I don't remember the specific date. It would be cool if there was somewhere online that you could look up old concert dates. I think most people are lucky to remember the concerts themselves, much less the date.
This concert happened in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was taken there by my uncle, Bill Owens, along with my cousins, Mike Gladden, Chris Short and Mark Short. This was before I'd been diagnosed as being nearsighted, so I didn't see a lot of details. But I sure remember the flash pots and the flames that reached the ceiling. And I remember the music, of course. What a cool thing, for your first concert to be KISS.
Concerts were wild and woolly back then. That night was almost my first night to smoke marijuana, drink whiskey and snort cocaine. Not by the graces of my uncle or cousins. It was just being passed around. Joints were being lit and passed down the line. I didn't know what to do with the first one that reached me. But I damned sure knew what to do with the second one. I also figured out what to do with the tray of white powder that someone handed to me. And the whiskey was a no-brainer.
Okay, so maybe 11 was a little young for all that. But I had a real good time. So there.
