The Power of Memories and Music

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by Julie, sweltering in Somerville

Liz Mugavero and I went to see a concert this week–the Triple Moon Tour with Alanis Morissette, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Morgan Wade. The concert was at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA, an outdoor venue which was dicey during this heat wave. But we enjoyed the concert tremendously. The experience, and our conversations to and from the venue, made me think about the influence of music in our lives, and how memories meld. Let me explain.

The Xfinity Center used to be called Great Woods. We both only referred to it as Great Woods because we’d been there many times over the years. Driving there, we didn’t recognize the area. But once through the gates, familiarity started to roll towards us. We started to talk about the concerts we’d both seen there, and realized our paths likely never crossed. I remember Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, and some sort of festival. Liz rattled off the shows she’d seen.

Some of the details of the concerts blurred together for us both, but who we were with and what happened were clear. Shadows of the ghosts of who we were danced.

We also both remembered the nightmare that was/is leaving the venue. Honestly, that’s the worst part of seeing things, isn’t it? That’s one reason I prefer seeing things in Boston–you don’t need a car to get home. But I digress.

Alanis Morissette was the headliner. I know her music, of course. But I don’t have a visceral reaction to it. Liz did. Alanis Morissette was part of the soundtrack of her life during her 20’s, which means the music is usually loaded with a lot of life, changes, memories, and drama. I’m a generation ahead of Liz, so Joan Jett played that role for me. Her songs and her voice brought back floods of mingled memories. Dancing hard, cast parties, singing in cars.

The memories music evoke are powerful. Sometimes an artist provides a backdrop to a part of your life in a pondering way. Sometimes a song reminds you of that breakup, the first date, the minute you got the news that changed your life.

As a writer, I need words to bring up those same feelings. Without the music, that is tough. But at the same time, since specific music means different things to different people, evoking those memories with words can be more universal. Reming someone of being at a summer concert with friends, and let them fill in the artist and the venue. Dancing in a huge crowd with a good friend on a sweltering summer night–that’s a memory that transcends.

Readers, tell me about some of your summer music memories.

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Published by J.A. Hennrikus

One woman, three names, many books. As Julia Henry I wrote the Garden Squad series for Kensington. As J.A. Hennrikus I wrote the Theater Cop series, and as Julianne Holmes I wrote the Clock Shop series. I've been an arts administrator for my entire career, mostly in the performing arts. Currently I'm the ED of Sisters in Crime, a wonderful organization that promotes and supports crime writers. www.sistersincrime.org Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram! @JHAuthors

30 Thoughts

  1. What a lovely post, Julie. I’m glad you got to have a musical adventure with Liz (and a little bit jealous, except for the outdoor venue and leaving the venue parts…).

    We have been to many fabulous summer concerts at the Lowell Boardinghouse Park – Joan Baez, Bela Fleck, Solas among them – and leaving is not a nightmare. Some years we also go to the all-day free outdoor Lowell Folk Festival, with music from around the world in four or five stages around downtown and a great dance stage.

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  2. JULIE: I am glad that you and Liz enjoyed the Triple Moon Tour. Like Liz, Alanis was on my playlist during my 20s. She is an Ottawa native but rarely makes it back here to her hometown to perform.

    Blue Rodeo is an alt-country rock band from Toronto that has been part of my personal playlist since the early 1990s. For over 25 years, Blue Rodeo has played at Toronto’s Amphitheatre on the shores of Lake Ontario in late August. When I lived in Toronto, it was a summer tradition to go to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) summer fair in the daytime & then walk across a bridge to see their evening show.

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  3. Seeing Springsteen at the Meadowlands (or whatever it’s called these days) 3 times on 2 tours. Seeing him in Ottawa the night lightning hit the venue and the power went off briefly (and Bruce commenting how everybody was on their cell phones texting friends that the power went off). Seeing favourites and discovering new artists at the blues and jazz festivals (though the former hasn’t been blues in a long time and I didn’t go last year and not going this year – who are these artists?)

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  4. Ahhh yes, concert memories! I could write a long response to this.

    Seeing Iron Maiden at least twice at Great Woods. Seeing the last two Black Sabbath tours at Great Woods. Seeing everyone from Don Henley to Queensryche, Rob Halford to Heaven and Hell at Great Woods. I’ve seen shows at other venues during the summer, but Great Woods is a place I really like.

    One of the Black Sabbath shows, the concert goers could’ve taught Mexican drug cartels a thing or two about smuggling drugs because despite two security check points before getting into the venue, the smell of pot was more prevalent than fresh air. It was a disgusting night to say the least, breathing-wise. The Iron Maiden show that was so hot that the simple act of moving caused sweat to pour down your face in sheets. The Def Leppard show where afterwards walking back to the car someone yelled out that they loved my Savatage T-shirt. Turns out we were both part of the same message board devoted to that band and we’ve been friends since.

    And yes, like Julie said, the parking situation at Great Woods is atrocious. All these years and they still haven’t figured out a better way. So, a friend of mine clued me into a shortcut. About a mile down the road from Great Woods, there’s was (don’t know if it is still there) a mini golf / ice cream place. Technically it is across the town line, so it is in Norton. They let people park there. It was 10 buck cheaper than the standard pay lots at Great Woods. When I first parked there, I ate dinner that I brought, got an ice cream and then walked to the venue. After the show, I walked back. I was in my car and on the road home within 30 seconds of getting back to the place. In fact, the next morning I discovered, I had gotten home, cleaned up and had fallen asleep and people I know were still stuck in the parking lot past 1am. I haven’t been to Great Woods much lately but whenever I go, I park there and take the walk.

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    1. Jay, I’d imagine you have a ton of summer concert stories. I agree, it’s a great venue. And now I’m going to look at other parking options. That’s so smart.
      I hadn’t been in years, and what struck me was how many drink stations there were. Like cocktail shaker drinks. Maybe they keep the parking terrible so people sober up a bit.

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      1. Julie,

        Summer concert or at any other time of the year, I probably have a story for every one of the more than 100 shows I’ve attended since seeing The Statler Brothers with Helen Cornelius some time before 1986. And I’ve got the ticket stubs and set lists to back everything up. And of course, in some cases I’ve written up concert reviews for KNAC.COM.

        Getting backstage at one show, the giant sex orgy that supposedly occurred at another, the high as a kite guy who dove from the balcony to the floor and walked away dragging a broken leg, the band that got booed off the stage, the band that quit their set when someone threw something at the stage. The concert that made me start wearing earplugs, the concert where I had a date with an Amazonian Goddess. Taking a limo to a show, being on the band’s guest list and achieving a 3 decade dream of meeting the Teutonic Metal Queen. And I can’t forget getting a photo that has become a prized possession of me and my favorite guitar player.

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  5. My first music memory of a concert was in the 70’s when some friends and I went to see Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. This was when he was in the rock category and before he branched out on his own into the country field. The last music memory (that still continues) was when we moved to our dream destination where from April to November you can find concerts in many venues around town or hear free music on the courthouse square, the pic ‘n’ park, or around on many lawns or street corners. The music is varied and what a thrill to stroll around until you find one of your liking and sit a spell of the many benches in town. Even at home we usually have music of some sort on playing changing the type of music according to moods or desires. Young or old, we are never too old for music and they very often bring back fond memories or maybe are the beginning of a new one.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  6. What a lovely post – and yes, leaving is definitely the worst part. The concerts that come to mind – Woodstock. Peter Paul and Mary at Blossom in Ohio, Stevie Wonder at the Garden State Arts Center. Can you believe it, Buddy Rich opened for him. Oh, dear, I think I just dated myself. Never mind. Woodstock probably did that, too. Jimmy Buffet at the Miami Marina. I don’t remember if it was summer – in Florida, it’s hard to tell! I’m sure there were more.

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  7. Love this post Julie! Music is such a huge part of my life. Loved this trip down memory lane – thank you for sharing it with me!

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  8. Fun thinking about the music of my teens and early twenties. I always loved the early Rollong Stones; can remember countless times dancing to Satisfaction and Honky-tonk Woman. But I never heard them live until maybe six years ago in Zürich with my husband and 25-year-old son, who I was surprised to find could sing along to all the songs as well as I could. I didn’t care that the Stones were old (so was I!)–i just had a fantastic time.

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  9. I am remembering a song called A Summer Place. There is also a movie A Summer Place from 1959. Both are very poignant!

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  10. My first concert was Rickie Nelson at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. My friends and I were only 15 so we took 3 buses to get there. The next year we were 16 so one of us drove to the fairgrounds to see the Everly Brothers. I neer wentto another concert. Too crowded and too loud!

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  11. There is a song my parents and I associate with a state park where we love to camp. Whenever it comes on, I am transported to the redwoods. Another record makes me think of the summer I worked at a water slide park in college.

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  12. I love this, Julie and am so glad you and Liz got to go. I went to a lot of concerts in the summer in Cheyenne, WY. The weather there is better for being out — especially in the evening when it cools off and there’s such low humidity. The ones in Iowa growing up were sweltering, but Three Dog Night at the county fairgrounds and Chicago at the State Fair were worth it. Plus hot weather didn’t bother me as much then.

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  14. Hubby Dearest and I were discussing have Alexis (Echo) from Amazon in our house today. I mentioned that she listened to what we said, because all of a sudden things we had just talked about came on her screen. Any way, he asked did I use her, and I said that I only asked her to play music. So, we discussed the music. Well, he said, “Ask Alexa to play “Black Slacks.”” So, I did (though I had never heard that song) and lo and behold they played that song from 1957. So, I learned something about my husband today after 60+ years. Music always brings us together. No concerts for us in years, but we saw John Denver together and I saw the Beatles in 1965 in Houston when I was 16. Music is something that my father taught me from the Big Bands he danced to and on to the future music. Keep on keepin’ on!

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      1. Thank you. It is correct. He still surprises me and hopefully I do the same for him. We had our first date on a Leap Year–Feb. 29, 1964 (only 15 of those). Dated 6 years (some breakups), engaged 13 years (lived together) and next month married 41 years. I learn things daily about him it seems. We went to the same church and parochial school but were a class apart so did not know each other. My sister had a party at our house when we were in HS and she was in her first year at college and invited his half-brother whom she had had a crush on, and he was way older and not interested. Anyway, he brought Hubby Dearest along. Wow! I was dating someone else, but I knew then that he was the one. Long story there. Funny, he knows a lot about music and songs but has never bought a record whether LP or 45, a cassette or a CD. But he bought me all of my music equipment.

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