Maybe the first show for me was 'Punk Rock Night” at the Santa Cruz County Fair in 81.  I I bailed on my foks and wandered over to the stage area to check out the show.  All the girls at my school, Rolling Hills JH in Watsdonville,  had all been fired up about Rick Springfield and Heart the previous weekend.  Even as a loner geek sprout,  I thought “What the helll?”  I stuck to the back and stared goggle eyed at the spectacle of the pit.  Some Santa Cruz band called The Humans played and a few others;  I vaguely remember Wendy-O Williams and the Plasmatics (lamely chainsawing a guitar in half, propped in sawharses nailed together for the task – how stupid is that?)

The first REAL show that I REALLY went to: Butthole Surfers, Circle Jerks, Verbal Abuse, Social Unrest at the convention center in Sacto. 1985.

Oh man.  Mind blown.  Ears ringing.  Fists balled. 

The highlight:  Gibby ripping the head oiff a giant stuffed Ralph the Dog doll, throwing the stuffing all over the huge pit, putting the head over his own, screaming into through a megaphone into the mic, guy and girl drummers, the girl wearing a see-through garbage bag, the lead guitarist tensed, eyes shut tight, paisley shirt buttoned up to the neck, his whole body arched over the crowd at the very very edge of the stage as he DUG DEEP.

Fuck. Gimme more o that  forever and ever.

i saw that show too at the convention center easter sunday with the circle jerks