Cup O’ Joe: Letting your hair down

Many people often dream about what it would be like to go back in time. To have an opportunity to relive a moment from an earlier point in one’s life, free of the “grown-up” worries and stresses of daily life, is something anyone would enjoy.
Such was the case for myself on Wednesday, Aug. 22, as my wife and I left the children with my parents and headed to Bangor to enjoy the Def Leppard, Poison and Lita Ford concert at the Bangor Waterfront. We joined up with Karter Kenney and his wife Michelle for an “adults-only” afternoon and evening of fun and music in the big city.
    Based on the number of familiar faces spotted at the show, others from the County had the same idea. Just a few rows from our seats were Michael and Amy Barker (now of Washburn), Julie (Stewart) Tribou, Michelle (Guy) Wittine, Chris Carmichael and Janet (McKay) Brewer — just a few of the friendly faces spotted at the show.
It has been a good one for checking off artists I wanted to see before they are no longer touring. Earlier in the year, it was a trip to Boston with Karter and Jeff Brockway to see Van Halen at the TD Garden.
Having never been to a show at the Waterfront, I was curious to see how the venue would compare with other concert setups. I had driven past the concert site numerous times, but could never visualize how upwards of 16,000 people would possibly fit inside, not to mention where would everyone would park?
The answer? They fit just fine and people parked in every available parking lot along Main Street, which made for good extra income for those businesses as every lot had someone “selling” parking spots for $10 and up. Surprisingly, the venue was very user-friendly, with no ridiculously long lines to get in or to purchase snacks and merchandise.
The concert itself was like a trip back to 1988, with many dressing the way they did back in the day. I was more interested in seeing Poison than Def Leppard. I still remember buying my first Poison cassette (yes those things we used to put in walkmans and … well walk around with the music) while on a school band trip to Montreal.
My big hair and mullet have long since disappeared, but there were plenty to be seen at this show. I thought about cutting up a pair of jeans and soaking them in bleach to get the “acid washed” effect, but thankfully my wife talked me out of it. It’s one of those ideas that sound better beforehand, but are usually left un-done.
You know it’s a sign you have matured when you bring earplugs to a rock concert. It was something I had never done before, and had no intentions of using for this show, but fortunately my wife was thinking ahead on this one. Midway into the second act, I found myself reaching for the plugs as the music was deafening, but I still loved every minute of it.
For anyone who has ever considered checking out a show in Bangor it is well worth the trip down.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281.