The Bars Of Our Youth: Roseland Ballroom (New York City, NY)

Roseland Ballroom, New York City
CREDIT: Wikipedia

I might have been a little more circumspect if I had known just what sort of situation I was permitting myself to become embroiled in by standing right in what my more worldly friends were calling "the mosh pit" during the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at the Roseland Ballroom, but in my frighteningly naïve rush to be close to the front, I had made a grave mistake.

Looking back, I would most certainly have given it a lot more thought when the droves of large lurching inebriates started pushing their way through the crowd and right up next to me.

It was only a matter of time, of course, and sure enough I was caught up in a frightening mix of concert frenzy and out of control body slamming that gave my buddies and I quite a run for our money.

This was back when most of the Chili Peppers used to perform without much clothing and were considered "cutting age," so that gives you a pretty good idea of exactly how old I am.

Roseland Ballroom, at the time, was considered a run down old dance hall with great acoustics and a large enough space to accommodate a band with a considerable following who weren’t quite ready to start playing the more prestigious halls or stadiums in the area. I remember getting to the ladies room as one of the most difficult personal quests I have ever made in an emergency situation and the dark corridors leading to it as some of the most frightening I have seen. This could have been due in large part to any number of substances flowing through my bloodstream at the time.

Not too long ago I went through old envelopes of ticket stubs and found more from Roseland than I had ever remembered: Love & Rockets, Red Hot Chili Peppers TWICE, Dave Edmunds, etc. And believe it or not, I have a difficult time remembering most of these.

Like the Beacon, it’s still alive and kicking with shows like Them Crooked Vultures, Social Distortion, and Del Mar and in a way, there is a strange beauty in knowing it will be around for years to come.