May 14, 2021
During your life, what’s the one concert or event you were supposed to attend but missed out on, and what were the unforeseen circumstances?
|
Mike “OD” O’Donnell, WKRZ: It was the Eagles reunion tour and the original band was fully intact. I had a chance to go to the show and I passed on it because I had a commitment with my girlfriend (who is not my wife today), and I missed out. I regret it to this day. Matt Johnson, PULSE FM: When I was in Salt Lake City, one year I drove to Park City to the Sundance Festival, and Dave Grohl was debuting new music there. I was supposed to be on a list and I was going to be able to meet him, and at the last minute it was like, “Sorry, we’re not able to get you in.” I knew it was a wing and a prayer to begin with, but I was so disappointed because I love Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters and I was so excited for this to happen.
Buster Satterfield, WIOQ: Eminem and Jay Z at Yankee Stadium. I missed out on a work-related issue but made out pretty good by ending up going to a private Eminem show at the Bowery Ballroom. Guy Zapoleon, Zapoleon Consulting: Alan Chlowitz the GM of K-EARTH invited our Los Angeles staff to see Elvis in Las Vegas in December 1976 but with all my personal holiday plans I decided not to go. Elvis stopped appearing in Las Vegas and passed away in August of 1977. Biggest regret of my concert going life. Twisted Todd, WTPT: Coincidentally, I was just reflecting on this because the venue owner just posted an old upcoming events flyer on Facebook with the show on it so here goes: I was at Winthrop University during my last semester and my car had just died. Two of my all-time favorite bands, King’s X and Galactic Cowboys, were on tour together and coming to Ground Zero in Spartanburg, SC. I begged, pleaded and even bribed everyone I could think of just to get a ride to this show which was at least an hour from where Winthrop is in Rock Hill, SC. I regret missing this show to this day as I never got to see the two acts together. |
Valentine, WBHT: When I was at Y100 in Miami I was supposed to see Post Malone live, and I lived right down the street from the venue so I ran home to take a quick power-nap and didn’t wake up until midnight and I missed the show. I was so pissed!
Jonathan Shuford, WRVW: Ben Folds Five has been my “white whale” for the entirety of my life. They are one of my favorite bands of all-time and I finally did get to see them a couple years ago, but I missed them seven times in seven different venues for a variety of reasons including but not limited to the birth of my child. R Dub! Z90: I’ve been lucky, I can’t remember missing any concerts or events…you better not jinx it, Bob! The only thing that comes close, was missing a few trips last year due to coronavirus. That stung a little but will be made up.
Terri Ray, WKLT: I had 4 tickets to see Eric Clapton with Phil Collins on drums at Joe Louis Arena – 4 tickets and 2 backstage passes. The 2 people who couldn’t go backstage had a total meltdown, and unfortunately, they had the car keys and threatened to leave us in Detroit and head back to Northern Michigan if we went backstage without them. So I didn’t get to meet Clapton or Collins that night. It was an intensely quiet 4-and-a-half-hour trip home. Josh Wolff, WAEB: I’ve had the good fortune of making very show I intended to see! |
Java Joel, Javajoelmurphy@gmail.com: March 3, 1984. My Mom gave me, age 9, the chance to attend the Duran Duran/Billy Idol show at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse with my sister. Since our trips to the ‘Cuse were so rare, I chose to stay at my Aunt’s house and tape record radio stations instead. Still have the tapes too. Jeff Hurley, iHeartMedia: I was supposed to see Eminem back in 1999 or 2000, but was stuck in the middle of the woods on a camping trip and couldn’t get back to the concert in time.
Kobe, WZNE: TomorrowWorld a huge EDM festival in Georgia. I had VIP passes, and I had to go to a wedding. Dom Theodore, Radio Animal Media Strategies: Good grief, that happened almost every week of my life. I always stay until the job is done and missed a lot because of it. Fish, WKRZ: I’m a HUGE Notre Dame football fan and I was supposed to fly out to South Bend to see a home game for the very first time and I got really sick and couldn’t make the trip. I had everything lined up, but couldn’t go. |
Brian Mack, WXXL: Lindsey Buckingham’s 60th birthday party. I didn’t go because we had an outing that week at Y100 where Rod Phillips and Alex Tear were changing roles. I thought it was best for my career to stay home. That was a bad mistake.
Drew Heyman, WHYI: Sublime and 311. I got in a fight in high school and got suspended. My Mom wouldn’t let me go to the show. I was so angry that I was the only one who missed it.
Jeremy Rice, WBLI: Not counting BLI Summer Jam and COVID, I was supposed to see Hall & Oates (my favorite band at the time) at the Rochester War Memorial on March 17,1983, but got in trouble with my parents for something I can’t even remember so I was not allowed to go. I can’t tell you how upset I was at the time! #ICantGoForTHAT!
Orlando, WLLD: I missed the Drake OVOFest, in Toronto, a few years ago after rushing a replacement for my expired passport and all the panic of a last-minute invite, due to a sudden intro to Diverticulitis. Lost the OVOpportunity, popcorn, sesame seed buns and strawberries all in one day.
Mike McVay, McVay Media: In 1979 I was a PD in Louisville at WAKY/WVEZ. My wife and I had tickets to the Who concert in Cincinnati. It was a December night and cold, so we decided to pass on the concert and not make the two-hour drive to Cincy. “The Who concert disaster,” as it’s now known, occurred at that show on that night, December 3, 1979. It was at the Riverfront Coliseum (now known as Heritage Bank Center) when a crush of concert-goers outside the Coliseum’s entry doors resulted in the deaths of eleven people. Trampled to death when the doors opened. We were so happy that we didn’t go, when we heard the news, and thanked the good Lord.
Jana Sutter, WXXL: The iHeartRadio Music Festival a few years ago and I had left early and missed when Billie Joe Armstrong melted down on stage. I actually missed the meltdown.Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
How do programmers reach out to 12–24-year-olds to get them more engaged with their stations?
e-Mail your responses to: jodorisio@deanemediasolutions.com or bburke@deanemediasolutions.com
