight, maybe not the greatest for a concert.

The opening band (The Doors), who I didn't know at the time, went through their songs, but I was waiting for the band that had "Baby Blue" and "Day After Day" on the radio. Like I said earlier, in hindsight, I would've paid more attention to The Doors if I had known their music and historical significance. My head wouldn't be in that place for a few years, though. I remember the sound not being all that great. My brother showed me a trick where if you cupped your hands over your ears with the fingers separated, it would filter out some of the bad sound that was probably due to garbage acoustics brought on by tiers of concrete being where seats would eventually be.

Anyhow, I enjoyed hearing the songs I knew from the "Straight Up" album. I was glad they had a piano for "Day After Day" and "Come And Get It", because my brother told me that they might not because 4-piece guitar bands don't always travel with a piano back in those days. I don't really recall any musical moments or anything else that made a huge lasting impression other than that I was at my first concert by a band that I loved.

I didn't go to another concert for a year, when I saw in short order, Chicago and then Seals & Crofts at the same arena. Those were different because I was a little more into music then. Seals & Crofts was memorable because it was the first time I had been to a show with festival seating, which in those days meant sitting cross-legged in tidy little rows on blankets that were put out on the basketball floor (and not what it became shortly afterwards with people shoving to get to the front). Oh yeah, and someone passed a joint down the row, so concerts at W&M Hall were full of lifetime firsts!!

Richard Diakun (R.I.P.)

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