It’s Tuesday evening, September 19, 2000. I was very grateful for the two tickets I had to see ACDC at the Shark Tank this evening. These days it seemed like most of my concert tickets were graciously provided by my boss. You couldn’t ask for a better boss too.

The depth of his knowledge related to music, was mind boggling. His knowledge covered several genres of music and he consistently tested my knowledge and memory as it relates to music. When we’d drive to lunch, he’d already have a CD in the player (to prevent me from seeing the jewel case). Anyway, the objective was for me to figure out who I was listening to.

He also knew quite a bit about the artist too. I miss those drives and the discovery of new (good quality) music or the rediscovery of old music that I’d forgotten.

Whenever he handed me tickets for a concert I felt like a kid in a candy store who was given the biggest and best chunk of candy in the store. Anyone who knows me knows my love for music.

So there I was sitting in the luxury box with my wife as we waited for ACDC to take the stage. I had plenty of wine and I was sipping water by this point. I was feeling perfect.

I thought of the first time I saw this band way back in the mid seventies at the Old Waldorf. I believe it was their first tour of the US. I remember going to my dive of an apartment after the show with two women. I thought they were using me for the drinks I was buying, but I got lucky… damn lucky. The next morning I named one of the women AC and the other DC. They loved that.

I wondered where they are and what they're doing these days. Probably married with children and committed to making sure their kids never hear the story of them going home with me. They probably think I’m dead.

The next time I’d seen ACDC was in 1978 when they opened a “Day on the Green.” They were followed by Van Halen, Pat Travers, Foreigner, and a very messed up… Aerosmith. I was there with my wife (who I was dating at the time), her brother and several of his friends.

One of the things I remember well during this show was when Angus climbed on to the shoulders of a big bouncer and then that bouncer walked through the audience as he jammed. He walked right in front of us.

Here I was, 22 years later, sitting in a luxury box with my wife, sipping excellent wine, and getting ready to enjoy one more ACDC show. Bon Scott was long gone. He died two years after the last time we’d seen the band. Even though I enjoyed ACDC’s material in the post Bon Scott era, I hadn’t seen them live since 1978.

Brian Johnson delivered one hell of a show and these guys proved to me that they’re not ready for retirement yet. They played all their hits to an endearing audience who were starving for a good time. Make no mistakes… Angus is the main attraction in this band. Always has been and always will be.

The song called, “Highway to Hell” struck me that night because earlier in the day, an individual who went to a Catholic High School, told me that their football team used to sing this song before games. I had to laugh after I remembered the lyrics…

Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Don’t need reason, don’t need rhyme
Aint nothing I'd rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too, yeah

I’m on the highway to hell
on the highway to hell
highway to hell
I’m on the highway to hell

No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody’s gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody’s gonna mess me round
Hey satan, paid my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey momma, look at me
I’m on my way to the promised land
OWWW

I’m on the highway to hell
Highway to hell!
Im on the highway to hell
Highway to hell!
ohhhhh

Don't stop me
yeah, yeah, owwww

I’m on the highway to hell
on the highway to hell
I’m on the highway to hell
on the highway to...HELL
Highway to hell
I’m on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
Highway to hell
Highway to hell
Momma, highway to highway to hell

And I’m going down, all the way down
I’m on the highway to hell

There was one wedding anniversary I didn’t spend with my wife over the past 32 years.

My wife is the type of person who enjoys every holiday, acknowledges all birthdays, remembers the dates that people died, and so on.

When our anniversary rolls around, she expects a card and maybe a date… usually a dinner date… but not this time.

It’s Monday evening, May 29, 1997 and I’m in a limo on my way to see ZZ Top at the Concord Pavilion.

My boss put this excursion together and I’d been looking forward to it, I just wish it was on another date… any other date.

Make no mistakes… my wife was cool about this. She said we’d make it up the following evening, which we did.

Anyway, we had these two business associates join us from Ireland. These guys owned a company that we partnered with so they could handle distribution of product in Europe.

Things were rolling right along… a nice dinner, lots of red wine and singing Neil Diamond songs in the limo. Then one of the Irish guys pulls out a joint. I hadn’t smoked pot in years… several years.

I took two hits and I was higher than a kite. Of course I was thirsty as hell when we arrived at the concert and before I could think about how badly I wanted a beer, my boss showed up with beers for all of us and he kept them coming.

George Thorogood opened for ZZ Top. This was a perfect match up and George was great. Too bad we weren’t in some old dive on the outskirts of town. George’s show kick ass and we were having a ball.

By the time ZZ Top hit the stage, I was feeling absolutely no pain at all. ZZ Top was still riding high on all those hits from the 80s, but they’re a special band. They have the ability to be timeless. I think this was the fifth or sixth time I’d seen them and they always put on a great show.

I really enjoy it when Billy Gibbons plays the blues. Any blues tune will do.

I had a good time but I did miss my wife. My wife is special in this regard. Many of the wives of friends and business associates no longer enjoy concerts, but my wife does.

I got home well after midnight and I was up for work four hours later.  Later that day my wife and I celebrated our anniversary at C.B. Hannigans in Los Gatos.

This is one of my most favorite concerts I’d seen with my boys, who are now men. It was Saturday, July 26, 2008. The three of us went to the Mid State Fair to see Stone Temple Pilots. This is a band that all three of us listened to since they released their first CD called Core in 1992.

We had great seats above the crowd on the ground. There were a lot of people and the lines were long. My oldest son paid for the tickets and the other real cool thing he did, was that he made the beer and wine runs. That was no easy feat considering the lines.

Scott Weiland was on fire and probably a drunk too. Even though I recognized every song, I could only give the names of a few tunes such as Big Empty, Vasoline, Plush, Interstate Love Song, and Down.

This show rocked from the moment they came on stage until the last riff was played in the final song of the encore. I was in excellent company, with excellent wine, and it was an excellent show.

My sons, STP, great wine, great time… Priceless.

Aside from all the concerts we went to, we also took the time to attend other events, such as; 49ers, Giants, A’s, Warriors, Sharks, Arena Football, Tennis, martial arts, racing - Indy Cars to Bandits), college football – baseball - basketball, musicals, Broadway, air shows, horse shows, car shows, circus, comedy shows, the opera, and even the ballet (I left at the intermission… I convinced my wife it was over).

We stayed very busy and we didn’t miss a single event that involved our boys.     

We also snow skied, water sports, and fished. 

I believe staying busy actually helped to keep us young on the inside. Those who fell into the couch potato syndrome… well let’s just say they got old before their time.

So get off your ass and do something!