Book Review: "The Show I'll Never Forget"

I love the iconic image of the Bic lighters on the cover; I can remember when that was de rigueur when chanting and stomping for an encore. I just finished reading this collection of 50 first person accounts of memorable concert experiences. Editor Sean Manning gathered stories from accomplished writers and published them last year, in 2007 (Da Capo Press). I liked that they were arranged in chronological order, from the 1950s to the present, giving somewhat of a flow of the cultural and musical changes. My favorites were Sigrid Nunez's memories of Woodstock, and Diana Ossana's poignant recollection of a Led Zeppelin concert in 1973. Most of the stories are fairly well-written and entertaining. It's hard to write about music; most of the accounts include information about events leading up to or surrounding the concert memorialized, or other autobiographical material. It was an enjoyable read, but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library and didn't actually buy it. Have you noticed how cell phone cameras have replaced the Bic lighters at concerts now? It's evolution, baby.