When I posted a picture on social media recently of tickets I won for a private concert with the Goo Goo Dolls and Train, I added that this was the first ticket I had won on the radio since August of 1987 when The Outfield/Night Ranger tour came through town and played at Starwood.
Ah, Starwood. Many of you wrote back saying you were at that concert and then added some other concerts you won tickets to off the radio that made you end up going to Starwood.
It got me thinking, what are my favorite top 5 Starwood moments. I probably have 30, but knocked it down to 6 for brevity. Without further ado, here are my top 5 Starwood moments.
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6) Eddie Murphy (Summer of 86)
Wasn’t a musical concert but a comedy show, and I put this video and song here, because it is awesome. Do. Not. Judge. Eddie Murphy was absolutely hilarious and for a comedian to have the full attention of 16,000 people, shows you how amazing he was at that moment in his career.
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5) David Lee Roth/Sammy Hagar
This was a bizarre show because there was a huge rumor that Hagar and Roth had gotten into a fight the night before, someone said at the Memphis show, and that neither were going to show up and if Roth went on stage, Hagar was going to fight him and vice/versa. Don’t remember the exact year and date but David Lee Roth was brutal that night and Hagar was pretty exceptional. I just wanted a full our brawl on stage, like the rest of the crowd. And shout-out to drunk, I mean hammered guy, next to us the whole show who screamed, “VAN HALEN SUCKS,” over and over and over. He eventually passed out.
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4) Duran Duran
Amazing and incredible concert that I will remember because they come out and about :45 into the show, Simon Lebon starts waving his arms and cussing into the mic and signals for the show to stop. And then he said this-“I am sorry. You good people paid a lot of money and we have come out sounding like s**t! I will not accept this. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!” I was never sure who he was yelling out but we figured out that the person(s) were unemployed after this show. “We will be right back. I am sorry for this.” And about 10 minutes later, they came out and played their tails off and it was a great night.
Also, the meet and greet before the show was cool and awkward. Greg Morris was with me and we met John Taylor and Greg says, “Man, loved you in the Power Station, too.” John replies, “You mean the dead station?” I looked at Greg and we looked at John with a collective, huh? “They are all dead. But I am still here. They won’t get me.” Ohhhhhhhkay. Take care, John. Bizarre and odd.
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3) New Kids On The Block (Aug.-1990)
Got two tickets that ended up being next to the stage and this was in the middle of their phenomenon and it was absolute pandemonium with 16,000 girls and 2 guys. I can’t recall a single song that night except every now and then I wake up from a dream that I am being chased in a forest and the only sounds are from those 16,000. Shivers!
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2) Motley Crue (Sept.-2005)
My advice to anyone that wants it. Never sit third row at a Crue concert. Just don’t. Before the show started, you could hear the speakers popping because they were turned up so loud. I thought to myself, that is odd and I bet it will be kinda loud.
Kinda? When Vince Neil drove the motorcycle on the stage and they played Girls, Girls, Girls, I knew my hearing would never be the same. How bad was my hearing from this? I had to call into work the next two days cause I could not hear. Not kidding. I emailed my boss and said don’t call me, I can’t hear anyone calling. What does he do? Calls me. Sigh.
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1) Run D.M.C./Beastie Boys(August-1987)
Nothing ever came close to me in the history of Starwood than that steamy August night seeing Run D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys. Yes, I knew at the time how magical it was and what I was seeing, I would never see again. I was correct.
@BIGJOEONTHEGO