Wednesday Word: Joshua Jones
Written by KHYI 95.3 on July 29, 2015
Joshua Jones’ Top 5 Concerts of All Time
5. Tie: Texas Music Revolution 6 (Mesquite Championship Rodeo, March, 2002) & The Monkees (Arlington Stadium, June, 1986.)
TMR6 was incredible. We had moved the event from Southfork to the Mesquite Rodeo arena and, while that created some logistical issues for us, the line-up proved to be incredible. Junior Brown, The Flatlanders, Asleep At The Wheel, Chris Knight, Jack Ingram, Tom Russell, Deryl Dodd, and many more. With 19 of these shows under my belt, this was definitely one of, if not the, very best.
I grew up in a very conservative family. So much so that concert-going, on the whole, was frowned upon. Unless it was the Gaithers or somesuch. So, somehow I got to go see The Monkees (sans Mike Nesmith) when I was 12. It was after a Ranger game in Arlington and you’d have thought I was at the biggest baddest show that rock n’ roll had to offer. It wasn’t, but it was to 12 year old Joshie.
4. Avett Brothers (Granada Theater, April 2008.) The Granada Theater is hallowed ground in my family. I had a girlfriend that, after working at a booking agency in NYC, found a job handling promotions at the Granada. She and I went to a ton of shows there together. This was one of our favorites. I had actually met the Avett Brothers the night before in Nashville at the Ryman. My buddy Mike, who owns the Granada, and I had been in Nashville together. We had a 5 minute convo with them after they performed. 1000 words were spoken between the 4 of us. Unfortunately, Mike and I spoke 998 of them. Those dudes were quiet. Anyway, Mike was amped to tell them they were playing his room in Dallas the next night. We made it back by then and they did not disappoint. I’ve seen them several times since. But that show was the best. And, oh that girlfriend that worked at the Granada? She’s now my wife.
3. Hal Ketchum (Granada Theater, June 2009.) Nobody probably remembers the 2 or 3 days of a June six years ago that a large chunk of east Dallas, mostly adjacent to Greenville Avenue, lost power. But I do. I’m not the world’s biggest Hal Ketchum fan, but that night was special. Without electricity, the show somehow went on. You could hear a pin drop through the hushed audience, as the un-amplified band hovered above a dozen candles on stage. It was as though I had traveled back in time 100 years to see a show. The music was so rich,the harmonies so tight, and lyrics so powerful, that I forgot how hot I was with no A/C. What a show.
2. U2 (Cowboys Stadium, October 2009.) Confession: I am a total U2 nerd. This was not my first time to see the four Irishmen. However, getting there early and being very near the front of the stage made for an unforgettable night. They took the crowd to church with an a cappella version of Stand By Me that still gives me chills thinking about. I’m a total little girl when it comes to Bono and he had the crowd in the palm of his hand that night. I cannot wait for my nest U2 show.
1. Frightened Rabbit (Electric Circus, Edinburgh, Scotland, June 2011.) Frightened who?? Frightened Rabbit is probably my favorite band. They’re a Scottish indie-rock band from Edinburgh and if you don’t know who they are, shame on you. As you might imagine, their fame in Scotland greatly eclipses theirs in the U.S. (although many of their shows on their last U.S. run were sold out.) Anyway, I love Scotland. I lived in the U.K. for a while in college and that’s when my love-affair with Scotland began. I spent as much time there as possible. Additionally, Edinburgh is my favorite city on the planet. Everywhere you look is a post-card view and the people are the friendliest you’ve ever met. This show was a “secret show” at a small venue the band played at before they became famous. Via social media they tweeted and posted clues throughout the day. My wife and I (on our honeymoon) could not make heads or tails of any of the clues, but we both have pretty healthy music-industry rolodexes and, eventually, found out where the show was. It took a little smooth talk, but we got in the door. My favorite band, in my favorite city, with my favorite person?? Absolutely the best show I’ve ever seen.
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