Taking a break from the bleak news about Russia’s ever-increasing power and the continuing mystery surrounding Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Glenn, Pat, Stu, and Jeffy reminisced about some of the best concerts they have ever seen – and how much more affordable ticket prices were in the ’80s.
The guys all agreed that Michael Bublé puts on one of the best shows they have ever seen.
“[What’s the] best concert you have ever seen,” Glenn asked the group on radio this morning. “Michael Bublé. He's the best for me.”
Another one of Glenn’s favorites is the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In fact, Glenn shared the details of a chance encounter with Brian a few years ago.
"I would love to see a Brian Setzer. Is he still touring? He is fantastic,” Glenn said. “I had my brush with Brian Setzer. We were in Nashville for the Country Music Awards two or three years ago… I have a picture of him someplace.”
It just so happened that Glenn and Tania ended up in the same elevator as Brian and his wife. While Glenn, who was a huge fan of Brian, was afraid that he “probably hates my guts,” it turned out to be quite the opposite.
“We were going now to our seats and… I see this elevator and I see Brian Setzer and his wife at the elevator… Brian looks over and kind of does this double take,” Glenn explained. “And he's like, ‘Hey, Glenn’… I'm like, ‘Hey,’ and just being so awkward and shake his hand and meet his wife and introduce my wife… And his wife said, ‘Could I be really rude? Could I get a picture?’”
“I said, ‘Sure!’ So the four of us took this picture backstage,” he continued. “And I said, ‘I'm just really shocked.’ And Brian said, ‘Why?’ I said, 'I just assume everybody hate me, especially with any talent in music.' He said, ‘No. Love you’… He is really a great concert. Great concert.”
Pat’s favorite concert, meanwhile, comes from a slightly different genre.
“The best of all time: Styx, Paradise Theater Tour, 1981,” Pat said. “They sang Grand Illusion at the Paradise Theater Tour, which was just an extra added plus for me… I was actually 20 and it was Boston.”
Stu specifically remembered spending $80 on U2 tickets for one of their shows in Foxboro, Massachusetts, which seemed like a lot of money at the time. Given how much concert tickets cost now, however, it was actually a bargain.
“I remember seeing U2 at Foxboro, so like a stadium show. They spent like $9 trillion on the tour… This was when I was young, so I didn't spend money on getting good tickets ever, and we got good tickets," Stu said. "They were in the front row in the second section… It was pretty amazing. And this is in the peak of U2. That was pretty amazing,” Stu said. “I still love U2… To me it [felt like] $800,000, but I think [the tickets were] $80.”
Glenn, who was never a U2 fan, has found himself warming up to Bono in recent years.
“I hated U2… [but] I really like Bono now. Especially after that speech he gave. Here's a guy who believes something his whole life, worked hard his whole life, and then [admitted], you know, that's the wrong direction,” Glenn concluded. “He's an honest guy, but that doesn't necessarily make me want to spend however much money to see his concert.”